British toy manufacturer, Addo Play, has achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification, covering both its Addo and Early Leaning Centre (ELC) brands.

The FSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that Addo Play’s wooden toys are sourced from responsibly managed forests, and that every stage of the supply chain meets high environmental and ethical standards.

Addo Play began its FSC application process earlier this year in March 2024, after which it documented its chain of custody procedures and scheduled a pre-assessment audit for May 2024. The feedback Addo Play received from the pre-assessment audit then helped it on its way to the main FSC audit in September 2024.

Acquiring the FSC Chain of Custody Certification allows the company to robustly control the sources of its FSC-certified wooden toys, and reinforce and convey its own commitments to sustainably sourced materials for its products, through marketing and external communications. Addo Play is keen to demonstrate to its retail customers that it meets the certification scheme requirements so that they can make verified eco-claims about the products and pass on the message of the certification to the end consumer.

So far, Addo Play has over 260 wooden products certified by FSC, split between its brands the Early Learning Centre and Addo, with plans to continue the growth of its certified ranges, ensuring all paper and card products are included.

This includes Addo Play’s commitment to making all of its packaging 100% FSC approved by the end of 2025. Its existing packaging is being converted to FSC-certified materials in a phased programme, which is aligned with its seasonal calendar and product development timetable. All new products will be introduced with certified packaging materials. 

“We are thrilled to have earned FSC Chain of Custody Certification,” said Roger Panton, Kent head of quality assurance and compliance at Addo Play. “This certification reaffirms our commitment to responsible sourcing, and we are proud to contribute to the preservation of forests for future generations.”

In its CEO Open Letter earlier this year, Mary Price and Dave Martin, co-founders and CEOs of Addo Play, detailed that “The Addo Play team now incorporates sustainability as a fourth dimension in our thoughtful and caring design criteria.

“We’re not perfect but we are ambitious to do the right thing. We will strive to make progress, play an active role in the development of the emerging ‘circular economy’; reducing waste, extending product life, and facilitating the recovery of recycled materials.”