Our Materials

FSC paper, card and wood – what’s it all about?

We supply catering disposables made from a range of materials such as FSC certified paper, card and wood products. We use FSC certified paper in the paper straws we sell, likewise, our hot drink cups are also made from FSC board with a PLA lining, a bioplastic which is compostable and meets the new legislation for single-use products. We also sell a range of wood cutlery products which are also FSC certified.

FSC Certified Hot Drink Cups

What does FSC certification mean?

The FSC or Forest Stewardship Council is an organisation that overlooks forestry and production processes to ensure sustainable production of wood or wood-derived products such as paper and card. It’s vitally important that products made from these materials are managed in the best possible way to protect people, wildlife and the environment from bad management practices. Some of the reasons why we only source FSC certified products include:

  1. Wood that is harvested is replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally.
  2. Parts of a forest are protected entirely, to support the biodiversity of animal and plant life.
  3. FSC is endorsed by WWF, Greenpeace and The Woodland Trust.
  4. FSC protects the rights of indigenous people including the protection of sacred sites.
  5. FSC forests must use local workers in line accepted global employment practices.
  6. All wood is tracked from forest to store.

What are the different FSC labels

All FSC wood-based products are graded into three types and can be identified as follows:

FSC 100%

This means the product is made from 100% FSC approved material such as our wooden disposable cutlery which is 100% compostable and biodegradable. This is widely recycled and can be used again in other wood-based products such as pulp or board.

FSC Recycled

The FSC Recycled label means all the wood or paper in the product comes from reclaimed (re-used) material. For example, our hot drink clutches and carriers are all made from either FSC recycled board or pulp. While both 100% biodegradable and compostable this material is also widely recycled.

FSC Mix

The FSC Mix label means the wood within the product is from FSC-certified forests, recycled material, or controlled wood. This could mean that part of the product is made from FSC wood but then mixed with a composite of materials, such as our hot drink cups which also contain a PLA coating. While the product is compostable it’s not suggested that these products should go directly into the trash, instead, the best option is to send them to an industrial composting agency. However, it’s better to throw them in the bin rather than recycle them as the mix of material can contaminate the process.