For the last several years JTP Printing, Inc. has participated in the FSC & SFI certification programs, which supposedly guaranteed the “chain of custody”, so that we could prove/promise that the FSC & SFI paper stock requested and used in producing a printed piece, were from sustainable pulp sources right back to the tree the pulp came from. The certification also gave us the right to print the FSC or SFI logos depending on the stock. We ran into several problems and unanswered questions over the years we were certified. Here are just a few:

To use the logos they had to be reproduced at a certain minimum size on the printed piece. Once (the majority) of my clients saw the size the logo had to appear on their printing they opted out of its use, or just had us print, “Printed on paper promoting sustainable forestry practices.

To use the logo we were required to send a pdf of the job with the logo in position for approval by the various certification agencies. The majority of the projects printed by JTP Printing, Inc. do not have the production time built into them to wait for outside approval. So again the logo was not used.

Over the years we discovered hundreds of misuses of the logo by other printers, some counterfeited some just set up incorrectly, even some misuses by some paper mills. When we saw this we asked if we could include our company name in the same size font as our company certification number with the logo. This would have a two-fold reason, first it would be good promotion for our company, and second if the logo was used incorrectly the name of the printer would be right there. We were denied this request.

There is no way that the mills can truly know that the pulp that is delivered to them is the certified pulp, as the truck drivers and companies that move the wood, pulp or finished sheets are not certified into the chain of custody. We need to trust them, and we do, just as we have expected our clients to trust JTP Printing, Inc. for over 26 years, that when we tell you we are using a 100% recycled sheet that is also FSC certified you know that is what we are using.

For an additional expense burden to us of thousands of dollars, were we required to keep two sets of books, separate files for invoices, sales invoice markings, label marking, and separate inventory areas for these stocks. Well today 70% of our jobs are produced using as needed paper purchases. We are a small enough printer that the FSC/SFI inventory we do stock for clients that use it repeatedly is no more than thirty cases at any one time so it never can get mixed up with any of the other stocks, plus about 85%--90% of the stock we use is FSC/SFI without our clients ever requesting it and without the need to indicate it on their printed projects.

There is more but I think you can get my drift here as to why we have elected out of the “chain of custody” program. We will still use the same paper, print it the same way, and if you must have the logo on your project, we are associated with three trade printers that can produce the project with the logo for us. 

If you have any questions about FSC/SFI issues please call or email and we will be happy to explain anything you want to know about it.