ISSUE: HOW DO CERTIFICATION
LABELS & LOGOS BENEFIT YOU?

Types of Forest Certification and Associated Labels

The facts you need to know regarding forest certification systems in North America.*

Types of Forest Certification Labels

Is There a Fee?

YES. The cost of certification for printers is generally $1,500–$5,000 annually, depending on the auditing agency and the size of your business. You can save time and money by getting multiple certifications in one audit, so plan ahead when scheduling an auditing agency. While no one welcomes additional costs, you should note that the cost of not getting certified could be much higher in the long run. And the call for sustainability is not going away. It grows louder every day.

How to Get Started With Certification

Any company along the supply chain of forest products, including manufacturers, paper merchants, brokers, printers and publishers, is eligible to seek chain-of-custody certification. To ensure options and contain costs, consider tri-certification. Currently there are three auditors that provide tri-certification:

Bureau Veritas Certification North America, Inc.
certification.us.bureauveritas.com
David Vigil
800-706-0086 ext. 3075
david.vigil@us.bureauveritas.com

QMI-SAI Global
qmi-saiglobal.com
Guillaume Gignac
888-723-7755 ext. 2438
guillaume.gignac@qmi-saiglobal.com

SGS Systems & Services Certification
sgs.com
Paul Dasilveira
800-636-0847
paul.dasilveira@sgs.com

Did You Know?

down to earth insight

On-product labels show proof of the product’s adherence to certification standards. Promotional logos are a way for companies to advertise their commitment to protecting the future of our forests, but do not indicate product certification. Both require prior approval, which ensures that when a customer sees a label or logo they know that the company making the product supports and values sustainability.

See more Down to Earth Insights.