FSC and ISO 9001 – Acacia Bois certifications

Robinia series · Authority: “buying certified timber”

A label is only useful if you know what it guarantees — and how to check it.

Our robinia — also known as black locust, and often sold as acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) — comes from forests whose owner holds FSC® forest management certification; our harvesting operation and our sawmill hold FSC chain-of-custody certification, and quality is governed by ISO 9001.

Here is what each label really guarantees, what it does not, and how to check a certificate in two minutes.

FSC® C153588

our FSC licence, which anyone can check on info.fsc.org

Robinia forest under sustainable management: certification starts on the plot, not at the factory.

FSC: three certificates, not one

The FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) label actually covers three certifications that hand over from one to the next. The first belongs to the forest owner: forest management certification attests that the forest is managed according to FSC principles — renewal of the resource, protection of soils and biodiversity, workers’ rights. Xylo Impact, our harvesting company, does not own the forest land: it buys standing timber in forests whose owner holds this certificate. Then come the chains of custody: that of the harvesting contractor, who fells the timber and extracts it from the forest, then that of the processor — our code: SGSCH-COC-011793 — which tracks the timber at every stage, from log to delivered product: separate flows, reconciled volumes, documents carrying the exact FSC claim. One missing link breaks the chain — it is the complete chain that guarantees the stake you receive really does come from a certified forest.

These certifications have to be maintained: regular audits by an independent body, and non-conformities to be corrected on pain of suspension. An FSC certificate is never a given — it has to be kept.

What FSC requires of the harvesting contractor in Romania: comply with the amenajament silvic and fell only timber marked in the APV; protect soils, watercourses and high conservation value areas during extraction; leave deadwood and habitat trees; employ registered, trained and properly equipped workers; regenerate the plot within the legal time limits.

What it requires of the sawmill: physically separate certified and non-certified flows, reconcile incoming and outgoing volumes, show the FSC code and the exact FSC claim on invoices and delivery notes — standard supply from controlled sources, FSC® 100 % on request — keep the records — and pass an audit every year.

ISO 9001: quality as a procedure

ISO 9001:2015 certification governs our quality management system: documented procedures from receiving the logs to loading the lorries, handling of non-conformities, continuous improvement. For the customer, it is the guarantee that quality depends not on one person but on a system — and that a complaint follows a defined process.

How to check a certificate (a habit worth adopting)

Every FSC certificate can be checked publicly on info.fsc.org: enter the code (for example C153588) and you will see the holder, the scope and the validity. Insist on this code on your suppliers’ quotes and invoices — a label without a verifiable number is just a logo. And remember that a label does not replace State traceability: in Romania, the APV and SUMAL come on top of FSC — the two systems reinforce each other (see our traceability article, “Traceability of Romanian timber – SUMAL, APV and the EUDR”).

Natural regeneration of robinia after felling: the plot regrows on its own, by root suckering.

After robinia is felled, the branches are laid out in regular brash windrows: between the rows the ground stays clear and the root suckers come up from the spring.

And because certification does not stop us doing more: for every m³ sold, we plant a robinia tree on abandoned land in Romania — more than 75,000 trees to date.

Key points

· FSC = three certificates: forest management (the forest owner), then the chains of custody of the harvesting contractor and of the processor (our code: SGSCH-COC-011793).

· ISO 9001:2015: quality governed by audited procedures.

· Every FSC certificate can be checked on info.fsc.org — insist on the code on quotes and invoices.

· A label does not replace State traceability (APV, SUMAL): the two complement each other.

Frequently asked questions

What does the FSC label guarantee?

Responsible forest management (renewal of the resource, biodiversity, workers’ rights) and, through the chain of custody, that the product delivered really does come from those forests: separate flows, reconciled volumes, invoices marked FSC. The whole system is audited regularly by an independent body.

What is the difference between forest management and chain of custody?

Forest management certification covers the forest itself; chain of custody covers processing and trading, from the log to the customer. You need both: a sawmill can hold chain-of-custody certification and still buy non-certified timber — hence the importance of the exact FSC claim on the documents. With us, standard supply is from controlled sources; FSC® 100 % is supplied on request.

After robinia is felled, who replants?

The forest owner: Romanian law requires the owner to regenerate the plot within the two growing seasons following felling. With robinia there is generally nothing to plant — the roots left in the ground produce a whole new stand by root suckering. The real work lies elsewhere: laying out the felling branches in regular brash windrows, so that the young suckers can come up between the rows. The plot closes over again within two or three years.

How do you check an FSC certificate?

On the public register at info.fsc.org: enter the licence code (ours is FSC® C153588) and check the holder, the scope and the validity of the certificate. Two minutes is enough, and no serious supplier will take offence.

Further reading

Reference guide: “Robinia outdoors – the complete guide”.

See also: “Traceability of Romanian timber – SUMAL, APV and the EUDR” · “Where our robinia comes from”.

Our products: Round stakes · Sanded posts · Cleft palings · Finger-jointed decking board · Finger-jointed cladding board.

Contact: Need the certificate for your file? The FSC code appears on every quote — and we supply the certificate on request.

Disclaimer. Non-contractual article, provided for information only (photos and drawings included). Robinia is a natural material: the values given are orders of magnitude and may change without notice; in case of discrepancy, only the product’s technical data sheet and the general terms of sale apply. Always check the regulations that apply to your project.

© Xylo Impact SRL — all rights reserved, products marketed under the Acacia Poles brand. Any reproduction, even partial, is prohibited without prior authorisation.