ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION SCHEMES
FSC
PEFC
BS8555
EMAS
ISO 14001
Green Dragon
Greenmark
With so many questionable ‘green’ claims out there, it’s important to stick to a certification system that’s trusted and watertight.
In 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development agreed that in order to be truly sustainable a forest would have to be managed according to three criteria:
- Environmental
- Social
- Economic
FSC certification is widely accepted to be the most stringent. Unlike other schemes, the emphasis is on tracking fibre all the way from the forest to the end use, so the user can be certain of the fibre’s origins.
FSC ( Forest Stewardship Council) Chain of Custody
If a printer holds the FSC Chain of Custody and the paper being used in a project is FSC certified or FSC recycled (100 per cent recycled post-consumer waste), the end product can be labelled as FSC certified. This certificate is about the fibre tracking process only and ensures that there is no contamination between FSC and non-FSC material. For a detailed view of FSC please visit our FSC page.
PEFC: Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
PEFC provides a means of assuring customers of woodland owners that the products they buy come from sustainably managed forests, independently certified to standards complying with the resolutions of the Helsinki and Lisbon Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests in Europe. Timber and wood-based products from these forests are identifiable through the licensed use of a PEFC logo and label.
BS8555
The British Standard BS8555 is a guide to the phased implementation of an environmental management system including the use of environmental performance evaluation. Published in April 2003 it encompasses the six phase achievement criteria utilized in the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) Acorn Scheme.
BS8555 describes how to implement a generic EMS and can be used as a route towards ISO14001 and EMAS. The standard’s inclusion of Environmental Performance Evaluation (ISO 14031) allows the development of tasks focussing on indicators that add value and are driven by company needs e.g. Turnover, competitive advantage, views of interested parties.
EMAS
This stands for the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, an initiative designed to improve companies’ environmental performance. EMAS sets the highest environmental standards of all the environmental management schemes ( EMS ). Its aim is to recognise those organisations that go beyond minimum legal compliance. In addition, it is a requirement of the scheme that participating organisations regularly produce a public environmental statement that reports on their environmental performance. It is this voluntary publication of environmental information, whose accuracy and reliability is independently checked by an environmental verifier, that gives participants in the EMAS scheme enhanced credibility.
IS0 14001
This is an internationally recognised scheme. It provides a framework for environmental awareness, monitoring and continual improvement. The three key areas to be managed are:
- Compliance with environmental regulation
- Prevention of pollution
- Improvement in environmental performance
The emphasis on continual improvement means that standards may vary as the longer a printer has been in the ISO14001 scheme, the more progress they will have made.
Green Dragon
This scheme is for Welsh companies that wish to improve their environmental performance but don’t have the resources for ISO14001. There are five levels, each one contributing towards the achievement of international and European environmental standards, ISO 14001 and EMAS. Green Dragon Level 5 is in fact a slightly higher standard than ISO14001, partly because it takes carbon emissions into account.
Greenmark
This was developed by the London Environment Centre (LEC), part of London Metropolitan University and is more appropriate for smaller companies who lack the resources for IS0 14001. All participants enter the scheme at Level One where you must demonstrate that you are taking responsibility for your environmental impacts. Further levels involve recommendations being made and targets being set and met for reducing environmental impact.
Contact us now to find out how we can improve your green credentials today by making your print certified green.
Click here for our full Environmental Policy Statement.
