Sustainable Packaging Glossary

A material is biodegradable if it breaks down naturally through the action of microorganisms. In theory, this sounds desirable. In practice, "biodegradable" as a marketing claim is largely meaningless because it has no specified timeframe, no required conditions, and no independent verification standard. Almost everything biodegrades eventually, including plastic, given enough time.

A product labelled biodegradable may break down in months under ideal composting conditions, or may take decades in landfill with little oxygen and moisture. Without specifying the conditions and timeframe, the claim tells you almost nothing useful.

BRCGS is a global food safety and quality certification scheme that covers packaging manufacturers supplying food and beverage industries. A packaging factory with BRCGS certification has been audited against standards covering food safety risk, quality management, and product controls.

For brands sourcing food-contact packaging, BRCGS certification at the factory level provides meaningful assurance about the facility's quality systems, not just the material properties of the packaging itself. It is particularly relevant for coffee packaging, food pouches, and any packaging where direct or indirect food contact occurs.

A compostable material breaks down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass under specified composting conditions, within a defined timeframe, leaving no toxic residue. Unlike "biodegradable," compostability can be certified against a specific standard, which means the claim is verifiable.

There are two main types of certified compostability: industrial composting and home composting. Industrial composting requires controlled temperature and conditions (typically 58°C or higher) that are not replicated in a home compost bin. A product certified only for industrial composting will not break down properly in a home compost environment and may not be accepted by all municipal waste streams.

Home compostable certification sets a higher bar: the material must break down under ambient conditions at lower temperatures, without industrial processing. Home compostable products are genuinely more versatile end-of-life claims, but they are also harder to achieve and carry lower MOQs of certified product on the market.

EN 13432 is the European standard for industrially compostable packaging. It defines the conditions under which a packaging material must fully disintegrate (within 12 weeks, with no more than 10% remaining on a 2mm sieve) and biodegrade (60% conversion to CO2 within 6 months) to qualify as industrially compostable.

EN 13432 is the most widely recognised compostability standard globally and is used by certification bodies including DIN CERTCO, TUV Austria, and BPI in North America. A packaging manufacturer holding EN 13432 certification for a specific product has had that product independently tested and verified.

FSC is an international non-profit that certifies forests and forest products are managed to environmental, social, and economic standards. For packaging buyers, FSC certification on a paper or card product means the wood fibre used in that product can be traced back to responsibly managed forests.

There are two main FSC labels relevant to packaging: FSC 100% (all wood fibre from FSC-certified forests) and FSC Mix (a combination of certified, recycled, and controlled sources). FSC Recycled is a third label for products made entirely from reclaimed materials.

FSC certification must be held at every link in the supply chain, from the forest through to the finished product. This means a packaging factory claiming FSC must itself hold FSC Chain of Custody certification, not simply source from an FSC-certified mill.

GRS is an international standard that certifies the recycled content in a product and verifies the social, environmental, and chemical practices used in its production. A packaging product with GRS certification has had its recycled content percentage independently audited, from the point of waste collection through to the finished product.

GRS is the standard most commonly referenced when packaging is described as containing PCR (post-consumer recycled) content. A claim like "50% recycled content" without GRS or equivalent certification is unverified; a GRS-certified claim has been validated by a third-party certification body.

GRS is administered by Textile Exchange and is widely accepted across markets including Australia, Europe, and North America. Many major retailers now require GRS or equivalent verification for recycled content claims in packaging.

Lead time in packaging refers to the time from order confirmation to when goods are ready at the factory, before freight. It is distinct from total delivery time, which includes freight transit.

Lead times vary considerably based on product type and whether a product is standard or custom. Standard products from an established factory typically have a lead time of 3 to 6 weeks. Custom products, including new print runs, new tools or dies, or new material formulations, typically require 6 to 10 weeks as the factory needs to set up production specifically for your order.

Sea freight from Asia to Australia or North America adds 3 to 5 weeks on top of production lead time. Total time from order placement to delivery of an overseas custom order is typically 10 to 16 weeks.

