FSC-Certified Packaging for Australian Businesses: Supplier and Sourcing Considerations

Australian companies now first ask themselves one thing before giving the go-ahead to packaging: where does the paper come from? An FSC logo on a box is the most universally recognised response, though it means very little if it is misused.

Below you will find the FSC packaging guidelines for brands and businesses in Australia searching for packaging from an FSC certified packaging supplier, covering rigid boxes, cardboard boxes and corrugated boxes. We explain what FSC certification involves, what information the FSC logos provide about your paper, which packaging they relate to, what we confirm on each order, whether you can use the FSC logo in your business, how printing and finishes affect it, what it does not tell you, and the typical mistakes people make when making claims related to FSC. We have produced packaging for more than 40 years, and the orders that work seamlessly are those where certification comes up from the very beginning.

01. What Does FSC Certification Mean for Packaging?

FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organisation that promotes responsible forest management. It matters for packaging because rigid boxes, cardboard boxes and corrugated boxes are made from paper and board, and FSC is the system that lets a buyer trace that fibre back to responsibly managed forests. The diagram below shows how the two kinds of certification fit along the chain.

FSC runs two kinds of certification, and a packaging order depends on both.

This is why a packaging manufacturer’s own certification matters. A box can carry the FSC mark only when the companies that handle the certified material are certified as well, not just the forest it came from.

02. What Do the FSC Labels and Claims Mean?

A certified product can carry one of three FSC labels, and the label depends on what the paper is made from. The image below shows the three labels side by side.

Only FSC certified companies can place FSC labels on products, and the label has to follow FSC’s rules for the claim being made. That is why we confirm the claim for your paper at the start instead of assuming it.

03. Which of Our Packaging Relates to FSC Certification?

FSC certification is about paper and board, so certified paper packaging relates to the fibre based parts of a pack. This is how it applies across our products and what we confirm in each case. The image below shows the paper based parts of each pack.

A gift set or a product pack often combines these pieces, so we plan the box, the insert and the outer carton together and confirm the FSC status of each piece side by side.

04. What Do We Confirm About FSC on Your Order?

If FSC matters to your business, these are the points we settle at the start, before any artwork is designed.

• Whether FSC is needed: certified paper only, or the FSC mark on the box as well.
• Which materials: the paper, board or art card that must be FSC certified.
• The claim: FSC 100%, FSC Recycled or FSC Mix, as the paper allows.
• Mark placement: whether the box can carry the label and where it sits, so space is kept for it in the artwork.
• Documents: the FSC claim and our certificate code shown on the invoice and delivery documents, so each order can be checked.
• Our certification: we hold FSC® certification for responsibly sourced paper.

You do not have to take any supplier’s word for certification, ours included. Search the certificate code from your invoice in FSC’s public certificate database, which shows whether a certificate is current and what it covers.

05. Can Your Business Use the FSC Mark if You Buy FSC Certified Packaging?

Buying FSC certified packaging and being FSC certified are two different things, and the difference decides what you can say and print about your own business. The image below sets out the correct use of the FSC mark in each situation.

If you buy packaging that already carries the FSC label, the label stays valid on the packaging as supplied, because the certified supplier applied it under its own certification. If you want to use the FSC logo in your own marketing, such as on a website, brochure or advertisement, you need a promotional licence from FSC, and the products you promote must be FSC labelled and bought from a certified supplier. If you want to apply FSC labels or relabel packaging yourself, you need your own chain of custody certification, because your business would then be making the FSC claim.

FSC sets these rules and they can change, so confirm your own case with FSC Australia and New Zealand. We can tell you what is certified on the packaging we supply, but we cannot give you the right to use the FSC trademarks.

06. How Do FSC Packaging, Print and Finishes Work Together?

FSC covers where the paper comes from. The way the box is printed and finished is planned around it.

