Chain of Custody Certificate Scope Verification and Claim Validity Tracking
Scope cross-checking against public scheme registers and line-item invoice verification prevent customs detentions and illegal packaging claims.
Percentage System Accounting
Material Traceability
Environmental certification programs for paper and wood products require a method to track and claim the proportion of certified material in a product batch when mixed with uncertified stock. This tracking method is percentage system accounting, which permits manufacturers to label their products based on the weighted average of certified input fibers. It applies across a specified claim period.
Chain Custody
Mills and converters must maintain records of all incoming certified pulp, recycled fiber and conventional fiber to calculate the correct percentage for each production run. If a mill receives sixty percent certified fiber, then sixty percent of the output can be sold with a certified claim. This system allows for continuous production without separating certified and non-certified fibers physically.
Brand Compliance
Brand owners specify the minimum percentage of certified content required for their primary and secondary packaging to meet corporate sustainability goals. The use of percentage system accounting is audited annually by independent third parties to verify that the total volume of certified paper sold does not exceed the volume of certified raw material purchased. This verification process prevents false green claims and provides a transparent audit trail from the forest to the final printed folding carton.
This accounting mechanism remains the standard approach for managing mixed-source recycled and virgin fiber streams.