Management Standard
International traceability frameworks define consistent terminology and structural models for tracking material characteristics throughout supply chains. Compliance with ISO 22095 chain of custody provides paper manufacturers and packaging converters with standardized guidelines to administer physical separation, mass balance, or credit accounting models for raw materials. Adopting this standard allows businesses to substantiate environmental claims across complex multi-tier supply networks.
Traceability Framework
Implementing standardized management systems requires establishing clear material control tiers from raw material receiving through processing to final product distribution. Under ISO 22095 chain of custody, organizations select an appropriate tracking model, such as identity preservation, physical separation, or mass balance allocation, depending on manufacturing operational constraints. Paper mills utilizing mixed recycled and virgin fibre streams apply mathematical balance calculations to allocate input characteristics to specific output batches.
Quality management systems enforce rigorous recordkeeping, internal audits, and batch reconciliation procedures to prevent double counting or false claims. External certification bodies audit operating records, inventory registers, and shipping documents to verify system integrity.
Compliance Limit
Chain of custody claims lapse when physical material flows diverge from recorded allocation ledgers. Blending non-verified materials without applying an approved mass balance rule invalidates product claims under the standard framework.