• Offset printing: we print on the paper or art card by offset, with colour standards of G7 and Fogra 51, and the FSC mark is part of the artwork, so its position is fixed on the dieline.
• Finishes: foil stamping, spot UV, embossing and heat and scent technology are applied to the printed paper, and each one is given an exact position in the artwork.
• Recycling: foil, heavy lamination and plastic add ons can complicate recycling, so choose the finishes the design really needs.
• Inserts: a pulp moulded insert in place of plastic or foam keeps the pack fibre based, and it is made alongside the box so the fit is planned as one pack.

FSC is one part of a wider picture. Our guide to sustainable packaging in Australia covers recyclability and the national benchmarks, and our complete guide to rigid box packaging covers the structures and finishes in detail.

07. What Information Do FSC Certification Marks Not Give?

The FSC mark relates to the provenance of the paper or board. It is important to be clear about the limitations of the mark so that the right questions are asked regarding everything else. The image below shows the difference between sourcing and recycling.

The four points are set out below.

• Recyclable: the FSC standard gives information on the provenance of the fibre. The recyclable nature of the carton depends on the materials and the recycling facility at the end of life.
• Add ons and finishes: plastic add ons, heavy laminates and foil may make recycling more difficult irrespective of the FSC standard.
• Environmental management: FSC does not cover how a factory manages its environmental impact, which is the job of ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management systems.
• Quality: FSC does not cover the quality of the finished box, which is the job of ISO 9001:2015 for quality management.

08. What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making FSC Claims?

Problems arise due to the way a claim is worded, not the packaging itself. Here are three mistakes you should be sure to avoid.

Using the FSC logo without permission is the first mistake, because the FSC logo is a registered trademark and a promotional licence is required for use in any marketing, unless your company has an FSC certification. The second is describing the company as FSC certified, since buying FSC certified packaging does not make your company FSC certified, so be careful to avoid misleading customers about the certification of your business. The third is exaggerating the claim, because FSC Mix is not the same as FSC 100%.

09. How Does FSC Fit Into the Order Timeline?

FSC is a specification point, so it is settled together with the structure, paper and finishes at the start of our seven stages: specifications, product test fit, design, prototype, approval, production with colour checks, and delivery. The FSC mark is part of the artwork, so it is reviewed on the physical prototype, and nothing enters production until you approve it.

Our lead time is ideally 3 to 6 weeks, depending on how quickly specifications and design are confirmed and whether it is a first run needing new tooling or a repeat order. A minimum order quantity applies to bulk orders, and we confirm it at the start once we know the structure and design. The how rigid boxes are made guide and our custom packaging manufacturing process page show each stage in more detail.

10. What Should You Send Us If FSC Matters for Your Range?

Your side of the sequence decides how smoothly the certification point is settled. This is what to have ready.

• Your FSC requirement: certified paper only, or the FSC mark on the pack, and for which products.
• The pack: the box type, dimensions and the items going inside.
• Artwork: finished files, or a brief for our design team, with room kept for the mark if it goes on the pack.
• Finishes: which finishes you want, chosen with your recycling goals in mind.
• Quantity: the number of pieces for each design.
• Delivery: the address in Australia and the date you need the boxes in hand.
• Approver: one person who can sign off the prototype and artwork quickly.

11. Why Choose PT Print as Your FSC Certified Packaging Supplier?

We supply packaging to brands and businesses as a sustainable packaging supplier, and we make the whole pack for an order, so certification, print and fit are planned together.

• Over 40 years of experience: we have produced packaging for over four decades, so the choices that shape a certified order are ones we have made many times.
• Certified quality and sourcing: FSC®, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 9001:2015 certified.
• One manufacturer for the entire pack: rigid box, pulp moulded insert, corrugated box and cardboard box with fit check of all items side by side.
• Seven stages process: physical prototype and your approval before production starts.
• Reliable colour management: offset printing according to G7 and Fogra 51 colour standard with colour control throughout the run.