FSC Recycled, FSC Mix and FSC 100%: what each label means for packaging buyers

An FSC logo on a box tells your customer one thing: where the fibre came from. It does not say the box is recyclable, and it does not say anything about the product inside.

FSC 100% means all the fibre is virgin fibre from FSC-certified forests. FSC Mix means FSC-certified fibre combined with recycled and/or controlled material. FSC Recycled means the fibre comes exclusively from reclaimed sources, i.e. paper that has been used or collected once already. For a trade buyer, the label is the last step. The claim that really counts is the one printed on the invoice from your supplier, next to its certificate code.

We hold an FSC chain of custody certificate for our honeycomb paper, so I have had to learn these rules properly, with an SGS auditor checking our paperwork. This guide is what I would want a new purchase manager to understand before ordering FSC packaging from anyone, including us.

What do the three labels mean?

The definitions come from the FSC chain of custody standard, FSC-STD-40-004 V3-1 (Forest Stewardship Council, effective 1 September 2021), which is still the version in force.

Two details surprise most buyers.

First, the standard defines FSC Recycled as an "FSC claim for recycled products based on inputs exclusively from reclaimed sources". Both pre-consumer material (for example, offcuts from a paper converter) and post-consumer material (used paper collected back) count as reclaimed.

Second, "controlled material" in FSC Mix is not certified forest fibre. It is material supplied without an FSC claim that has been assessed against a separate FSC standard for sourcing controlled wood (FSC-STD-40-005), which screens out unacceptable sources. Think of it as a minimum standard, not a certified one.

What should appear on your invoice?

The invoice decides whether the FSC claim passes to you at all. Clause 5.1 of the standard says each sales document for FSC products must show:

1. The name and contact details of the seller.
2. The name and address of the buyer (not needed when selling to end consumers).
3. The date of issue.
4. A description of the product.
5. The quantity sold.
6. The FSC certificate code of the seller.
7. A clear FSC claim for each product, or for the whole invoice.

There are only six valid claims: FSC 100%, FSC Mix x%, FSC Recycled x%, FSC Mix Credit, FSC Recycled Credit and FSC Controlled Wood.

If your invoice says "eco-friendly kraft, FSC paper" with no certificate code, you do not have an FSC claim. You have a description. If you are certified yourself, your auditor will not accept it as a certified input, and if you are not certified, you have nothing you can pass on to your own customers.

Certificate code or licence code?

Every certified company has two codes, and they do different jobs.

Our certificate was audited by SGS, first issued in August 2023 and is valid to August 2028. Our usual claim on honeycomb paper is FSC Recycled. I will be plain about one limit, because buyers do misread this: not every roll we make carries an FSC claim. A claim exists only where it is written on the invoice next to our certificate code, and if you need it, ask for it at the quotation stage.

How do you check the certificate of a supplier?

It takes about five minutes. FSC runs a free public search, now at the FSC public certificate search page (FSC, checked October 2026).

1. Search by the licence code, the certificate code or the company name.
2. Check that the status is valid, not suspended or terminated.
3. Check that the legal name and address match the company on your invoice.
4. Open the product scope and check it covers the product you are buying, for example paper or packaging products.
5. Check the certificate code on the invoice is the same one you found.

Clause 2.2 of the standard asks certified buyers to check their suppliers like this regularly, not just once. I would do it before every annual contract.

Can you put the FSC logo on your own box or listing?

Only if you are certified, or if a certified company applies the label for you.

The FSC trademark standard, FSC-STD-50-001 V3-0 (FSC, news dated 26 June 2026, effective 1 July 2026), says an organisation using the FSC trademarks needs a valid trademark licence agreement and a valid certificate (clause 1.2). It may label only products within its own certificate scope.

So for a brand that is not certified, there are three proper routes:

1. Ask your certified supplier to apply the FSC label to the product or its packaging, under the licence code of that supplier.
2. Get a promotional licence from FSC. FSC UK explains that this suits retailers selling finished, labelled products unchanged, and that it does not allow you to apply FSC trademarks to products or sales documents (FSC UK, promotional licensing, checked October 2026).
3. Get your own chain of custody certificate, if you convert, repack or relabel FSC products regularly.

A packaging label covers the packaging only. If our FSC label is on a honeycomb roll, it says nothing about the candles or glasses your customer later wraps in it.

When does the FSC chain break?

The chain breaks the moment a company that owns the product and is not certified sells it with a claim, labels it, or changes it.

Box 1 of the chain of custody standard lists what needs certification. Any company that takes legal ownership of FSC products needs it if it sells them with FSC claims on its invoices, labels them, makes or changes them (including repacking and relabelling), or promotes them. Transport companies, warehouses and agents who never own the goods do not need it.

This matters for private label. If you plan to sell our rolls under your own brand with an FSC claim, sort out who holds the certificate before the artwork is approved, not after. Our private label page explains how the rest of that process works.

What changed in 2026?

FSC's new trademark standard, V3-0, became effective on 1 July 2026, with a transition period to 31 December 2028. Labels made under the old version stay valid during the transition. Two changes matter to online sellers who are certified:

1. Clause 6.6 asks certified companies to include the FSC promotional elements, including the licence code, when promoting certified products with the FSC trademarks on an e-commerce platform.
2. Clause 6.7 says that if "FSC" is used in the product title of an online listing, the listing must say the product is "FSC-certified".

The chain of custody standard itself is under revision, but no new version had come into force when I checked in October 2026. Version 3-1 still applies.

FSC and the other green words

FSC is only about the fibre. Recyclable, recycled content and plastic-free are separate claims with separate evidence. Our post on what you can honestly say about recycling honeycomb paper covers those, and the newer EU and Indian rules on green claims.

For EU buyers, FSC is also not the same as compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation. Certification can help with information gathering, but it does not replace the due diligence that the EU importer must do itself. Our post on the EUDR and paper packaging imports explains why.

Ordering FSC-claimed paper

If you need FSC-claimed honeycomb paper, say so in your enquiry, and tell us which claim your customer expects. Write to us through the contact page. We will confirm the claim and our certificate code in the quotation, so you can check it on the FSC database yourself before you place the order. I would much rather you check us than trust us.