MOQ is the minimum number of units a factory will produce in a single run. It exists because factories have fixed setup costs (machine configuration, plate mounting, raw material procurement) that make very small runs economically unviable at the per-unit pricing they quote.

MOQs vary significantly by product type. Standard stock packaging like plain kraft mailers or natural brown kraft paper bags may have MOQs of 1,000 to 5,000 units. Custom printed or specialist material packaging typically has MOQs of 5,000 to 50,000 units, with some flexible packaging requiring even higher minimums due to raw material purchase requirements.

The MOQ a factory quotes is often a starting negotiating position. Buyers who have an established relationship or are ordering across multiple SKUs from the same factory often negotiate lower MOQs for individual lines, or split minimum run requirements across product variants.

PBAT is a biodegradable and compostable plastic used in flexible packaging. It is most commonly blended with PLA to produce compostable films used for bags, mailers, produce bags, and flexible pouches. On its own, PBAT is too soft for most packaging applications; blended with PLA, it provides the flexibility and strength needed for functional packaging while maintaining compostability.

PBAT is derived from petrochemical feedstocks, which surprises some buyers. Despite being fossil fuel-derived, it is certified compostable under industrial composting standards including EN 13432. The fact that a material is compostable does not mean it is bio-based, and vice versa.

PCR refers to materials that have been used by consumers, collected through recycling programs, processed, and incorporated back into new packaging. A mailer containing 50% PCR content is made from 50% previously used consumer material, such as recycled plastic bottles or bags.

PCR is the more valuable and harder-to-source form of recycled content compared to post-industrial recycled material. Post-industrial recycled content comes from manufacturing offcuts and waste that never reaches consumers, and has a lower environmental credibility because it was never at risk of ending up in landfill in the same way.

PCR content in plastic packaging reduces demand for virgin resin and gives collected consumer waste a functional end market, which is important for the economic viability of recycling infrastructure. High PCR content (50% or above) is considered a meaningful sustainability attribute; low PCR content (under 20%) in combination with other virgin materials is a modest claim.

Plate costs (also called cliche costs or printing plate fees) are the one-time setup charges a factory levies when producing custom-printed packaging. Printing plates are the physical tools used to apply your artwork to the packaging material. A new print job requires new plates to be made.

Plate costs are charged per colour in flexographic printing. A four-colour print typically incurs four sets of plates. Costs vary by factory, but commonly range from $150 to $400 per colour, making a four-colour plate set $600 to $1,600. These are one-time costs paid on the first order; repeat orders using the same artwork do not incur plate fees again (though plates may need replacement after very high volumes).

Plate costs are separate from unit price and are charged in addition to the cost of the packaging itself. Understanding plate costs upfront is important for calculating the true cost of your first order versus repeat orders.

PLA is a bioplastic derived from fermented plant starch, typically corn, sugarcane, or cassava. It is the most widely used bio-based material in sustainable packaging, appearing in compostable cups, lids, cutlery, trays, films, and mailers.

PLA is certified industrially compostable under EN 13432 and equivalent standards. In an industrial composting environment at the right temperature, it breaks down fully. However, PLA does not break down reliably in home compost, in ambient landfill conditions, or in marine environments. Packaging certified only to industrial composting standards should not be marketed as home compostable.

PLA is often blended with PBAT to improve its flexibility and impact resistance for film applications. Pure PLA is brittle at low temperatures and has a relatively low heat tolerance, which limits its use in hot-fill or high-temperature applications.

Both terms describe recycled content in packaging, but they are not equivalent. Understanding the difference matters when evaluating sustainability claims and comparing suppliers.

Post-consumer recycled (PCR) material has been used by a consumer, collected through a recycling system, and reprocessed into new material. It represents genuine diversion of waste from landfill or the environment. PCR polyethylene, for example, typically comes from recycled plastic bags and films collected at supermarkets or kerbside.

Post-industrial recycled (PIR) material comes from manufacturing offcuts and production waste that is reprocessed before it ever reaches a consumer. While recycling this material is preferable to sending it to landfill, it was never at risk of becoming litter or ocean waste. Manufacturing waste in most industries already has strong commercial incentives to recover it, regardless of sustainability programs.