Quick answer
FSC-certified paper is paper whose wood fibre has been traced back, through every company that handled it, to sources that meet the Forest Stewardship Council's rules. There are three FSC labels: FSC 100% (all material from FSC-certified forests), FSC Recycled (100% recycled material) and FSC Mix (a mixture of FSC-certified forest material, recycled material and/or FSC Controlled Wood). A printed job can only carry the FSC label if every business in the chain, including the printer, holds FSC chain of custody certification. Fretwell has held FSC chain of custody certification since 2007 (certificate SGSCH-COC-003387), covering FSC Mix and FSC Recycled printed products.
Key takeaways
- FSC certification covers two things: how forests are managed, and the chain of custody that tracks certified material from forest to finished product.
- There are three labels. FSC 100% is all FSC-certified forest material, FSC Recycled is 100% recycled material, and FSC Mix combines certified, recycled and/or controlled sources.
- To put the FSC label on printed work, the printer must be chain of custody certified. Buying FSC paper and printing it yourself is not enough.
- Every FSC label carries a licence code, and the FSC claim must appear on the sales and delivery documents, so the claim can be checked.
- FSC-certified stocks are available across our gloss, silk and uncoated ranges, at no extra cost for standard weights.
What is FSC?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organisation that sets standards for responsible forest management. When paper is described as FSC-certified, it means the wood fibre in it came from sources that meet FSC's rules, and that this was checked by independent auditors at each stage between the forest and the finished product.
FSC certification works at two levels:
- Forest management certification is for forest owners and managers. It confirms a forest is managed to FSC's standards.
- Chain of custody (CoC) certification is for the manufacturers, processors and traders who handle the material afterwards: paper mills, merchants and printers. FSC UK describes it as ensuring that FSC-certified materials and products have been checked at every stage of processing.
For print buyers, it is the chain of custody that matters. A printed leaflet can only be sold as FSC-certified if every business that took ownership of the material, and changed it, is itself certified.
FSC 100% vs FSC Mix vs FSC Recycled
Every FSC-labelled product carries one of three labels. They tell you where the fibre came from, not how good the paper is: an FSC Mix silk and an FSC Recycled silk can print equally well.
| Label | What it means | Fretwell certificate scope |
|---|---|---|
| FSC 100% | All materials come from responsibly managed, FSC-certified forests | Not in scope: ask us before specifying |
| FSC Mix | A mixture of materials from FSC-certified forests, recycled materials and/or FSC Controlled Wood | Covered |
| FSC Recycled | The product is made from 100% recycled materials | Covered |
What is FSC Controlled Wood?
Controlled Wood is material that is not from an FSC-certified forest but has been checked to avoid what FSC calls 'unacceptable activities', such as illegal harvesting. It can only be used in FSC Mix products, mixed with certified or recycled material. It can never carry the FSC label on its own.
Our own certificate covers the purchase of FSC Mix and FSC Recycled paper and board, and the sale of FSC Mix and FSC Recycled printed products. FSC 100% printed products are not in our certificate scope, so if a specification calls for FSC 100%, talk to us first and we will advise on the options.
How the chain of custody works for print
The chain of custody is a paper trail that follows the fibre from forest to finished print. For a typical printed job it looks like this:
- 1
Forest
The forest is FSC certified, or the wood is from recycled or Controlled Wood sources.
- 2
Paper mill
The mill is chain of custody certified and makes paper under an FSC claim, for example FSC Mix.
- 3
Paper merchant
The merchant is certified and passes the claim on through its invoices and delivery notes.
- 4
Printer
The printer is certified, keeps the FSC paper identified through production, and states the FSC claim and its certificate code on your invoice and delivery documents.
- 5
You
You receive printed work that can carry the FSC label, with paperwork that backs up the claim if a customer, auditor or funder asks.
Our certificate uses FSC's transfer system: the FSC claim on the paper we buy for a job is the claim carried through to the finished, printed product. Our certificate also covers outsourced print finishing, so the claim is kept when a specialist finishing process is used. Fretwell has been audited against FSC-STD-40-004 (chain of custody) and FSC-STD-50-001 (use of the FSC trademarks) by SGS.
Commercial print on FSC-certified stock
Brochures, catalogues, leaflets and stationery printed in-house on B2 litho and digital presses, with FSC-certified stocks across our ranges.
Explore the servicePutting the FSC logo on your print
The FSC name, initials and 'tick tree' logo are registered trademarks, and their use is tightly controlled. An FSC on-product label is not just the logo: it includes the label type (FSC 100%, FSC Mix or FSC Recycled) and a licence code that identifies the certified company in FSC's database.
- The printer applies the label. FSC rules say any company that processes or transforms an FSC product must be certified to label it. On printed work, the label is normally added at artwork stage under the printer's licence code, and the printer checks that the label is used correctly.
- Only use it on the job it belongs to. The label goes on work that is actually printed on FSC-certified paper under an FSC claim. Don't reuse artwork containing an FSC label on a reprint unless that reprint is also produced as FSC-certified.
- Leave space for it. Tell us early that you want the label so it can be placed in the artwork (often on the back cover or near the imprint) rather than squeezed in at proof stage.
- Promoting FSC elsewhere needs a licence. If you want to use the FSC logo on your website or in marketing to talk about the FSC products you use, FSC UK offers a separate promotional licence. It only covers products that carry an FSC on-product label.
Don't download the FSC logo and add it yourself
Adding the FSC logo to artwork for a job that isn't printed under a certified printer's chain of custody is a misuse of a registered trademark. Ask us and we will add the correct label for the paper actually used.
How to check an FSC claim
If you need to show procurement, a funder or an auditor that your print is genuinely FSC certified, three checks cover it:
Our certifications page lists our FSC chain of custody certificate alongside ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001. Our current FSC certificate runs from 22 June 2022 to 21 June 2027, subject to surveillance audits.
Does FSC paper cost more or print differently?
75%
of UK consumers said they were likely to prefer FSC-certified products over ones without certification, where there was no other visible difference
Source: TNS 2018, cited by FSC UK
55%
of UK consumers recognised the FSC logo
Source: TNS 2018, cited by FSC UK
At Fretwell, FSC-certified stocks are available across our gloss, silk and uncoated ranges at no extra cost for standard weights. Specialist papers and boards vary, so we confirm price and availability when we quote.
FSC is about the source of the fibre, not the finish. The choice between gloss, silk and uncoated, and the weight in gsm, works the same way with or without FSC. See silk vs gloss vs uncoated paper and the paper weight and GSM guide to choose the stock, then add the FSC claim to your print brief.
FSC paper is one part of a lower-impact print job. Format, quantity, waste, finishing and recyclability matter too. Our sustainable printing guide covers the wider picture, and is direct mail bad for the environment? looks at mail specifically.
