FSC certification: everything you need to know and understand
When talking about ecology, it is common to mention numerous certifications. These certifications are a guarantee of environmental, human beings and wildlife respect, and allow consumers to know how certain products are designed and with what commitments. Let’s take a closer look and decrypt the FSC label!
What does FSC mean?
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organization created in 1993 by a number of stakeholders in the timber sector. These include forest owners, wood and paper companies, social movements and environmental organizations. Together, these stakeholders have come together to promote sustainable forest management around the world.
Why is the FSC certification important?
According to WWF, between 2010 and 2015 we lost 6.5 million hectares of natural forest every year – the equivalent of 17 football pitches per minute. These forests are necessary for the survival of both humans and animal species.
It is estimated that 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity is found in forests and that forests are the direct means of subsistence for more than 1.6 billion people in the world.
While there are many causes of deforestation, the main reasons are shifting agriculture and breeding and unsustainable logging.Unfortunately, this trend is becoming more pronounced every day, and the environmental consequences will be and are already disastrous. To counteract this collapse of our ecosystem, actions are being taken, such as FSC certification.
What are the criteria for FSC certification?
In order to obtain FSC certification, a number of criteria must be met, grouped into three main pillars:
- Social: it must be proven that workers operate in safe and secure conditions, that they receive a decent wage and that they have access to social rights and services. In addition to workers, there is also a need to ensure respect for indigenous peoples.
- Environmental: it must be ensured that the way the forest is managed aims at its natural regeneration. In addition, areas and elements important for biodiversity must also be conserved.
- Economic: the company must prove that forest management is economically viable in the short and long term. FSC also guarantees the optimal use of the various forest products.
Opting for FSC-labelled wood or paper products therefore contributes to responsible forest management worldwide!
The 3 different types of FSC certification
Although the FSC label seems to be the most common and therefore also the most generalist, there are three different types of FSC certification. These are diversified according to the composition of the FSC certified product:
- The FSC 100% label: “guarantees that all wood or wood fibre components of the product come from FSC certified forests”.
- The FSC Mixed label: “guarantees that all the wood or wood fibre components of the product result from a manufacturing process where FSC materials have been mixed with recycled and/or controlled materials. Each product with the FSC Mixed label expresses the use of a minimum of 70% FSC inputs”.
- FSC Recycled label: An FSC Recycled label or claim guarantees that all wood or wood fibre components of the product are made from 100% recycled material.
The FSC label at XMP
Concerned about the environment and respect for nature, XMP has quickly taken the ecological turn by offering its customers eco-responsible packaging solutions. In the world of packaging, where a lot of paper, cardboard and wood is used, it quickly became obvious for us to turn to FSC-certified products.
These more sustainable alternatives allow our customers to take their business down a green path, while supporting and contributing to responsible forest management worldwide.
From bags and pouches to boxes and trays, we offer a wide range of FSC-certified products. Take a look at our range!
