Chain of Custody Audits

Paper Integrity

Verification procedures applied to certified substrate flows evaluate whether certified fibre maintains unbroken identity from forest harvesting through chemical pulping and paper machine winding up to the final pallet dispatch. Chain of custody audits inspect mill balance sheets and physical stock movements to confirm that virgin or recycled inputs declared on delivery notes match actual bale weights entering the hydrapulper. This verification stops at the sheeting dock, because downstream retail conversion sites operate under separate retail distribution protocols rather than primary forestry standards.

Auditors trace paper lot numbers against transaction ledgers to detect unauthorized fibre substitution during heavy kraft linerboard runs or fine paper production cycles. Paper mills maintain ledger accuracy through mass balance accounting or segregated batch tracking. When converting plants mix certified and uncertified pulps without correct allocation ratios, auditors halt processing until inventory records match actual warehouse quantities.

Converting tolerances demand absolute traceability because brand owners risk regulatory penalties if promotional sustainability claims lack documented verification back to the original tree farm.