What we can document, and when it matters
Four certifications cover the questions buyers actually ask: labour conditions, recycled content, quality management and fibre sourcing. Each is available with a quotation — not as a badge on a page.
BSCI
amfori BSCI social compliance audit
Buyers in the EU often require a social audit before a first order. BSCI covers labour conditions at the production site — working hours, pay, safety, and the right to organise.
GRS
Global Recycled Standard
Needed when a pack has to state a recycled content figure that a buyer can verify. GRS covers the chain of custody for the recycled material, not just a claim on the box.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality management system
The document a procurement team asks for when they need evidence that inspection, corrective action and document control are procedures rather than promises.
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council — chain of custody
Applies to paperboard and corrugated packs, and is usually the first thing a European retailer asks about a printed carton. It certifies the fibre chain, so the logo can only go on stock that is actually covered.
How to use these in a sourcing decision
- Ask for the certificate, not the logo. A certificate has a scope line and a validity date. The scope is what decides whether it covers your product — an ISO 9001 certificate for trading does not cover manufacturing.
- Check the holder name. A certificate issued to a different legal entity than the one invoicing you is a detail worth resolving before the order, not after.
- Match the material, not the company. GRS and FSC apply to specific material streams. Ordering an FSC box and receiving a standard board box with an FSC logo is the most common failure in this category.
Documents we send with an order
- Commercial invoice and packing list for every shipment.
- Certificate of origin on request, where it reduces duty at destination.
- Material declarations for the grades supplied, where the mill or film supplier issues them.
- Certification documents covering the material actually used, not the widest scope we hold.
If your compliance team needs a specific declaration before approving a supplier, say which one at enquiry stage. It is far cheaper to build the right material into the quotation than to re-specify after the sample is approved.
Need a certificate for your market?
Tell us the destination and the material, and we will confirm which documents apply before you commit to an order.