EcoRoll is made from FSC® certified bamboo (FSC-C142978). You may have seen the FSC® logo on paper products or packaging before, but what does it actually mean?

What is FSC®

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is an independent, non-profit organisation that tracks the entire supply chain of certified wood, paper and bamboo product to ensure it has been responsibly sourced. 

FSC® certifications are internationally recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management, promoting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.

FSC® is also a certification standard established for managing Forests and Forest Products.

What is FSC® certification?

FSC® certifications are internationally recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management. FSC® forest management standards expand protection of water quality, prohibit harvesting rare old-growth forests and prevent loss of natural forest cover, which are all unique aspects of the system. The organisation provides two types of certification:

— FSC® Forest Management (FM) Certification

— FSC® Chain of Custody (COC) Certification

Its certification system helps ensure that wood, paper and bamboo products originate from responsibly managed sources and can be traced through the supply chain. For consumers, FSC® certification provides an additional level of assurance regarding where materials come from and how they are managed.

Providing the highest level of protection for rare and endangered forests and wildlife of any existing forest certification scheme, FSC® includes endorsements from the world's largest and most respected environmental NGOs, such as Greenpeace and WWF. 

It also remains the only forest certification system that requires consultation with local Indigenous Peoples to protect their rights. The work of FSC® contributes toward achieving 40 targets under 14 sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Can bamboo be FSC® certified?

Yes it can, certification can be applied to bamboo within forests, whether they are natural forests or cultivated plantations. FSC® certification can apply to any forest product. For example the following are all certifiable:

— forest-based fabrics, such as rayon, viscose or lyocell

— rubber which is harvested (tapped like maple syrup) from trees used for gumboots and gloves for example

— non-timber forest products, products harvested from a forest but not the tree, for example essential oils, medicinal and cosmetic ingredients, fruits, mushrooms, honey and maple syrup

Why does sourcing transparency matter?

Most of us never see the forests, plantations or supply chains behind the products they buy. In global trade, distance and complexity can make it difficult to know where materials come from, how they were harvested and whether they were managed responsibly.

Businesses may also choose not to disclose suppliers for legitimate commercial reasons, including competitive advantage and the protection of supplier relationships. As a result, people are often asked to trust claims they cannot easily verify themselves.

Historically, this lack of transparency has contributed to challenges within global forestry supply chains, including illegal logging, poor forest management practices and the mixing of legal and illegal timber. Certification systems such as FSC® were developed to provide an independent layer of verification and traceability where direct visibility is limited.

Destructive forest management often stems from short-term incentives. Logging operations may only hold land for a limited period, creating little incentive to manage forests beyond the duration of a lease. Likewise, clear-cutting can generate immediate financial returns, whereas responsible harvesting and regeneration require longer-term thinking and investment.

Certification systems such as FSC® were developed to address these challenges. By requiring independent verification and chain-of-custody tracking, FSC® helps provide greater transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain.

How we approach responsible sourcing

At EcoRoll, responsible sourcing is not limited to the toilet paper itself. Through Ecoware, we maintain FSC® Chain of Custody certification, which provides traceability throughout the supply chain and is independently audited each year. Details are held on a public register.

Our toilet paper is made from FSC® certified bamboo, and the cardboard cartons used to deliver EcoRoll are also FSC® certified. These certifications help verify that the materials used in our products originate from responsibly managed sources and can be traced through the supply chain.

While certification is not a perfect system, independent verification provides a greater level of transparency and accountability than self-declared sourcing claims. For us, FSC® certification is one way of demonstrating our commitment to responsible sourcing and continuous improvement.