Checked against official material available on 27 September 2026. Reconfirm the applicable version and destination-market rules before artwork approval, printing or listing changes.
A valid certificate answers only part of a label question. It does not, by itself, show that every item in a range, its packaging and every product-page claim are covered. Start with the object named by the claim, then trace the evidence through four records: the exact product, the certificate and its scope, the approved artwork, and the wording customers see online.
Name the object before checking the logo
Under FSC-STD-50-001 V3-0, packaging is treated as a product in its own right. An FSC label can refer to the product, the packaging or both when the requirements for each are met. A labelled box alone does not establish that the item inside is FSC certified. The reverse shortcut—saying an FSC label must always appear on the product itself—is also too broad. State what the label refers to and test the certificate scope against that object. FSC-STD-50-001 V3-0 also requires the selected label to match the FSC claim category (FSC 100%, FSC MIX or FSC RECYCLED) and calls for artwork obtained through the FSC Brand Hub. The licence code must appear at least once per product or promotional material as required by the standard; where labelled packaging is accompanied by an FSC trademark on the product itself, check the additional code-placement rule.
Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) advertising guidance is product-specific: a badge is not a brand-wide endorsement. When a product page lacks the badge, Amazon tells advertisers to confirm that the unique product itself—not only its packaging or an individual component—is certified, then use the Contact Us route in Seller Central or Vendor Central. Certification alone does not guarantee that Amazon will display a badge.
Keep recycled-content thresholds in their own lanes
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) both track recycled material and chain of custody. Their percentage rules answer different questions. Textile Exchange’s current FAQ describes RCS as intended for products containing at least 5% recycled material. GRS can be used for certification and business-to-business purposes from 20%, while a consumer-facing GRS product claim requires 50%. Calling 50% the universal threshold “to get GRS certified” collapses certification/B2B eligibility into a product-claim threshold; applying that 50% figure to RCS transfers a GRS rule to another standard.
A percentage alone still does not authorize artwork. Confirm which product or identifiable component is covered, how the relevant content is calculated, and which claim category and approval conditions apply. GRS also adds social, environmental and chemical requirements; its name is not interchangeable with RCS.
Claim-maker identity is another check. Under TE-301 V1.4, certification is required up to the brand for product-related claims on final products sold to consumers, and the brand’s valid scope certificate must include the relevant product and processing categories. For an own-brand listing, a supplier’s certificate or the batch transaction certificate alone does not establish that condition. Check the claiming brand, its scope certificate and the exact listing wording as one evidence chain.
Four version dates now matter
FSC: FSC-STD-50-001 V3-0 took effect on 1 July 2026, with the transition ending on 1 January 2029. Do not treat the older and newer versions as one set of review requirements. Confirm with the certification body which version the organization has transitioned to and which artwork has been approved. The standard allows existing finished and labelled stock produced under V2-1 to continue to be sold and distributed during and after transition; that stock provision does not authorize new production of old-version label materials. V3-0 also sets mandatory elements for promotion on each e-commerce product listing. FSC guidance treats evergreen website descriptions of certification as content to update when transitioning, so existing listing copy should be reviewed as well.
GRS and RCS: GRS 5.0, RCS 3.0 and their implementation manuals took effect on 1 July 2026; 31 December 2026 is the mandatory date. Textile Exchange says these updates focus on the Reclaimed Material Declaration Form (RMDF) and reclaimed-material traceability, including the role of the first certified entity. This is not a wholesale revision of both standards. Whether a supplier’s certificate or paperwork needs a transition step depends on the certification body’s notice, audit schedule and applicable form date; publication of a new version alone does not mean every older certificate has immediately expired.
Textile Exchange claims: TE-301 V1.4 has been effective since 8 October 2025, and assessments conducted after 27 September 2026 use V1.4. From 27 September 2026, Textile Exchange requires corporate commitment and sourcing/progress claims to be credibly verified; its update says third-party verification is required for these claims after that date, while the detailed approach is still being developed. Product certification claims, corporate commitments and sourcing progress are separate claim categories. Product-label approval does not verify the latter two. Before using a commitment or progress statement, check Textile Exchange’s latest method and destination-market law. Product claims remain governed by their own category, eligibility and version requirements.
EU consumer-facing pages: measures under Directive (EU) 2024/825 apply from 27 September 2026. Member States had to transpose the directive, so a concrete consumer-law check still depends on the destination country’s implementing rules. The directive is not another name for the separate Green Claims Directive proposal. A certification mark also does not automatically substantiate broad wording such as “green” or “sustainable” for an entire product.
Run the check on one SKU and one claim
Product: Identify the exact model, variant, material and batch. State whether the label refers to the product, its packaging or a separately identifiable component.
Certificate: Match the holder, product category, material or process, current validity and relevant transaction evidence. Evidence for one model or an upstream material does not automatically extend to an entire range.
Artwork: Check the standard category, claim subject, percentage, applicable licence/TE-ID details, correct version and required certification-body approval. There is no single label template that covers FSC, GRS and RCS.
Page: Compare the title, bullets, A+ content, image text, environmental wording and CPF badge field by field. If the package, a component or a content figure only supports part of the product, narrow the page claim to that same boundary.
The recurring reasoning error is to treat “a certificate exists,” “a percentage is met,” or “a mark appears in the artwork” as proof that the whole product page can say the same thing. Each answers a different question. Align the object first, then the version and approval, then every visible claim.
Official sources
FSC-STD-50-001 V3-0 (version, validity and transition): official FSC standard PDF; FSC document page
RCS / GRS thresholds: Textile Exchange Standards FAQs; RCS and GRS overview
GRS 5.0 / RCS 3.0 and RMDF dates: Textile Exchange standards and policy updates
TE-301 V1.4: Textile Exchange labeling, standards and claims; official policy PDF
Amazon CPF: Amazon Ads creative guidelines
Directive (EU) 2024/825: official EUR-Lex text
绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司
Email: sui@greenark-sz.com
Website: www.greenark-sz.com
Phone: +86 184 0755 9004 (WeChat available)
This is general information, not legal advice, a certification decision or a promise of platform review. Confirm the certificate, approved artwork and destination-market requirements before use.
