Environment

The Government Printing Press obtained its FSC® certification - FSC-C140603 - in 2019 and is therefore, able to print products, books, leaflets, magazines, etc, on paper and board that are sourced from sustainable and well managed forests or recycled material.

What is FSC®?

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

FSC certification provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment.

FSC certification is a voluntary, market-based tool that supports responsible forest management worldwide. FSC certified forest products are verified from the forest of origin through the supply chain. The FSC label ensures that the forest products used are from responsibly harvested and verified sources. FSC chain of custody (CoC) allows credible tracking of FSC material from the forest, through all successive stages of the production process, to committed retailers and consumers. CoC certification is for operations that manufacture, process or trade in timber or non-timber forest products such as paper and boards. CoC certification requires operations to identify the origin of raw materials used in FSC certified products and to keep FSC certified products separate from other products throughout the production process. Only operations with FSC CoC certificate are allowed to label products with the FSC trademarks. The FSC label provides the link between responsible production and consumption that enables the consumer to make socially and environmentally responsible purchasing decisions.

Establishing that a product is FSC certified Only products labelled with valid FSC trademarks from suppliers which hold a valid FSC Chain-of-Custody certificate are FSC products. The FSC logo is the official FSC trademark. On the product this should be accompanied by the FSC license number of the FSC CoC holder.

The supplier’s Invoice and Delivery Notes should also carry the FSC Claim, stating if the paper used is Mix Credit, 100% or FSC Recycled. The FSC CoC certificate holder is audited annually by an independent auditor to ensure that the FSC chain-of-custody is not broken and is maintained according to the current FSC standard. All suppliers who are not CoC certified cannot use the FSC logo on the products they manufacture. It is illegal for any supplier/manufacturer to make an FSC claim or use FSC logos without the possession of a valid FSC Chain-of-Custody certificate. The use of the FSC license or CoC code of another supplier by a supplier who is not himself part of the FSC Chain-of-Custody is also illegal. What the Customer should look for?

To ensure that the customer is getting a valid FSC product the customer should make sure that the product carries a valid FSC logo (with the FSC license number of the supplier who is manufacturing the product) and have the FSC Claim on both the invoice and Delivery Note. The FSC Claim should be accompanied by the supplier’s CoC code, such as the Government’s Printing Press GFA-CoC-003218. Only Suppliers who are accredited with the FSC Chain-of-Custody can make an FSC Claim. Even if the material has originated from an FSC source (supplier / merchant) it cannot be Claimed as FSC by a supplier who is not part of the FSC chain.

More Information about FSC More information about FSC can be obtained from www.fsc.org. Should the customer need to check whether a company is FSC-certified or not, one has to access the FSC website (www.fsc-info.org) and use the search facility provided. FSC certification demonstrates a proactive and innovative attitude to the sourcing and promotion of sustainable paper products. It helps to attract business from the growing demand of procurement, and looking to minimize their environmental impacts.​