Sustainable Packaging Certifications: What Do They Mean?

The Record Packaging Solutions team are passionate about sustainable packaging solutions, and with over 30 years of experience in the packaging industry, we are well-placed to advise you on the best ways to package your products in a way that protects the environment, simultaneously reducing packaging waste.

Throughout the global marketplace, there are a variety of marks and certifications that can be used on packaging to denote sustainability. Did you know that there are 13 different eco-labels that can be found on packaging just within the UK? In this blog, we are giving a brief overview of each one and helping you to understand the different standards that you may need to meet.

• Carbon Trust Standard labels look like a green footprint, signifying that the manufacturer is actively measuring and reducing the product’s carbon emissions.
• The EU Ecolabel denotes a product that has a guaranteed reduced environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle.
• An iconic symbol, the Fairtrade Mark signifies that a product meets fair trade standards for social, economic, and environmental factors.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) labels demonstrate that a product uses wood or paper sourced from well-managed forests.
• The Leaping Bunny logo denotes that a product has not been developed using animal testing.
• Marine Conservation Society labels show that a product has a minimal impact on marine life and the oceans.
• On-Pack Recycling Labels (OPRL) show whether a product can be recycled, and how widely recycled it can be, to help consumers make informed decisions about waste disposal.
• The Plastic-Free Trust Mark shows that a product’s packaging contains no plastic.
• The Rainforest Alliance mark emphasises a manufacturer’s commitment to supporting biodiversity and protecting the environment.
• The Seedling Logo shows that the packaging is industrially compostable, rather than recyclable.
• The Soil Association Organic Standard denotes that a product adheres to specific environmental standards.
• The Green Dot is technically a financial symbol. If you see it on a package, it means that the manufacturer has given money towards to nationally authorised take-back and recycling schemes in Europe.
• The Mobius Loop is what most people might picture if they were asked to imagine “the recycling symbol” — an interlocking loop of arrows that signify that packaging can be recycled.

For more information about sustainable packaging solutions, you can browse our sustainability page here, and contact our team here for more information.