Of course your product is of high quality, do you have a good range, do you have great offers… But is your wood (product) also sustainable? By certifying yourself with a PEFC CoC certificate, you contribute to sustainable forest management and thereby indicate that your company stands for the conservation of forests and fair wood (products).
What does PEFC mean?
PEFC is an independent, not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable management of forests through independent third-party certification. The letters PEFC stand for Programme for Endorsement or Forest Certification Schemes.
PEFC is unique in setting the highest standards, criteria and requirements for sustainable forest management and a sustainable supply chain. The PEFC quality mark guarantees that wood and paper products come from sustainably managed forests and that a contribution is made to more sustainable forest management worldwide, with attention to people, the environment and the economy.
A timber company or other company that wants to become PEFC certified, use the PEFC label and process and/or trade PEFC-certified products must cooperate in an audit by independent certification bodies (IEB).
We work with a chain of custody whereby the wood is followed from felling (in the PEFC certified forests) to the end product. Every organization with a Chain of Custody registration that processes and/or trades PEFC-certified products must keep specific records.
An organization with similar objectives is FSC.
What is the importance of the Chain of Custody within the PEFC Certification?
The Chain of Custody (CoC) has been set up to guarantee that the PEFC certified wood (product) comes from sustainably managed forests. In the Chain of Custody, all companies ensure traceability of the PEFC certified products within their company. An annual audit -performed by IEB- guarantees that the supply chain is controlled and closed.
Note: Only if you are in possession of the CoC certificate, you are entitled to supply or resell wood (products) with the associated FSC and/or PEFC claim!
What does IEB do with PEFC certification?
IEB (Ingenieursbureau Evan Buytendijk) is the group manager for the PEFC group certification . All group members basically receive the same license and CoC code as the group manager. However, your CoC code will have a two-letter addition so that your certificate is unique to your company.
IEB accompanies almost all types of companies that do something with wood or wood products in obtaining a PEFC certificate (quality mark for sustainable forest management), such as: timber trade, carpentry industry, construction, gardeners, painters, graphics sector, printers, housing corporations, interior builders and sawmills.
When do you qualify for PEFC group certification?
You are eligible for PEFC group certification if your company meets these conditions:
- Maximum 50 FTE;
- A maximum annual turnover of nine million Swiss Francs (7.5 million Euros).
In all other cases you can use individual PEFC certification.
What must be done with PEFC certification?
As a PEFC group manager, we are ready to answer all your questions and guide you in obtaining and maintaining your PEFC certificate. We take a lot of work off your hands, but you must ensure the internal traceability of your sustainable PEFC product by means of registration.
Below you can read what this means for you:
- Buy your wood from the right company. You can purchase PEFC certified wood, paper or wood products from the companies that are registered. Companies that are certified can be found in the PEFC database;
- Check the purchase documents: check the delivery note, the packing slip and the invoice to see whether the correct CoC number and claim are stated;
- Avoid mixing in your stock: while keeping wood in stock, mixing (of certified wood and non-certified wood) must be prevented (for example by storing or marking it separately). Unless you have only purchased PEFC certified wood;
- State the correct CoC number and the correct claim on your delivery documents and sales documents;
- Prepare an annual volume overview: you must be able to demonstrate that no more PEFC certified wood has been sold than has been purchased;
- Obviously, your company must comply with all applicable laws and regulations (e.g. EUTR).
How does PEFC certification work?
After the contract has been signed, a baseline measurement is performed at your company. The working method with regard to PEFC certified products is hereby established.
Attention is being paid to: purchasing, production, storage, quotation, invoicing and delivery.
With the information obtained, a company-specific manual is made. Your employees are instructed. IEB registers you at Preferred by Nature, after which a unique PEFC certificate number is issued.
How does the PEFC audit work?
The first annual audit will be held between the 11th and 13th month after PEFC certification. During this audit, the PEFC working method within your company is checked. An improvement plan is drawn up in the event of any shortcomings.
The audit is then performed every year, even if there have been no PEFC projects in the intervening period. It is best to reserve 2 hours for an audit.
