When a customer asks for FSC packaging, first separate the material claim from the question of who may use that claim. This article maps FSC chain of custody (CoC), product groups, transaction records, certificate searches and page wording for paper, paperboard and other forest-based packaging. It does not turn an FSC statement into a universal customs, platform or whole-product conclusion.
1. Define the object of the FSC claim
List the packaging components, materials, specifications, suppliers and transaction parties. A paper carton, bag, insert, label or instruction sheet may follow a different purchasing, processing and sales trail. Do not describe an entire product or every packaging component as FSC simply because one paper component carries an FSC-related claim. The product description, certificate scope, claim and actual material should match.
FSC 100%, FSC Mix and FSC Recycled are different material-claim paths. FSC explains FSC 100% as material from FSC-certified forests, FSC Recycled as made from recycled material, and FSC Mix as a combination involving FSC-certified forest material, recycled material and/or FSC Controlled Wood. The applicable label and wording must still be checked against current FSC rules, the certificate scope and the relevant control system.
2. Connect the CoC certificate to transaction records
FSC CoC is not a supplier certificate detached from a transaction. It is a system for identifying and recording forest-based material through sourcing, processing, labelling and sale. Use the FSC public search tool to check an organisation name, certificate code or licence code, then compare the holder, status, product classification, site and intended product group.
A useful evidence table records the supplier or certificate holder, buyer and seller, product and material description, quantity or unit, transaction date, batch or order reference, FSC claim, certificate or licence code where applicable, processing site, and the related purchase order, invoice, delivery or goods-in record. Do not add a composition percentage, model or batch to a page when the records do not support it.
If printing, coating, die-cutting, assembly or another outsourced step changes the packaging, check separately whether the step, outsourcee, material identification or segregation method is within the relevant certificate and current FSC requirements. A supplier CoC certificate does not automatically cover a brand owner, printer or every selling organisation.
3. Preserve evidence for page and label wording
Before using the FSC name, label or trademarks, check the applicable trademark licence, certificate scope, licence code and certification-body approval requirements. FSC trademark requirements state that an organisation needs valid relevant rights and certification, and may label or promote only products within its certification scope and the labelling rules. A certificate code and an FSC licence code are separate identifiers.
Keep the final packaging artwork, listing screenshot, material specification, certificate-search record, transaction documents and trademark approval or licence record together, with each item mapped to a packaging component. A page may explain which FSC claim applies to a particular carton, but should not expand a supplier’s material claim into a claim about the entire product, every batch or every supplier.
4. Manual pre-publication checklist
□ Packaging component, material and specification match the certified product group; □ certificate holder, transaction parties and processing site are mapped; □ certificate code and licence code are kept distinct and verifiable; □ orders, invoices, delivery/goods-in records and batch references reconcile; □ the FSC 100%, Mix or Recycled wording is supported by records; □ trademark, label and artwork use has been checked under the applicable licence or approval path; □ the page does not turn an FSC statement into a statutory safety, environmental, customs, platform-display or sales outcome.
绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司 may support document organisation, claim-to-evidence mapping and gap identification, but it does not replace an FSC certification body, platform or regulator’s decision. FSC standards, trademark rules and public records can change; recheck the current official documents and the specific certificate before use.
Sources: FSC Chain of Custody Certification, What the FSC Labels Mean, FSC Search, and FSC-STD-50-001 V3-0. This is an evidence reference, not a certification or platform decision.
