What Do FSC Labels Mean on Products?

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What Do FSC Labels Mean on Products?

Over the last 50 years, the concept of sustainability has gone from uncommon to trendy to imperative. Society has reached a standstill where we must learn to use resources more intentionally to preserve our planet’s future. Though this seems incredibly daunting and often overwhelming, there are many small steps we can take to help reduce our carbon footprint while supporting sustainable business practices. The foremost of these is purchasing products with a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label.

The Basics of FSC Labels

The FSC label is a stamp given to specific products by the Forest Stewardship Council, indicating the materials used in production are recyclable and sustainably sourced. The symbol also signals that the product passes the council’s high environmental and social standards. Because these tests are so rigorous, achieving an FSC label not only suggests the product itself contains sustainable materials, but that the tags and packaging do as well. There are three different types of FSC labels that give consumers information about what’s inside:

FSC 100%

This label is most in line with the FSC mission. It specifies that the product’s contents have come entirely from forests that comply with responsible forest management and practices that comply with FSC’s level of excellence.

FSC MIX

FSC MIX appears on products made of materials that come from an assortment of places. A part of the product may have come from ethical and sustainable forests as the ones in FSC 100% do. Some are recycled materials while others are made from FSC controlled wood. Although FSC controlled wood does not come from sustainable or responsible foresting, it is reused to stop excessive production.

FSC Recycled

The FSC Recycled label indicates that the FSC has verified the use of 100% post-consumer or post-consumer reclaimed, recycled materials. This is impactful for two reasons: the first being that products from consumers are not put into landfills. The second is that it reduces the need for the production of new materials and further deforestation.

Why FSC on Labels Is Important

Though it’s hard to trust a corporation’s word on its production and environmental standards, the FSC provides consumers with the unique opportunity to control what kind of practices they’re paying for. For fairness, the FSC uses independent third-party surveyors to check on a company’s operations and the forests they support. This allows buyers to make their decisions based on impartial information. Considering the Forest Stewardship Council’s impeccably high standards, obtaining this label shows that a company is truly behaving in an eco-conscious manner.

Getting Certified

Becoming FSC certified is a rigorous process, but one that is certainly achievable. To receive the label, a company must first meet the Chain of Custody Certification standard detailed by the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC will then use a third party to verify that the forest-based materials used in production came from a responsibly grown and monitored forest. The materials must not be:

  • Harvested using practices in violation of human rights.
  • Harvested illegally.
  • Harvested from a forest with genetically modified trees.

If these standards are met, a product will earn the appropriate FSC label and begin printing product labels that display the FSC label. It is important to remember that an entire company is not necessarily FSC certified just because one product is. This process must be repeated for different products as each one being permitted does not necessarily indicate the entire company’s values. However, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

FSC and COC Flow Chart | Royal Labe
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FSC Can Be Found on Any Product

The FSC label can be found on any product produced by companies large and small. From food and beverage to health, beauty, and personal hygiene, the FSC reviews all kinds of businesses. If you encounter an item without the label, it isn’t for lack of applicability, but the company lacks the ethical business practices required to meet the standard. Once FSC labels are noticed and understood, they’re nearly impossible to ignore.

Royal Label is Working Towards A Sustainable Future

Maintaining the business practices that make a company eligible for an FSC label is not only beneficial to a company’s marketing and reputation, but it is also vital for the future of our world. FSC labels empower consumers to make eco-conscious decisions when they shop and help end the deforestation and destruction of nature plaguing our planet. Everything from internal materials to sustainable label printing practices is indicated by the FSC label, offering peace of mind with every labeled purchase.

Our world’s survival can often feel out of our hands, but in reality, we as consumers have the power to make ethical, sustainable choices in almost everything we do. Want to learn more about FSC labels or the types of labels we print? Contact Royal Label today!

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