What makes film-faced plywood FSC certified?
Film-faced plywood counts as FSC certified when your shipment carries an FSC claim and the supplier's certificate code is printed on the invoice for that lot. A mill can hold a valid Chain of Custody certificate and still ship a container with no claim, so the paperwork on your order matters more than a logo on a website. Every company that owns the wood after harvest needs its own certificate, otherwise the claim stops at that link.
What is the difference between FSC 100%, FSC Mix and FSC Recycled?
FSC 100% means all the wood came from FSC-certified forest, and it is uncommon on export formwork panels because mills blend veneer from several plantation sources. FSC Mix is the claim you will meet most often: certified wood blended with FSC Controlled Wood and sometimes recycled fibre, within limits FSC sets. FSC Recycled is rare on film-faced panels, since good face and core veneers have to be peeled from fresh logs.
Does FSC Controlled Wood count toward LEED or BREEAM?
Generally not. FSC Controlled Wood on its own is not an FSC-certified product claim, and green-building schemes such as LEED and BREEAM generally won't count it toward a credit. If your project is chasing one, name the claim type you need in the specification and check the scheme's current rules before the tender goes out.
How do I verify a supplier's FSC certificate?
Ask for the FSC certificate code and licence code, then search them in FSC's public database at info.fsc.org. The certificate should list plywood in its product scope and name the same company that is invoicing you. Chain of Custody certificates run for five years with surveillance audits at least once a year and can be suspended in between, so confirm the status is valid on your invoice date and repeat the check once a year.
Is Vietnamese film-faced plywood CARB compliant?
Compliance belongs to a mill and a product line, never to a country. TSCA Title VI uses the same formaldehyde limits as CARB Phase 2, and compliant panels come from a producer certified through an approved third-party certifier, with a label on each panel or bundle and a written compliance statement from the supplier. Vinawood holds EPA TSCA Title VI (CARB Phase 2) certification and supplies that documentation on US lots.
Does FSC certification cover EUDR requirements?
No. FSC papers help with the EU Deforestation Regulation but do not replace it, because the operator who first places the plywood on the EU market must file a due diligence statement with the geolocation of the plots where the wood grew. Under the latest amendment the main obligations apply from 30 December 2026, and for timber that date covers small operators too. Vietnam's low-risk status allows simplified due diligence, but the operator still has to collect that information, coordinates included.
