FSC Claim, Labels, and Logo

The ability to promote using the FSC labels, trademarks, and logos highlights that the organisation has legitimately sourced for forest-derived materials responsibly. Having a label, trademark or logo also informs the users that their purchases are part of the goal of protecting the world’s forests.

fsc logo

FSC Claim

An FSC claim is the designation on sales and delivery documents (such as invoices and packing slips) that shows a product’s status as FSC certified or as an eligible input. FSC claims include:

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* FSC Controlled Wood claims can only be made on sales and delivery documents to other FSC Chain of Custody certificate holders.

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Only FSC certified companies are authorised to place FSC labels onto products. The FSC label applied to a product depends on the FSC claim an FSC-certified company makes and the control system they employ when producing the product.

FSC-certified companies can access to the FSC on-product label graphic files through the FSC Trademark Portal.

What do the FSC Labels Mean?

Get To Know FSC Labels

Components of an FSC Label

Three Types of FSC Labels

Certification Verification

Chain of Custody Control Systems

What FSC control system should I use?

The FSC chain of custody control system is used for controlling the quantities of products in a product group that can be sold with the FSC claims. The three control systems are transfer, percentage and credit systems, summarized below. For detailed requirements of each control system, please refer to FSC-STD-40-004 (Chain of Custody Certification).

Transfer System

Most FSC certified companies, including printers, brokers, distributors, and merchants, employ the transfer system. This is the most straightforward and simple of the three systems. Most companies that use the transfer system purchase FSC certified products with a specific FSC claim and then sell that product along with its FSC claim to their customers.

Percentage System

Many manufacturers employ the percentage system, including mills, woodworkers, and some printers. Companies using this system will monitor inputs of eligible materials through either a rolling average or by batch method. For a product to be eligible to carry an FSC on-product label under this control system, FSC requires a minimum of 70% certified inputs into the product or batch of products. The other non-certified inputs into the product MUST be from eligible inputs such as Controlled Wood or pre-consumer reclaimed wood. FSC does not allow non-eligible inputs into FSC certified products. Products that do not meet the 70% labelling threshold can still be sold with an FSC claim on the invoice, including the actual percentage, but the products are NOT allowed to carry an FSC on-product label. Under certain conditions, FSC- certified companies may also apply the percentage system across multiple sites under one certificate by using the average percent of FSC inputs among the sites.

Credit System

Many different types of manufacturing companies employ the credit system, including paper and solid wood mills. The credit system allows manufacturers to store “credit” into a credit account when they source claim-contributing input materials such as FSC certified material (either FSC 100%, FSC Mix Credit, or FSC Mix XX%) or inputs of post-consumer reclaimed material, pre-consumer reclaimed paper fiber. A manufacturer can mix eligible inputs together (both claim-contributing and not) based upon product groups, and then label and/or sell products by removing credit from what is available in their credit account. The credit system works so that the volume being sold as FSC Mix Credit is only as much as the volume of FSC claim contributing input into that specific product group. If a manufacturer runs out of credit in their account, they can no longer sell products as FSC certified.

They can sell the remainder of their stock as Controlled Wood, but only to other FSC certified customers. Under certain conditions, FSC certified companies may also apply the credit system across multiple sites under one certificate by maintaining a centralised credit account that each site would contribute into.

FSC Logo and Other Trademarks

Using the FSC logo and other trademarks is a powerful and trusted way to demonstrate to your customers, your commitment to sustainability, positive ESG outcomes, and the future of our forests.

The FSC Promotional Licence allows companies to use the FSC logo and other trademarks in their marketing and advertising efforts including printed, training and point of sale materials, catalogues, press release, social media, video, websites, reports and more. With a promotional license, you can:

  1. Promote specific FSC-certified products...

    ... with the FSC trademarks on promotional materials e.g. website, brochures, advertisements, videos, press releases, catalogue, reports, etc., as long as the products being promoted are FSC labelled and sourced directly from an FSC-certified supplier. 

  2. Assistance with promotional materials and campaigns

    A promotional license also allows retailers to engage FSC directly for help in developing content in promotional materials and campaigns.

  3. Have your brand and FSC-certified product featured on our communication channels

  4. Get listed in FSC’s public global certificate database

    which enables third parties (consumers, businesses, media, etc.) to confirm that certification claims made by the promotional/trademark license holder are verified.

    For non-FSC certificate holders, you will need to apply for, and secure a promotional license to enable you to use the FSC logo and other trademarks for promotional purposes. Learn more here.

    FSC promotional licence holders will have access to the FSC logo and trademarks graphic files through the FSC Trademark Portal.

FSC Certificate and Licence Codes

Each FSC certificate holder will receive two codes from its accredited certification body:

1) FSC Certificate Code 

  • FSC certificates will bear a code which follows the format: ACB-XXX-######.
  • The FSC Certificate Code must be shown on the sales documents (e.g. invoice / delivery document) to pass down the FSC claims.
certificate code

2) FSC Trademark License Code for certificate holders

  • Follows the format FSC-C###### (unique to each certificate holder)
  • FSC licence codes are seen on FSC labels and promotional use of the FSC logo (i.e. promotional panel)
  • This is a revocable, non-exclusive and non-transferable license to use the FSC trademarks.

You can search for FSC-certified companies on the FSC Public Search Database  using the codes above.

Quick Guide - Trademark use by Certificate Holders

Trademark Quick Guide for Certificate Holders.pdf
PDF, Size: 5.26MB
Access Instructions - Trademark Training for Certificate Holders.pdf
PDF, Size: 731.77KB