Packaging may have one or more labels, quality marks or symbols printed on it. But what do these actually mean? This blog explains the various labels, quality marks and symbols that can be found on packaging.
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The difference between quality marks and symbols
The quality marks discussed in this blog provide information about the sustainability of certain types of packaging. The organisations that issue these quality marks impose a number of requirements on the packaging. These requirements may relate to such aspects as the production of the packaging, the raw materials used, or the extent to which the packaging can be recycled. The fulfilment of these requirements is usually monitored by one or more independent organisations.
Symbols on packaging, however, are often based on only few or no requirements, and compliance with these is usually not checked. We will explain the various symbols that you may see on packaging in another blog, to be published soon.
This blog will examine a number of quality marks. This will be expanded by several others in Part 2, to follow shortly.
Cradle to Cradle
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is a science-based standard for designing and making products and packaging in a safe and circular manner. The certification is awarded by the independent Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Insitute. The packaging must have a positive impact on people and planet and is assessed on five categories of sustainability performance: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air and Climate Protection, Water and Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness. Each category is assessed separately and Cradle to Cradle certification is awarded based upon four ascending levels of achievement: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The awarded certificate level is determined based on the lowest category, and can be found on the product certification logo. The certification covers all components of the packaging (including all adhesives, labels, ink, etc.).
Der Blaue Engel
This is a seal of approval issued by the German government, which imposes requirements on recycled paper. Paper sold under this label must be made entirely of recycled fibres. In addition, the paper may not have been bleached with chlorine, halogenated bleaches or optical brighteners during the production process. The label says nothing about the extent to which the paper can be recycled.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
This is an international quality mark for paper and cardboard. It imposes requirements with respect to the sustainability of the raw materials used to produce the paper or cardboard, but not on the production process itself. Three labels are applied by the FSC, each of which provides information concerning the origin of the raw material.
FSC 100% means that the wood originates entirely from FSC-certified forests.
FSC Recycled means that the paper or cardboard consists entirely of recycled paper or cardboard.
FSC Mix means that the paper or cardboard is made from a mix of raw materials. These raw materials can be FSC-certified wood, recycled paper or cardboard, or wood from FSC-controlled forests.
PEFC
This is an international quality mark for paper and cardboard, and similar to FSC, imposes requirements on sustainable raw materials for paper or cardboard. The difference between FSC and PEFC lies in the certification method the organisation permitted to issue the certificates. PEFC applies two labels, which, just like the FSC label, provide information concerning the origin of the raw material.
PEFC-certified means that the paper or cardboard must consist of at least 70% PEFC-certified wood and/or recycled material.
PEFC-recycled means that the paper or cardboard consists entirely of PEFC-certified raw materials derived from recycled sources
Cyclos-htp
This label provides information about the extent to which packaging can be recycled. Cyclos applies six classes, in which class C is the lowest. The recyclable content of packaging in this class is less than 50%. The highest class is Class AAA+, which is applied only to fully recyclable packaging. The percentages or classes are not always displayed on the label logo, as is the case here. Therefore, the extent to which the packaging under this label can be recycled is not entirely clear. Although the label indicates that the packaging is partially or fully recyclable, it provides no information about whether the packaging is actually recycled.
