FSC

In January 2009 one million invitations and envelopes were printed on FSC paper for President elect Obama's inauguration.
FSC or forest stewardship council is and has been in the rage for the last few years. Recently I was asked again what it stands for. So I thought maybe I make myself useful and try to explain it here. In simple layman terms it is someone or some company outside your organisation [if you make paper] checking on everything related to how the paper is made including the forest, the transport, the process of pulp-making, paper making, the chemicals, the fillers, etc. Then the merchant that stocks the paper has to be audited and so is the printer because they are part of the chain. Both merchant and printer need to be FSC certified.

What are the factors for this check?. Basically we need to show that we are responsible to the forest.
In the past the focus was on recycling and particularly, reusing post-consumer waste. Today recycling I think, is still very important as sooner or later we will all run out of landfills. In fact using more recycled paper lessen the cutting of trees. However FSC instead of looking at the pulp content shifts the emphasis to the whole process . FSC is about controlling forest management in the production of wood. It is talking about the use of alternative fibers, chemical treatment and resulting effluence or waste. FSC is for responsible choice for the environment. It is against illegal and unsustainable logging activities.

The FSC possesses very noble intentions. The FSC system aims to eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous people, violence against people and wildlife that often accompanies logging.
Forest Stewardship Council certification is an important way to improve the practice of forestry.

If you want to read more go to http://www.fscus.org/