The FSC logo on packaging – why are customers starting to demand it, and what does this mean for your printing company?

Packaging manufacturers and printing houses serving the FMCG, food and cosmetics sectors are increasingly hearing a new question from their customers at the quotation stage: “Do you hold FSC certification?” This question, which was a rarity just a few years ago, is now asked regularly – and is changing the rules of the game in the printing and packaging services market. For many companies, FSC certification has now become not so much a competitive advantage as a prerequisite for participation in supply chains and for working with major customers.

Why are customers starting to demand FSC certification from printers and packaging manufacturers?

Behind the growing demand for FSC certification in the packaging and printing industries lie several parallel trends which, together, are creating strong market pressure.

The first trend is the ESG commitments of major brands. Global FMCG companies – manufacturers of food, cosmetics and cleaning products – have adopted sustainability policies committing them to using only certified paper and packaging materials within a specified timeframe. Nestlé, Unilever, P&G and L’Oréal are just some of the companies that have publicly committed to using only certified forest-sourced materials. To fulfil this commitment, they must require FSC certification from their suppliers of packaging and printed materials.

The second trend is the EUDR – the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products, which requires companies to demonstrate that the raw materials used in production do not contribute to deforestation. FSC certification is one of the tools that facilitates compliance with these requirements. FSC-certified printing houses and packaging manufacturers are becoming partners to their clients, helping them to fulfil their regulatory obligations – and this is changing the nature of the commercial relationship.

The third trend is growing consumer awareness. For an ever-increasing number of consumers, the FSC label on packaging signals a brand’s environmental responsibility. Consumer goods manufacturers know that packaging bearing the FSC logo reinforces their positioning as a sustainable brand – and that is why they require this of their packaging suppliers.

What difference does FSC certification make in practice for printing houses and packaging manufacturers?

For printing houses and packaging manufacturers, FSC Chain of Custody certification means, above all, the ability to print and display the FSC logo on customers’ products – without this certification, this is technically impossible, even if the paper used for printing comes from a certified source. It is precisely this requirement that means customers are increasingly making their choice of printing house contingent on it holding the certificate – they want the FSC logo to appear on their packaging or printed material, and only a company with a valid certificate can do this.

In practice, implementing FSC in a printing house or packaging production facility boils down to introducing a system for recording certified materials – tracking how much FSC-certified paper or board has been used to produce specific orders – and issuing FSC declarations on sales documents. For companies that already have ERP or MIS systems in place, integrating FSC records into existing processes is usually a matter of a few weeks’ work.

FSC certification for printing houses and packaging manufacturers is an investment that pays for itself through access to customers requiring certification, higher margins on orders bearing the FSC logo, and the elimination of the risk of losing existing customers who are introducing FSC requirements into their procurement policies. Companies that obtain certification now will gain an advantage over competitors who do so in a year or two – because the market won’t wait. 

If your printing or packaging company is planning to implement FSC certification or wishes to prepare for customer and market requirements, find out what the FSC certification process involves and contact us to discuss your organisation’s needs.