I'm working on a project in Norway and I'm somewhat confused about the documentation for Certified Wood.
The Reference Guide states: Collect all *vendor* invoices for permanently installed wood products, FSC certified or not, purchased by the project contractor and subcontractors. Vendors are defined as those companies that sell products to the project contractor or subcontractors”.
So I read this as saying I *only* need invoices from vendors – correct? Not earlier in the supply chain? The diagram in the Reference Guide (Figure 1, page 270) seems to imply that organizations earlier in the supply chain need to provide documentation too (forest needs certificate, transportation company may need CoC ). Or is this covered by the invoice? The form on LEED Online only asks for 100% of “invoices”. I’ve asked around, and people I know have gotten project certified both ways.
Also, I have a casework sub providing casework, and their organization has FSC certification, and I have a document stating that. According to this FAQ helpfully posted previously https://us.fsc.org/frequently-asked-questions.296.htm “All other organizations will need to be FSC CoC certified in order for the certified wood products they fabricate and install to count toward MRc7. This includes organizations like cabinetmakers and architectural millworkers that manufacture products off-site and then install them on-site (even if considered a subcontractor).” So they comply with this.
But, I’m unclear who is the vendor in this case – the casework shop, or the people who sold the wood to them? If the casework shop is the vendor (selling to the contractor), then they need to provide an invoice for that sale (to the contractor)?
The second question is more to gain any insight (I think I know the answer). Why does this credit require not only itemizing the *non* FSC new wood, but also requires you to provide invoices for this non-FSC wood? Other credits, for example MRc4 - Recycled, allow you to just report only the qualifying recycled material, and not even itemize the non-recycled material. Why is this credit different? Why can’t you just report the total cost of all new wood and just provide the documentation for the certified wood? I am having a difficult time getting this documentation, and I don't understand the point of it.
Thanks
Doug Pierce, AIA
Architect / Sustainability StrategistPerkins+Will
235 thumbs up
March 21, 2013 - 6:24 pm
Eric - You should need properly documented invoices from the final vendor only. What's shown in the reference guide illustration is that FSC is a 'Chain of Custody' meaning that there is a hand-off of confirming documentaion that occurs as the wood works it's way from the forest to the building through one entity after another.
The casework shop is the vendor that needs to provide an MRc7 compliant invoice for the FSC Certified assemblies they have created (by modifying FSC certified wood, plywood, particleboard, etc). If an entity opens up bundles of FSC wood, plywood, etc and / or modifies FSC product and resells it, then that entity must be FSC certified so they continue the chain- of-custody process / documentation.
The MRc7 credit requires that you provide information for the Non-FSC wood because MRc7 compliance is measured against the total permanent wood used on the project, not the total of all materials used on the project (which the other MR credits such a s MRc4 recycled content are measured against)
Best,
Doug
Joanne Sawatzky
Project ManagerLight House
3 thumbs up
November 16, 2022 - 7:53 pm
Thank you Eric and Greg, this has been a very helpful discussion about FSC invoices. I have 2 additonal questions:
1) About the vendor: "If an entity opens up bundles of FSC wood, plywood, etc and / or modifies FSC product and resells it, then that entity must be FSC certified so they continue the chain- of-custody process / documentation."
Does this entity need to have modified the FSC wood in order to be relevant?
What if there are 2-3 suppliers down the line who only purchase FSC products (without modifying it) in order to resell to the end user? They don't need to be FSC certified right? The only vendor that is relevant is the last entity who modified the wood, correct? Essentially, the last "manufacturer", and not just a seller/supplier.
2) How is confidentiality of pricing dealt with? I am having trouble getting the invoices from sellers (not FSC certified) who do not feel comfortable sharing the cost of materials they received from the manufacturer (FSC certified).
Thanks in advance.