9 November 2026 · 4 min
Certified paper: proof holds when every supplier passes it on
Behind every page
The award to Mondadori at Ecomondo 2026 tells of a choice begun in 2016: PEFC-certified paper for books and magazines.
Exteryo Report editorial staff
The detail that interests us is another: the request to suppliers to maintain the Chain of Custody, the same question asked by those wanting to prove a fabric's origin.
The short answer
- Certificatethe material comes from a verified source
- Chain of Custodyevery supplier maintains it, not only the first
- Linkevery transformation links the new piece to its origin
The short answer
Thus the declaration on the finished product becomes a verifiable story.
Why it is not simple
The obvious answer is that buying certified material is enough.
There is more.
Why it is not simple
Between the raw material and the finished product, there are multiple hands and transformations: certification only reaches the end if every step preserves and records it.
Chapter 1 of 4
What did Ecomondo 2026 reward in Mondadori's choice?
The award
The award recognises a procurement choice that has become daily practice.
Before moving on
Since what year has Mondadori used PEFC-certified paper for books and magazines?
The source
The Mondadori Group received the award for Best Forest-Based Product for having extended the use of PEFC-certified paper to the production of books and magazines since 2016.
The award
- Who awardsPEFC Italy and Legambiente
- WhereEcomondo 2026, Rimini
- WhatPEFC-certified paper for books and magazines
The award
In a sector where paper is the main production resource, the origin of the material is the heart of the product.
Chapter 2 of 4
What does asking suppliers for the Chain of Custody mean?
Chain of Custody
Asking for the Chain of Custody means that every supplier must be able to prove they have maintained the certified material. The proof changes hands along with the paper.
The source
To guarantee transparency and traceability along the supply chain, Mondadori asked its suppliers to possess and maintain the PEFC Chain of Custody certification.
The proof in the book
The Chain of Custody is the documented path of the certified material from one entity to another in the supply chain.
1 of 3
Certified material
2 of 3
Chain of Custody
3 of 3
Product history
Chain of Custody
The verb that counts is maintain: the proof holds when it lasts over time.
Note
The award focuses on paper, but the logic applies to any material that changes shape across multiple companies: yarn, fabric, leather, fruit.
Chapter 3 of 4
What records prove the origin along the supply chain?
From yarn to garment
The origin holds when every transformation links the new code to the starting one. Paper documents describe a step; a recorded link makes it verifiable.
The textile supply chain
In the textile supply chain, a brand wanting to declare certified organic cotton can have five suppliers between the bale and the finished dress, and paper documents can get lost along the way.
The case of the textile supply chain, from yarn to finished garment ↗
The link between codes
When ten cones of yarn become a piece of fabric, the system creates a link between those codes.
1 of 3
Yarn
2 of 3
Fabric
3 of 3
Garment
From yarn to garment
When the fabric is cut into fifty jackets, each jacket inherits the history of the initial yarn.
Three records
- Paper documentDescribes a step, can be lost
- Supplier certificateAttests the ability to manage certified material
- Link between codesLinks each piece to the starting material
Chapter 4 of 4
What changes for buyers when they can verify the history?
The buyer
Buyers move from trusting to verifying. The product's history becomes information that can be consulted.
The buyer
In agricultural supply chains, the digital product passport gives the customer the entire history, whether loose or packaged.
For the company
For the company, the advantage is proving the origin with data: inter-company transparency increases brand value.
Note
The automatable part is recording the steps; verifying supplier certifications remains a control job that data makes faster.
In one sentence
A certification is valid up to the last supplier who maintains it: the proof travels with the material.
Exteryo Report
Takeaway
Five questions to verify your supply chain. To bring the proof of origin from the raw material to the finished product.
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Sources
- ANSA on the award to Mondadori for PEFC paperansa.it↗
- The case of the textile supply chain, from yarn to finished garmentexteryo.com↗
- The digital passport in agricultural supply chainsexteryo.com↗
Images and animations: illustrative objects generated with artificial intelligence. They do not depict real objects or documents mentioned in the article.
ExteryoExteryo Report · 9 November 2026