From food takeaway containers to envelopes and parcels, if you’ve handled packaging products made from paper in recent years, you’re no doubt familiar with the familiar logo of the FSC (the Forestry Stewardship Council). But what’s the significance of the mark, and why should manufacturers and retailers alike be aiming for its inclusion in their paper packaging?
The Forest Stewardship Council’s primary objective is to endorse environmentally sustainable treatment of the world’s forestlands, ensuring the harvesting of timber doesn’t adversely affect both biodiversity and the local communities for whom a continuous connection to forests is pivotal for survival. To achieve this aim, the environmental, economic and social viability of harvesting and forest management practices are regularly evaluated, to preserve the wellbeing of indigenous groups and workers, both in the immediate and long term. And for supply chain actors who qualify, the FSC provides certifications (principally to forest managers and companies), rigorously applying these globally consistent standards to ensure an environmentally sustainable production model is maintained, from the forest to the consumer
There are two types of FSC certification: forest management and chain of custody, applying to forestland managers and businesses, respectively. Forest management certification is awarded to land owners or managers for practices that comply with internationally recognised standards for sustainability, whilst chain of custody certification can be awarded to manufacturers, wholesalers and virtually any business wishing to provide assurances to their customers of their products’ environmental sustainability. In fact, certification is a prerequisite for any company wishing to supply or work with FSC certified goods.
As outlined, traceability in the supply chain is a key factor, and the Forest Stewardship Council certification ensures that materials and the processes used to extract them have been thoroughly audited, maintaining visibility and sustainability in the production process and providing guarantees of environmental viability to end users.
For businesses, there are numerous benefits to attaining FSC certification and working with FSC-certified products. The FSC logo is recognised the world over as the standard for sustainably in forestland-produced materials, and in sourcing its approved materials, suppliers can ensure the sustainability standards expected by many major UK businesses are met. Subsequently, both corporate social responsibility and national-level policy compliance is assured.
For retailers, customer expectations can be met, since FSC’s standards are recognised globally as the highest of any forest preservation scheme. What’s more, 55% of the UK public recognise its logo (source), meaning its use on packaging provides products with added impact in marketing campaigns.
For more information, learn about the Forestry Stewardship Council here - and see Allpack’s FSC certification.
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