FSC and sustainable merchandise certifications in the UK

What to take away

Why the labels confuse buyers

Labels have different scopes, and buyers can mistake them for interchangeable. An FSC logo on a notebook says the paperboard came from a responsibly managed forest. It does not say the cover was printed with vegetable inks. Certification bodies publish the scope of every certificate, and that is the part buyers skip.

Settle the wider buying questions first, and questions to ask an eco-friendly supplier is a sensible starting point.

FSC: what the logo actually covers

Forest Stewardship Council certification runs through a chain of custody. Every business handling the timber between forest and finished notebook holds a certificate, and each transfer is recorded. Two versions matter. FSC 100% means all the fibre is certified. FSC Mix allows certified, recycled and controlled wood in a blend, so it is the weaker claim.

In merchandise the label usually sits on notebooks, desk items and packaging. Ask for the certificate number and the FSC licence code for the specific product. A logo on a catalogue page is not proof.

GOTS: the strictest textile label

The Global Organic Textile Standard covers garments and home textiles. To carry the GOTS logo, a product must contain at least 70% certified organic fibre, and every chemical input must appear on the standard's approved list. Mills are inspected every year.

For organic cotton T-shirts, hoodies and tote bags, ask whether the certificate covers the finished garment or only the fabric. Print method shapes the garment you choose, and embroidery and screen printing compared explains the trade-offs.

B Corp: a badge for the business, not the product

B Corp is awarded to a whole business after an assessment covering governance, workers, community, environment and customers. B Lab scores the company, not the goods it sells.

A B Corp promotional supplier may still sell plastic stress balls, and its score can be strong or modest. Treat the badge as a supplier signal. Presenting it as proof that a specific item is green invites a complaint.

Comparing the main labels

The table sets out what each label covers, and what it leaves out. Self-declared wording such as recyclable or compostable follows ISO 14021, published in the UK through BSI.

Other labels UK buyers may encounter

PEFC is another forest-certification scheme, with chain-of-custody certification for forest-based materials. Like the forest certification already discussed, it concerns those materials, not every part of a finished promotional item. The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) verify recycled content through chain of custody; GRS also includes requirements for processing, while RCS focuses on recycled content. Neither proves every other environmental claim about an item.

For textiles, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 tests textile products and components for harmful substances; it does not certify organic content or a product’s overall sustainability. bluesign focuses on chemical management and environmental performance in textile production, rather than certifying every impact of a finished item. Fairtrade certification can apply to cotton supply chains and producer-trading requirements, but does not cover every feature of a finished giveaway. GOTS certificates are issued by approved certification bodies; examples include Ecocert, Control Union and Soil Association Certification.

Sedex is a membership organisation, and SMETA is its audit methodology; neither is a product sustainability certification. ISO 14001 concerns an organisation’s environmental management system, not a product. Carbon Trust certification can support carbon-footprint claims, but does not establish that a product is sustainable in every respect. The EU Ecolabel applies to eligible product groups against set criteria, while Cradle to Cradle Certified assesses products across areas including material health, circularity, water and social fairness.

The EU Green Claims Directive and UK exports

The European Commission published its Green Claims Directive proposal in March 2023. It has not been finalised, and the final requirements and dates may change.

Once adopted, it would require companies selling into the EU to substantiate green claims and have them verified before publication. UK suppliers exporting branded merchandise to Ireland or Germany would need that evidence.

In the UK, the CAP Code's environmental-claims rules are administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also sets out expectations in its Green Claims Code; advertisers need evidence to support environmental claims before publishing them.

Rules on waste and packaging sit with Defra and the environmental regulators, and the GOV.UK environmental management guidance collects them in one place.

How to check a claim before you order

Use these five checks before you approve artwork or place a purchase order:

Common questions

Does FSC certification make a whole product sustainable?

No. It covers the wood or paper content. The plastic, printing inks and factory conditions sit outside the certificate.

Is a B Corp supplier automatically selling green merchandise?

No. B Corp describes how the business is run. You still need product-level evidence for any green claim you publish.

Will the EU Green Claims Directive affect UK suppliers?

Only for goods placed on the EU market. If your client has EU operations, expect questions about substantiation and verification.

What is the difference between GOTS and organic cotton?

Organic cotton describes the fibre. GOTS adds chain of custody, chemical rules and annual inspection of the mill.