Use this evidence checklist before approving material choices or environmental wording. Assess the complete pack and the destination where it will be used; a paper appearance, a material name or a supplier brochure does not settle the claim.
1. Request a complete material record
- List the substrate, liner, coating, laminate, ink, adhesive, window, magnet, ribbon, handle and insert. Include components that buyers may overlook.
- Ask which components can be separated and how. Distinguish an intended design feature from evidence that the finished construction works in the relevant collection and processing system.
- Record the supplier, document date, product reference and scope. Check that documents describe the material or finished pack being ordered, not a different sample.
2. Keep claims distinct
- Recycled content: ask which component the percentage covers, the calculation basis, and the pre-consumer or post-consumer source.
- Recyclable: request evidence relevant to the complete construction and destination collection, sorting and processing conditions. Do not equate paper-based with universally recyclable.
- Compostable or biodegradable: identify the exact claim, relevant test evidence, disposal conditions and scope. These terms are not interchangeable with recycling.
- Reusable: describe the intended reuse task and the checks needed to support it. Keeping a box once is not a measured environmental benefit.
3. Check certification and label permissions
- For an FSC-related request, verify the relevant certified entity, current certificate status, scope, transaction claim and permission to use the label.
- A certificate belonging to one supplier does not automatically authorize another company to make a certification claim.
- Confirm proposed artwork through the appropriate approval process before printing a certification mark.
4. Ask what a comparison measures
- For a lower-carbon, lighter or reduced-material statement, request the baseline, functional unit, system boundary, method and supporting results.
- Keep product protection, delivery conditions and any extra components within the assessment. A single material comparison does not establish the impact of a complete packaging system.
- If evidence is incomplete, describe the design objective or ask a question rather than publishing a percentage benefit.
5. Use an approval record
- Proposed claim and exact wording: ___ · Destination and intended use: ___
- Component or complete pack covered: ___ · Evidence reference and date: ___
- Evidence limitations / remaining checks / reviewer: ___
- Approved wording and artwork version: ___ · Next review trigger: ___
Next steps
For source context, consult FSC’s explanation of its labels and the US FTC Green Guides summary. The FTC guidance concerns US environmental marketing; it is not a worldwide approval. At Eastpkg®, “Less Packaging. More Care.” is a direction for improvement: review unnecessary layers and sizing while preserving the protection the product needs.
Ready to discuss a project? Send your packaging brief with the product dimensions, quantity, destination and artwork status. You can also contact Eastpkg® on WhatsApp. Do not send customer records or confidential artwork before agreeing how it will be handled.
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