At the 2011 FSC general assembly in October, the FSC membership mandated FSC to conduct a study to evaluate the risks and benefits of valuing pre-consumer reclaimed paper fibre materials as FSC-certified content (Motion 38). The study was to consider economic, environmental, and social aspects of pre-consumer reclaimed paper. 

This is of particular importance to the sustainability and competitiveness of forest-product enterprises in emerging economies such as Africa’s, and the communities that those enterprises support.

At its 66th meeting in July 2014, the FSC International Board of Directors decided that pre-consumer reclaimed paper will now count as equivalent to FSC-certified and post-consumer reclaimed materials for the purpose of percentage and credit claims calculations.

The FSC Policy and Standards Unit was instructed to implement the decision in the revision process of FSC-STD-40-004. As this revision has been delayed, the Board has approved an advice note to bring the decision forward and to allow companies to start applying it.

Please note: This Advice Note will be withdrawn at the effective date of the chain of custody standard (FSC-STD-40-004 V3-0).