Environment - chain of custody certifications

In January 2008 Worldcolor announced it has achieved Chain-of-Custody Certification for the world’s three leading forest management programs. These are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).  This milestone sets Worldcolor first, among the top North American printers, to offer these three progressive Chain of Custody certification programs.

Forest certification is a way to promote responsible and verifiable forestry practices and provide independent third-party assurance that a forestry operation meets standards set by a certification program.  The chain-of-custody is the path which products take from the forest to the consumer, including all manufacturing, transportation, and distribution links.  Chain-of-Custody certification verifies that products from certified forests are not mixed with products from uncertified forests at any point in the supply chain.  This certification is designed to assure customers that the certified goods they buy are genuinely the products of a well-managed forest.  A secure chain-of-custody requires that certified products are identified through the use of labels, segregated, and accompanied by appropriate documentation at all stages. 

Chain-of Custody certification is the type of certification that Worldcolor has achieved.

The three chain of custody certifications were awarded to all fifty-four (54) of Worldcolor’s US and Canadian printing locations following a stringent systematic 3rd party audit of the company’s procurement practices and control systems by both the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood Program and PriceWaterhouseCoopers Chain of Custody Certification Program.

Pressure from consumers to manage the world’s forests responsibly has created demand for programs that certify responsible and sustainable use of the wood products derived from these forests. As a result, non-profit entities such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) have been actively certifying the use of the world’s forests since 1994.

About Worldcolor's Forestry Certifications

	Forest Stewardship Council: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international network established in 1994 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC is a stakeholder owned system for promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.
	Sustainable Forestry Initiative: The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program, established in 1994, is a comprehensive system of principles, objectives and performance measures developed by professional foresters, conservationists and scientists, among others that combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality.
	Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification: Primarily in Europe, the PEFC Council is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1999, which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. The PEFC provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that they are promoting the sustainable management of forests.