Is the Paper in Your Books Violating the Lacey Act?

4. Purchase certified paper. Harvesting trees legally is a common
feature of third-party forest certification programs. Therefore,
purchasing certified paper can be a means of demonstrating due
care. But note that certification per se does not necessarily mean
that the paper is legal, especially if the verification systems of
the certification program are not robust and in countries with
weak governance. In such circumstances, illegally harvested fibers
can still find their way into certified paper.

5. Conduct periodic fiber analysis tests. Periodically test
samples of paper products you purchase. Periodic testing can
reveal what's in your paper and might uncover suspicious fibers
and sources. Fiber analysis testing is not expensive, and there
are a number of independent fiber testing labs, including:

• Integrated Paper Services Inc. (United States)
• Institute for Paper Science and Technology Darmstadt Technical University (Germany)
• INNVENTIA (Sweden)
• Econotech (Canada)

As we discovered, paper is not risk free when it comes to the amended U.S. Lacey Act. But there are steps one can take to reduce these risks and demonstrate due care—and not just on paper.

For more information about how you can conduct due care when purchasing forest products, visit www.forestlegality.org.