A new ISO standard for tracing wood back to its sources aims to provide consumers information regarding the origins of wood in the products they buy.
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 throughout the supply chain.
The International Standard ISO 38200 provides a common framework and allows players in the wood supply chain to speak the same language.
ISO 38200 allows users to 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 “will 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 and ABNT.