Forest Stewardship Council®
United Kingdom
FSC® AND PACKAGING FACTSHEET
FSC UK · 11-13 Great Oak Street · Llanidloes · Powys · SY18 6BU
Phone 01686 413916 ∙ Fax 01686 412176 ∙ info@fsc-uk.org ∙ www.fsc-uk.org
Photo credits: FSC UK; B.Ealovega WWF UK; FSC Germany; FSC Spain
the brands on whose behalf they operate, can apply to
This factsheet is designed for companies using
and/or producing FSC certified packaging materials. FSC UK for a trademark licence to promote their use of
FSC packaging off-product (e.g. websites, company
FSC certification reports, advertising campaigns, catalogues, online
offers a solution
sales, press releases). Retailers are also free to apply
which enables
for a trademark licence to promote own-brand and
you to
private label products which feature FSC packaging.
demonstrate,
through
FSC Certified Packaging
independent
certification, that Whether you source printed or un-printed customerthe paper and/or facing packaging or transport packaging, there’s an FSC
wood packaging certified option out there for you.
products that you sell or use in your business come from
well-managed sources and/or verified recycled material. Packaging products available with FSC certification
include wooden and composite pallets, solid-timber and
FSC provides global standards for forest management,
plywood packing cases and crates, cardboard and
which cover a balance of environmental, social and
corrugated paper and paper bags, sleeves, boxes,
economic aspects. The well-being of forest communities cartons and labels. There are even certified cork
and ecosystems is as important as replacing trees in
closures for wine and champagne available.
ensuring the future of the world’s forests.
FSC Products and
The FSC system also provides a way of tracking forest
Packaging?
products through independently verified Chain of
Custody (CoC) certification. This has to cover every
It is possible for both a
stage in processing, conversion, distribution and printing
product and it’s packaging
before the final packaging product can carry the FSC
to be FSC certified e.g. a
label. Please see our factsheet on Chain of Custody
wooden hairbrush packed
certification for detailed information.
in a paper sleeve.
Alternatively, it may be that
FSC certified packaging is a growing sector and the
an FSC product is packed
FSC label can now be found on packaging for Ribena,
in uncertified packaging or
vice versa, in cases such
Boots, Marks and Spencer, Cawston Press, The Body
Shop, Innocent, Sainsbury’s and many other brands.
as these it must be made
clear to which element the
FSC labels refer. FSC
Do I need FSC Chain of Custody?
labels include a range of
product types including ‘wood’, ‘paper’, ‘board’, ‘cork’,
Fillers or packers of products (e.g. a company who
encloses a sandwich within an FSC labelled sandwich
‘packaging’, ‘envelope’ and ‘label’. Product types can
pack), who do not transform or label the FSC packaging be selected and included within labels using the FSC
online label generator (available to CoC holders).
product, do not need FSC CoC. Packers and fillers, or
FSC® F000231
Registered Charity Number 1130203
Forest Stewardship Council®
United Kingdom
What do the different labels mean?
The FSC system has developed three categories of certified
product and the category of every product should be clearly
identified on its product label or invoice. FSC labels must
also include the licence number of the company under
whose CoC it was applied.
FSC 100%
All of the timber or fibre in the product comes
from an FSC certified forest.
FSC Recycled
All of the timber or fibre in the product is verified
reclaimed material.
FSC Mix
The timber or fibre in the product is a mixture
from any of the following sources: FSC certified
forests, recycled material and controlled wood
(which excludes unacceptable forestry).
On Pack Recycling Label Scheme (OPRL)
The OPRL is a voluntary scheme which aims to deliver a
simpler, UK-wide, consistent, recycling message on both
retailer private label and brand-owner packaging to help
consumers recycle more material, more often.
I have bought some FSC packaging, but my printer does
not hold CoC certification. Can I just include a
statement that it’s printed on FSC paper without using
the logo?
No, because the name Forest Stewardship Council and the
acronym FSC are our registered trademarks as well as the
logo itself. This may, however, be possible if you gain your
own FSC CoC certification.
Our packaging supplier is FSC certified and supplies us
with FSC certified packaging, can we use the FSC logo
on-pack?
Yes, you will need to talk to your supplier and ask them to
include the FSC label within your packaging design. FSC
licence numbers (contained within FSC labels) can be
traced back to the company who applied them using an
online database, If you want the licence number to link back
to yourselves you will need to hold your own FSC CoC
certification.
All of our packaging materials are produced by a printer
with CoC and carry the FSC label. Can we make
reference to this in our annual report or on our website?
Yes, you will need to contact us for a trademark licence to
enable you to do this (unless you already hold CoC).
We don’t have room for a full label. Can we shrink the
label?
There are guidelines and minimum sizes for
the FSC labels, however FSC recognises that
FSC has granted a special trademark approval to enable the
there may be situations where it is not
elements of the FSC label to be used within a panel
possible to use a full label on a product. In
featuring other information relating to environmental aspects
these cases a mini-label may be used if there
or disposal
is not sufficient clear un-printed space for the
information.
standard label.
Approval for use of the mini
label is at the discretion of the
certification body and requires
an exemption, you will need to
demonstrate that the use of the mini-label is justified.
Services and support from FSC UK
We offer a free advisory service to answer basic questions on the FSC system and certificate checking. We
also provide a range of training and consultancy options.
For more information please contact the FSC UK office.
FSC UK · 11-13 Great Oak Street · Llanidloes · Powys · SY18 6BU
Phone 01686 413916 ∙ Fax 01686 412176 ∙ info@fsc-uk.org ∙ www.fsc-uk.org
FSC® F000231
Registered Charity Number 1130203