benefit from your certificate

As a certified company, you have many options for making the most of your certificate. Below, we provide you with a few ideas for promoting and actively using your certification. 

using the trademarks

As a certified company, you are allowed to use the respective certification system's trademarks on-product as well as for promotional purposes. Please note that you need to follow the rules for trademark use and approval set up by FSC, PEFC, and The Rainforest Alliance, respectively. You can learn more about this in our trademark section.

The FSC logo is an internationally recognized trademark that provide your company with a competitive edge. By offering your clients FSC  labelling of printed matters, they get the choice to use an internationally well-recognized label that signals environmental and social responsibility and to show their care for the world's forests.

As a company certified to the FSC standards, you are also entitled to use the FSC logo in promotion of your company or products. You can use them on your website, product catalogues, invoice templates etc. By adding these well-known brands on your promotional materials, you are telling a story about your company's ethical approach.

added value with fsc: The Rainforest Alliance Certified Seal

FSC-certified companies using NEPCon as their FSC serivce provider are certified by our accredited partner, the Rainforest Alliance. They have the exclusive option of using the Rainforest Alliance Certified (RAC) seal in conjunction with the FSC logo, off-product as well as on-product. The seal is increasingly well-known as a quality brand demonstrating responsible natural resources management.

The RAC seal is particularly well-known from tropical products such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and bananas, but is increasingly used on wood products that are FSC-certified by the Rainforest Alliance as well, including the US edition of the latest Harry Potter book. 

Large international organizations such as Chiquita, tea-maker Lipton, Kraft Foods, and chocholate producer Mars are collaborating with the Rainforest Alliance and promoting the RAC seal on highly visible, daily commodities sold all over the world.

The PEFC trademarks

PEFC-certified companies are entitled to use the PEFC logo on-product and off-product, according to PEFC's rules.

You will need an additional PEFC logo license for this, which you may purchase from the national PEFC office. If you hold dual FSC and PEFC certification, you should be aware that it is only possible to label your products with one of the two labels.

marketing tools and assistance

Organizations holding an FSC certificate through NEPCon's services have free access to exclusive marketing resources provided by our FSC-accredited partner, the Rainforest Alliance. 

Certified organizations also benefit from a range of marketing activities organised by FSC and PEFC, respectively, and the national units of these organisations. These include e.g. in-store marketing campaigns, inclusion in directories and guides to supppliers of certified goods, and special initiatives  at major national and international trade fairs.

Picture from campaign 2009 run by FSC-Denmark

marketplace visibility 

As a certified company, information about your organisation, certificate type and products is posted on the databases maintained by FSC and PEFC, respectively. As these databases are an important source for companies looking for suppliers, they are also great for marketing your certificate.

As an FSC-certified paper supplier, your company can also be included in the database www.fsc-paper.org.  

Additionally, organisations such as NGOs and the local FSC National Iniatives are often coordinating marketing tools at local or regional level, such as green directories and summary tables of suppliers of FSC-certified services. These also enhance your organisation's visibility on the marketplace.

internal company values

One added value that is sometimes overlooked initially is the internal impact of certification. Many employees value that their company has a broader outlook on its business and is making a clear effort to minimise any negative environmental and social impact. This approach often builds a stronger sense of identity with the company.

"Our chain of custody certification provided us with new tools and insights. Taking responsibility for the environment at the workplace creates team spirit and a sense of pride among the staff"

Karin Hokstad Widerøe, CEO of printing house Grøset Trykk, Norway. Holder of dual certification according to the FSC and PEFC standards, respectively.