SCA Timber predicts the level of its Forest Stewardship Council labelled certified products will increase tenfold as a result of its role in testing the certification body’s new draft chain of custody standard.
The company, which has lobbied the FSC for changes in the system, is testing the draft standard until June 2004, when the FSC board will decide whether to adopt the changes. The testing is designed to reward companies using certified material and dispenses with the current 70% threshold for the amount of certified material required in a product.
Björn Lynjfelt, vice-president of communciations at SCA Forest Products, said the ability to keep track of individual logs through the whole distribution process was very difficult and until now only 2-3% of its sawlogs were FSC labelled.
He said: “We had big difficulties with making use of the old chain of custody system. It is not really in line with quality industrial logisitics.”
SCA is working with environmental organisations and UK companies on the project.
