What’s the Meaning of FSC Certification?

Forests are one of nature’s greatest beauties. With their diverse ecosystems, better-than-picture-worthy views, and life-sustaining greenery, forests are one of the many things we need to work hard to protect on our planet. Sometimes, it can be hard to know how we can account for sustainable forestry as consumers. We’ve got good news: by understanding the meaning of FSC certification labels, you can easily look for products that tick the right boxes. 

But wait a minute – what is an FSC certification, exactly, and what sort of weight does it truly hold? Below, we break down everything consumers need to know about Forest Stewardship Council certifications and what they say about products.

What Does FSC Stand For?

The FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. “Stewardship” points to an important role of responsibility. 

While stewardship is often used to refer to our management of natural resources on a large scale, we see stewards all the time in our daily lives without necessarily noticing it: a conscientious store manager, neighbors keeping their community clean, members of a household maintaining their home. 

All of these people are stewards of their own smaller ecosystems, taking responsible care of something they’ve been entrusted with. In this same spirit, the FSC helps us take this care and use it to protect our forests and the lives they support.

When did the Forest Stewardship Council start?

The FSC was first formed in 1994 in Oaxaca, Mexico. From there, it established roots (no pun intended) in the UK and US in 1995. Today, it serves forestry on a global scale in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

What is the mission of the Forest Stewardship Council?

The FSC’s mission is “nurturing responsible forestry so forests and people can thrive.” They do this through a wide variety of channels and practices with an end goal of not only protecting our forests, but ensuring that they and the ecosystems they sustain, can thrive.

What is FSC Wood?

Wood is a renewable resource that grows on trees – literally! However, although this resource is renewable, when it’s harvested without regard for sustainability and stewardship, its use can still have disastrous effects on our environment. 

That’s why the FSC offers certifications for different sustainable production factors on wood, wood-derived, and forest-adjacent products.

To be FSC-certified, wood must meet certain criteria:

• It must be responsibly sourced without any deforestation.
• Workers involved in its production must receive a fair wage and be provided with a safe work environment. 
• Species supported by affected forests must be protected. 
• Local communities living near or in these forests must be consulted and have their rights to land respected.

There are three kinds of FSC labels you may see on your product:

• FSC 100% refers to a product whose materials all come from a responsibly managed, FSC-certified forest.
• FSC Recycled refers to items that are made from 100% recycled materials.
• FSC Mix refers to an item made from a combination of FSC-certified forest material, recycled materials, and/or FSC-controlled wood.

While wood is, for the most part, “the name of the game” for the FSC, it’s not the only thing that can be FSC-certified. Many things, especially paper, are derived from trees and still require the same sustainability measures to ensure the safety of our forests. In fact, even toilet paper can be FSC-certified!

Certifications

Sustainability comes up in all stages of production. The FSC has a variety of certifications that apply to the unique elements of manufacturing goods and protecting our forests, including those below.

• Chain-of-custody certifications let your audience know that you have taken steps to ensure sustainable, FSC-certified sourcing for your product.
• Promotional licenses allow non-FSC-certified organizations to use the FSC label on FSC-certified goods.
• Architects, builders, artists, and other project developers may seek FSC project certification to show their commitment to sustainable practices.
• Forest managers can obtain an FSC forest manager certificate to ensure that they share their responsibility for forest management.  

There’s a Database to Make it Easy

With so many different options, it can be hard to know which furniture brands are FSC-certified and which aren’t. However, the FSC has made it easy by providing an easy-to-reach database of certified companies.

For the most straightforward, quick results, you can type a company into the search bar to see its certificate validity, license, certificate code, name, role, and country. 

If you have more information about the company, you can use advanced search filters to find exactly what you are looking for.

Some FSC-Certified Companies We Love

At DoGoodHQ, we’re proud to support brands and companies that we believe in, including many that use FSC-certified materials. Some of our favorite FSC-certified companies include:

• Sheets & Giggles – Here you can find everything you need to build your sustainable bedroom.
• Sijo – The bedding options will certainly make your sleep feel luxurious.
• Eucalypso – This “better bedding” takes inspiration from nature.
• Grove Collaborative – Here, you’ll find affordable prices and sustainable practices.
• Burrow – Burrow uses sustainable resources and builds furniture to last.

Our Take on FSC

It goes without saying that protecting our forests is always a win. Forests are one of the most important, beautiful features of our environment. 

A certification that not only verifies that wood hasn’t damaged forests but also confirms that local communities have also been protected from harm is immensely powerful. 

We appreciate that the FSC makes it so easy to verify claims about sustainability while you shop, too. When you’re on the hunt for new furniture or home goods, looking for FSC certifications is a simple but powerful choice you can make to ensure you only purchase items that haven’t harmed our planet. 

We always look for FSC certifications for products made with wood or similar materials. They’re better for the planet, but they’re also better for your wallet; products made carefully from solid, sustainable wood are built to last a lifetime. What can get better than that?

Photo by Mihály Köles on Unsplash