frequently asked questions

Why should I care about my print being FSC Certified?

Corporate Social Responsibility is still the phrase of the moment – even in these challenging times.
Environmentally friendly printing feels good, looks good and delivers big benefits for your business. One simple step is to use Jade to achieve FSC Certification for your next project. The logo’s are becoming extremely well known and demonstrate a caring approach by your business with consideration for people, wildlife and the environment.

What will it cost?

Jade adding the FSC logo onto your printed Literature or Stationery costs you absolutely nothing. Jade pays an annual fee to be audited and to have use of the FSC logos – and makes no charge whatsoever to the end user. Using an FSC Certified paper itself also need not cost any more, as Jade’s paper purchasing prices are already very competitive and the FSC paper ranges are so vast that the prices we pay are the same as the majority of non Certified papers.

What items can I put the FSC logo onto?

Anything that is printed onto FSC paper, and is manufactured following the proper process,can have the relevant logo on it. We print it onto letterheads, business cards, flyers, leaflets, brochures and catalogues -  in fact anything at all.

It sounds too complicated!

Jade are the FSC specialists and will take away all complications.
All we need from you is the request to achieve FSC Certification for your project and we will arrange everything else for you. Simple as that.

I have heard about FSC, PEFC and CoC – what do they all mean?

FSC – Forestry Stewardship Council
PEFC – Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification.
CoC – Chain of Custody.
FSC and PEFC are 2 bodies that certify that a paper has been purchased and manufactured from properly managed sources. Through an auditable paperwork system, we maintain the Custody of the paper when in our factory, and have ability to track each Certified printed job back to its point of purchase from the merchant. They in turn hold Custody whilst in their ownership and are able to track the paper to the mill, and so on back to the forest that it was farmed from.
At each stage in the life of the product its Chain of Custody is maintained.

Can a paper be FSC and PEFC Certified?

In simple terms no.
The decision will have been made very early on by the mill as to which single Certification body they will follow.

I want to use Recycled Paper – but I still want FSC Certification?

Jade can supply FSC Certified paper for almost all grades – from 100% Pure to Recycled.
So you can  maintain your Company's policy of using recycled paper, yet still adopt the FSC Certification as well.

What is the benefit for me?

Let your customers know that you are striving to go 'as green as you can' and are embracing green values by using FSC paper for your printed products. The market is embracing companies who are environmentally responsible and preferring them in competitive situations.

Where do I go from here?

Simply ask Jade to quote on your next printed job and say you would like us to use an FSC paper. Jade will choose an appropriate brand for the end product and supply or add the correct logo. All our documentation will carry the relevant information to prove that the product meets the standard.

I am not the end user – can I still use the FSC Logo?

Yes – if you are a buyer, designer or agency – you can still add the FSC logo to relevant pieces of print and claim FSC Certification - as long as you do not carry out any further manufacturing or changes to the product.
FSC deem this as “acting in the spirit” of FSC and as long as there are no further changes made, our paperwork and audit trail will ensure that FSC Chain of Custody is maintained.

I am having books printed by a printer with CoC and they will have the FSC label. Do I need to have CoC too in order to distribute them?

No, unless you are selling them to retailers who wish to make their own promotional claims about FSC. Please contact FSC directly for more details if this might be the case.

We are publishers who use several printers and other services such as print finishing and binding. Will each of these companies need its own CoC?

Not necessarily, so long as you own the paper and books throughout the process. You as publisher could have a CoC certificate which covered the others as an outsourcing policy. FSC can provide full details on request.

I have bought some FSC paper for a print job but want to use a printer who does not have CoC. Can I just include a statement that it’s FSC paper without using the logo?

No, because the name Forest Stewardship Council and letters FSC are registered trademarks as well as the logo itself.

What are the down-sides?

As long as you clearly state your wishes to Jade at the point of purchase – none whatsoever.

Can I tell if a job has been produced by an FSC Certified printer?

Because there is an investment in time and money to develop and maintain the FSC status, less scrupulous printers are adding logos and attempting to pass off work as being FSC Certified.
If you have any concerns, e-mail us on enquiries@fsc-print.co.uk with the certificate number printed on the Logo, and we will be able to look up who this is registered to.

What is Chain of Custody certification?

Chain of Custody (CoC) certification verifies that a product contains wood from a certified forest, sometimes including other controlled forest sources or post-consumer waste. Every organisation which forms a link in the supply chain needs it own CoC certificate, if the publication or product is to include the FSC logo, or any claim that the paper is FSC certified.

What do the different labels mean ?

The FSC system has developed three categories of certified product and the category of every product should be clearly identified on its product label or invoice.

FSC 100%
All the timber or fibre in the product comes from an FSC-certified forest

FSC Recycled
All the timber or fibre in the product is post-consumer reclaimed material.

FSC Mixed Sources
The timber or fibre in the product is a mixture of some/all of the following:
• Timber from an FSC-certified forest
• Post-consumer reclaimed material
• Controlled Sources, which exclude unacceptable forestry

All our marketing materials and business forms are produced by a printer with CoC and carry the FSC label. Can we make reference to this in our annual report or on our website?

Yes. FSC can provide a Trademark Resource Pack to enable you to do this.

If a printer has FSC CoC, does this mean that all their paper is FSC certified?

Not necessarily. You should always make it clear in your order that you want FSC paper and that you want the FSC label included.