With many players in the wood supply chain, and many different types of wood, tracing its origins to legal sources is complex. A robust method of traceability, therefore, will help businesses favour timber that comes from legal sources, thus enabling the industry to grow. ISO 38200, Chain of custody of wood and wood-based products, specifies the requirements for a chain of custody of wood and wood-based products that allows users to trace the origins of wood and wood products every step along the supply chain.
This new International Standard lets users determine if the material is “verified”, for which evidence of compliance with the requirements of a due diligence system can be provided; “specified”, where it meets specific publicly available documented requirements set by organizations; “certified”, when it satisfies the requirements of a particular certification scheme; or “recycled”, if it has been recovered, or otherwise diverted, from the waste stream.
Dr Jorge E. R. Cajazeira, Chair of the ISO technical committee that developed the standard, said ISO 38200 provides a common framework, allowing players in the wood supply chain to “speak the same language”.
“It will also help purchasers track timber from different sources, thus helping to avoid timber from illegal sources from entering the supply chain.”
ISO 38200 was developed by ISO project committee ISO/PC 287, Chain of custody of wood and wood-based products, whose secretariat is held by DIN, ISO’s member for Germany, and ABNT, ISO’s member for Brazil. It can be purchased from your national ISO member or through the ISO Store.