Justifying Paper Certification
The simple reverse-psychology answer is "You don't." I know there is quite a bit of cynicism about chain-of-custody (CoC) paper certification systems in the first place, but oddly enough there is also a general lack of awareness of what certified paper is, or is not. Let me set the record a bit straighter for those of you who fall into either the unaware (I'll be nice and not use the word ignorant) or cynical (I'll be nice again and not use the word belligerent) camps.
Vic Nathan Barkin has more than 35 years of experience in the printing, paper and wood products industries and currently owns a consulting practice specializing in business development, workflow, and technology implementation, focusing on “Green Procurement and Production” practices. Vic is a QMS Lead Auditor certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards, is a consultant for the Rainforest Alliance as an FSC Chain of Custody and Controlled Wood senior auditor, is an FSC, SFI and PEFC lead auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers and SGS North America, and has engaged in more than 700 site assessments and audits.
