How to recognise sustainable packaging

Labels and eco-labels exist today in a wide variety of areas and pursue a wide range of objectives. The Label Online database currently lists around 700 of these useful labels, which enable suppliers to communicate visually with consumers. The logos are intended to help consumers make conscious sustainable (purchasing) decisions and recognise sustainable alternatives without having acquired extensive prior knowledge about the product. In the food sector in particular, the use of seals is now a common means of communicating values. In the packaging industry, too, there are now labels that provide consumers with information about the origin of packaging or the materials used in it. Below you will find the labels that we, as a packaging manufacturer, consider relevant and helpful:

FSC® – Forest Stewardship Council®

Since 2018, we have been able to manufacture your packaging in accordance with FSC guidelines.

The FSC® is an NGO (non-governmental organisation) dedicated to protecting forests. Members of the organisation include individuals and associations as well as representatives of various interest groups. The central concern of the FSC® is to ensure responsible forest management in accordance with local interests. Today, the FSC® is represented in over 80 countries worldwide and is therefore active internationally. In addition to wood, FSC®-certified products also include products made from wood or wood fibres, i.e. paper and cardboard. For processing companies in the paper and packaging industry, FSC® certification means complete product chain certification: from the forest to the end customer.

Principles: In addition to the rights of indigenous peoples and the preservation of biodiversity, the principles of the FSC® also include economic efficiency and product diversity. These goals are achieved by setting and reviewing uniform standards that ensure social, economic and ecological needs are met. For consumers, purchasing FSC®-certified products or packaging guarantees that global forest resources are managed responsibly.

FSC® at LESER: At LESER, we have decided to certify our product chain in order to guarantee production in accordance with international FSC® standards and to meet the high standards we set ourselves. The FSC® seal now exists in various designs and grades. In our case, our certified packaging bears the ‘FSC Mix’ seal. This guarantees that at least 70 percent of the wood used is FSC®-certified or approved recycled material and that the remaining maximum of 30 percent meets the requirements of Controlled Wood. Please ask us about our FSC®-certified packaging!

Made in Germany

What consumers are becoming increasingly aware of when consuming food today is also something that needs to be considered in the corporate environment: local products mean short transport routes and thus lower emissions than products from the Far East, for example. The slogan ‘Made in Germany’ is therefore more relevant than ever. In addition to the high quality of the goods, it now also stands for limited CO2 emissions. Working with producers in the immediate vicinity therefore not only supports the local economy, but also contributes to the company's own sustainability. This is an important factor on the road to green packaging, which can be further supported by the use of electric vehicles. In addition, choosing suppliers close to home offers further practical benefits: short delivery times and flexibility.

Blue Angel Paper

The Blue Angel eco-label is a seal of approval for particularly environmentally friendly products and services, which is administered and awarded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment. Once awarded the label, suppliers can voluntarily label their products with it and thus offer consumers particularly sustainable alternatives to conventional products. The Blue Angel Paper label is particularly important for packaging. The logo exclusively identifies paper that is made from 100% recycled paper and therefore comes from recycling. This saves valuable resources and reduces the impact on the environment. However, the Blue Angel does not guarantee that a product is completely harmless; it merely certifies properties that contribute to raising market standards in terms of environmental protection.