Has chain-of-custody (CoC) certification reached its peak?
While CoC certificates have doubled in each of the last two years, the total number of certified printers is still low. There are approximately 30,000 printers, of various sizes and specialties, in the United States. At the end of February, 2008, more than 700 of these printers had become chain-of-custody certified to either the Forest Stewardship Council© (FSC) standard, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) standard, or both. This figure is well on course to grow significantly again this year, as evidenced by the difficulty some printers have recently experienced securing audit dates from accredited certifiers. The true indicator, therefore, is the pace of growth. The market for environmental responsibility is driven by many issues, but largely by the conclusions some have reached about global warming. Corporations, eager to demonstrate leadership, insist on environmental responsibility in their purchasing decisions. For printers, the direct and trickle-down results are of enorm
