Forest Stewardship Council certification documenting responsibly-sourced wood through every step of the supply chain.
Detailed Definition
Chain of custody (CoC) is the FSC certification for companies that process or trade forest products. Under the FSC chain-of-custody standard, FSC-STD-40-004, each certified company must keep certified material identified, control how it is mixed with other inputs, and record FSC claims on sales documents. If a company that takes ownership of the material is not certified, the claim stops there. For pallets, the sawmill and the pallet maker both need certificates for the finished pallet to be sold as FSC certified.
How a chain-of-custody claim moves to the buyer
The claim travels on paper. A certified sawmill sells lumber with an FSC claim and its certificate code on the invoice. A certified pallet maker receives the lumber, keeps it separate or tracks it through a control system such as the percentage or credit method, and invoices the finished pallets with the matching claim and its own certificate code. That invoice is the buyer's proof. Companies that only use the pallets usually do not need their own certificate.
Red flags in pallet chain-of-custody claims
- A certificate code that is expired, suspended or missing from FSC's public database.
- A certificate scope that covers lumber but not pallets or packaging.
- Invoices with no FSC claim even though the pallets were quoted as certified.
- FSC logos on marketing material without a trademark license.
- A supplier who offers a copy of a certificate but not a code you can check.
Control systems a pallet maker may use
Under the transfer system, the output carries the same claim as the input. Under the percentage system, the claim reflects the share of certified input over a set period. Under the credit system, the maker records certified input as credits and sells up to that volume with an FSC Mix claim. Each method follows rules set in the chain-of-custody standard.
Related Glossary Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my company need FSC chain-of-custody certification to buy FSC pallets?
Generally not if you are the end user of the pallets and do not sell them on with an FSC claim. You keep the supplier's invoices showing the claim and certificate code. If you want to make FSC claims about your own products or packaging, or resell the pallets as certified, you will usually need your own certificate. Check FSC's rules or ask a certification body about your specific situation.
How often are chain-of-custody certificates audited?
FSC chain-of-custody certificates are typically valid for five years, with surveillance audits by the certification body during that period, commonly once a year. The exact schedule depends on the certification body and the type of certificate, such as single site, multi-site or group. Because certificates can be suspended between audits, check the status in FSC's database when you approve a supplier and again from time to time.