(October 12, 2008) Ripon Printers, a leading printer of catalogs, publications, manuals and soft-cover educational products, received certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the two most prominent U.S. paper and forest certification organizations. Certification offers marketers, publishers and consumers reassurance that trees used in the papermaking process are harvested responsibly, that land use is being closely monitored and that best practices in management and environmental stewardship are a priority.

Each forest certification system has its own specific guidelines to which a company must adhere, but the certification processes are similar. Both require an assessment, a field verification report, certification declaration and ongoing audits.

 "Many observers believe the FSC excels at imposing sound environmental standards and social obligations on forestry practices," says Andy Lyke, president of Ripon Printers. "The SFI gets high marks for its business practices, economic sustainability and auditing. By offering both certifications, we can provide our customers with more choices in determining which organization best aligns with their own environmental policies and goals."

As a printer, Ripon received chain-of-custody (CoC) certifications. CoC is a tool used to track wood from a certified forest to the end-user, providing a link between the certified forest and the certified product.

In the case of paper products, the CoC includes the forest, mill, distributor, printer and any other organization involved in the chain. For information providers to claim forestry certification for their printed materials, purchasing a certified product from a certified distributor and/or using a certified printer such as Ripon Printers is required.