Despite continued and sustained growth of the FSC market share, some shortages remain in the supply of FSC material. To allow manufacturers to provide FSC labeled products, FSC has introduced the ‘FSC Mixed Sources’ label which allows manufacturing companies to mix FSC-certified material with non-certified material.

FSC is the only global forest management certification system that also controls the non-certified timber content in FSC certified products beyond legal requirements.

The non-certified portion has to comply with the FSC Controlled Wood standards which enable manufacturers and traders to avoid unacceptable timber and timber products. FSC Controlled Wood specifies the following five unacceptable origins:

1. Illegally harvested wood
2. Wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights
3. Wood harvested in forests in which High Conservation Values (areas particularly worth of protection) are threatened through management activities
4. Wood harvested from conversion of natural forests
5. Wood harvested from areas where genetically modified trees are planted

FSC Controlled Wood must be independently verified before it is mixed with FSC certified material to become part of a product that can be sold carrying the FSC label.

FSC Controlled Wood Resource Center