Printers and Paper Manufacturers

The United States is the largest market for paper products in the world.  We produce 90 million tons of paper each year and consume 100 million tons!  On top of that, approximately 25 percent of our annual timber harvest is used for paper.

There are currently 3 labels used to identify the different types of FSC certified paper:

• FSC 100% Virgin Fiber label ensures that the paper is made from sustainable forests that comply with the environmental and social standards of the FSC.
• FSC 100% Recycled label ensures that the paper is made from 100% post consumer recycled wood fiber as defined by FSC standards.
• FSC Mixed Source label ensures that the wood pulp used in the paper came from an FSC certified forest, company controlled sources and/or recycled materials.

As with other wood products, FSC certified paper follows through Chain-of-Custody certified forests or pulp providers, mills, distributors and finally certified printers.

Check out our Product Finder to help you find FSC certified paper, printers, and distributors committed to promoting the use of sustainable paper.

Architects and Building Contractors

More and more professionals in the building industry are switching to FSC-certified lumber. Many have made the change because they want to make choices that protect the environment. Others are beginning to make the change because of the U.S. Green Buildings Council's Leadership in Energy and Enivornmental Design (LEED) program. LEED is a design guideline that awards points to a commercial building in five categories: sustainable sites, water efficency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. The goal of LEED is to "improve occupant well-being, environmental performance, and economic returns of buildings using established and innovative practices, standards and technologies" (LEED TM Ratings System version 2.1)

Another institutional driver of demand for FSC-certified lumber comes from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA accredits the U.S. chapter of FSC (FSC-US) and several nonprofit organizations to offer one, two, and three-hour training programs to architectural and building firms in the US. These programs introduce architects and builders to FSC certification, provide information on sourcing FSC-certified products and ways to use certified products more efficiently, and offer project planning resources. For more information, please visit FSC.

Industrial Landowners

There have been a number of industrial landowners choosing to be FSC certified and are dedicated to sustainable forestry. These two companies provide an example of landowners that want to make a difference environmentally and socially.

Collins Pine was the first privately owned forest products company in the United States to be comprehensively evaluated and independently certified by Science Certification Systems under the principles of the FSC.

Potlatch is another landowner committed to sustainable forestry with 1.7 million acres of forestland in 4 states FSC certified.

For a list of FSC Chain-of-Custody companies in Washington State, please click here. 

For a nationwide list of FSC-certified companies, please click here.