Opportunities for companies with accredited certification according to ISO 38200, in a market where sensitivity to environmental issues is growing, along with the demand for information on the origin of the wood used in products sold.
The “Chain of Custody” is the name of the system outlined by the certification according to ISO 38200 that will be issued by accredited bodies, in order to enable the traceability of wood and wood-based products at every stage of the supply chain, from origin to finished product.
In the wood/paper supply chain, where many players are involved and different types of wood are used, traceability is both a challenge and a key factor for the healthy growth of the entire sector.
For companies wishing to demonstrate the responsible management of resources and their ‘legal’ origin, certification according to the international ISO 38200 standard allows them to apply a rigorous and reliable method, aimed at identifying the origin of materials and giving preference to those from authorized sources.
“The ability to trace the different origins of timber,” says Jorge E. R. Cajazeira, Chairman of the ISO/PC 287 Committee that developed the standard – “helps to prevent timber from illegal sources entering the supply chain, and provides a common framework that allows actors in the supply chain to speak the same language.”
In detail, the certification, issued by bodies accredited according to ISO/IEC 17065 for products and services, concerns companies in the wood/paper chain starting from the phase after felling, and covers three categories of products, namely wood and wood-based products; cork and cork-based products; and lignified materials other than wood, such as bamboo, and their products.
ISO 38200 makes it possible to establish whether the material used is “verified” (by testing for compliance with the requirements of a System of Due Diligence – SDD); “specified” (the material meets specific, documented and publicly available requirements set by organizations); “certified” (the material meets the requirements of a particular certification scheme); “recycled” (recovered or diverted from the waste stream).
Accredited certification according to ISO 38200 is therefore an important tool to support an increasingly safe market and responsible resource management.
source: Accredia