Sustainability Labels: What Do You Need to Know?

Sustainability labels are an increasingly important voluntary instrument for supporting packaging companies in complying with ecological and social standards. According to Jenny Walther-Thoß, Senior Consultant for Sustainability at B+P Consultants, there is no single certificate, but rather a variety of seals and standards that focus on different aspects of sustainability. Which of these are particularly relevant for the packaging industry?

The Blue Angel: A Pioneer of Environmental Lables

The Blue Angel is one of the oldest and most well-known sustainability seals in the paper-based packaging industry. “This label is characterised by its clear focus on environmental protection and, in many areas, goes beyond the minimum legal requirements,” explains Jenny Walther-Thoß. It covers various sustainability aspects, such as the promotion of sustainable forestry (FSC and PFC) and the use of recycled paper fibres, the use of environmentally friendly production processes and the avoidance of critical chemicals. “The Blue Angel is particularly well established in Germany, where sustainability has historically been viewed primarily from an environmental protection perspective,” the consultant says. The Blue Angel can also be used to communicate the use of recycled materials in the plastics sector, but requires a very high minimum percentage.

RecyClass and ISCC+: The New Standards in the Recyclate Sector

Manufacturers and distributors of plastic packaging who want to highlight the recyclable content of their products can choose from many labels, including RecyClass and ISCC+.

RecyClass was developed by Recycling Europe and offers three possible certification models: A) the recyclability of the packaging, B) the recycling plants and C) the recyclate content in a product. It focuses primarily on the quality of the processes in the plants, as well as on transparency and traceability along the supply chain when using recycled materials. It also has a module outside Europe that covers social aspects such as working conditions. RecyClass also classifies the recyclability of the packaging.

ISCC+ is a very comprehensive seal that originated in bioenergy certification. Since its inception, it has covered not only environmental aspects but also social and transparency criteria. Since ISCC+ was already well known in the food and chemical industries, it quickly established itself as a comprehensive standard for verifying the use of recyclates and/or bio-based polymers as well as novel renewable raw materials in the packaging industry.

Niche Labels for Compostable Plastics

In addition to the major certifications in the field of fibre-based packaging, recyclability and recycled materials, there are a number of niche labels, particularly in the area of compostable or biodegradable plastics. However, Jenny Walther-Thoß criticises the fact that there are still considerable regulatory gaps in this area. These plastics often do not meet consumer expectations, as they do not fully biodegrade in nature and in many cases require special industrial composting conditions. Microplastics also often remain, which further pollutes the environment.

‘With the new ‘Green Claim Regulation’, such seals, which are not based on solid scientific and regulatory principles, will come under pressure,’ says Jenny Walther-Thoß. “It is very good that the PWWR is putting a stop to this and demanding a European standard for how compostability and biodegradability are defined. There is still a real proliferation of national seals here.” She expects that only a few of these seals will continue to exist in the future.

EcoVadis and ZNU: B2B Standards

In addition to conventional sustainability labels, there are also assessment standards such as EcoVadis and ZNU. These systems, which are mainly used in B2B areas, are based on questionnaires that companies fill out.

• EcoVadis assesses companies in the areas of environment, social affairs, supply chain and ethical business practices. However, there are no independent audits or certifications.
• ZNU takes a similar approach to EcoVadis, focusing on a holistic view of a company's sustainability efforts. The ZNU standard can then be certified by a third-party certification process as part of an audit.

Standards Make Documentation Easier

“For packaging companies, choosing the right certificate depends heavily on the requirements of their customers,” says Jenny Walther-Thoß. Some customers demand certain risk management tools such as Integrity Next or Achilles, which can mean an additional workload for companies, especially if these requirements are added to similar standards such as EcoVadis. The expert recommends that companies in sensitive supply chains, such as pharmaceuticals or food, should at least obtain an EcoVadis Silver certificate and implement ISO 50001 (energy management), ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety). The latter are reviewed annually and provide a solid basis for documenting sustainability efforts. For companies operating in high-risk regions (environmental and social conditions/working conditions), these certificates are particularly helpful in documenting their commitments under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

The landscape of sustainability certifications is complex. Companies should therefore carefully consider which certificates best meet their customer requirements while also providing credible and verifiable sustainability credentials. “And not every customer request makes sense – sometimes you should also point out what you already have and not jump through every hoop,” advises Jenny Walther-Thoß.