Core Certification Guide for Packaging Exporters (FSC / GRS / ISCC PLUS)
To win major orders from international brands (such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Apple and IKEA), packaging exporters must hold certifications across the whole chain.
Core Certification Comparison Checklist
| Certification | Full Name / Governing Body | Applicable Packaging Materials | Core Audit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSC | Forest Stewardship Council | Corrugated cartons, paperboard boxes, kraft paper bags | Chain of Custody (CoC): ensures 100% of wood-fiber raw material comes from sustainably and responsibly managed forests. |
| GRS | Global Recycled Standard | Recycled plastic bags, rPET bottles, rHDPE drums | Recycled-material traceability (PCR content must be ≥20%; ≥50% is required to carry the label), with strict review of social responsibility and chemical management. |
| ISCC PLUS | International Sustainability and Carbon Certification | Chemically recycled plastics, bio-based plastics | Mass balance: resolves carbon-reduction accounting and certificate issuance when chemically recycled feedstock is blended with fossil virgin resin. |
| BPI / OK Compost | Compostability certification (industrial / home composting) | PBAT, PLA and fully biodegradable packaging bags | Degradation cycle and heavy-metal toxicity testing: decomposes into water and carbon dioxide within 180 days under standard composting conditions. |
Application and Annual-Audit Pitfalls
- Transaction Certificates (TC) must travel with the goods: Even if a factory holds GRS qualification, every shipment delivered to a customer requires a batch-specific TC from the certification body (such as Intertek, Control Union or SGS); without one, the customer loses the duty benefits when clearing the goods through customs.
- Input-output balance reconciliation: At the annual audit, auditors reconcile raw-material purchase invoices, warehouse ledgers and loss rates line by line. Fraudulent declarations — such as “buying 10 tonnes of PCR pellets but issuing GRS certificates for 20 tonnes of finished product” — are strictly prohibited.