Rider Dickerson is committed to sustainability and protecting the environment.  In addition to our general recycling procedures and the use of low VOC (volatile organic compounds), soy-based inks, we are FSC Certified. The Forest Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.  As it relates to the printing industry, FSC certification boils down to how the paper used on an FSC certified job follows a Chain of Custody (COC) from its beginning as wood in a forest. 

The Forest Stewardship Council promotes responsible and sustainable forestry, and that’s where the process starts.  COC means that the paper used for an FSC certified job must start as wood in an FSC certified forest and subsequently be turned into pulp by a certified pulping mill.  The process continues to a certified paper manufacturer, merchant and finally the printer.  At every step of the way, the certified companies have procedures in place for the proper handling and segregation of the paper to ensure it is never mixed with non-certified stock.

Not every job we produce needs to be FSC certified; however, for those projects that require the certification we have a strict set of standards in place for the handling of those projects.  These standards are subject to review on a yearly basis by a 3rd party auditor. Clients who wish for a particular job to be FSC certified are able to display the FSC logo on the piece. 

For more questions about FSC certification and how it could help your print-communication efforts, contact your Rider Dickerson Account Executive.