FSC, GRS, Fairtrade & Co. Explained: What Certifications for Promotional Products Really Mean
Companies looking to source sustainable promotional products will sooner or later encounter a wide range of labels and certifications.
FSC. GRS. Fairtrade. OEKO-TEX. GOTS.
At first glance, they provide useful guidance. At the same time, they often raise new questions:
What exactly is being assessed?
Does the certification apply to the entire product or only to certain components?
What are the differences between the various standards?
And when is a certification alone not enough?
From our perspective, certifications are valuable sources of information. They help companies better assess materials, supply chains, and specific production processes. At the same time, they do not replace a closer look at the product as a whole and the processes behind it.
Why Certifications Matter for Promotional Products
Supply chain transparency, material sourcing, and sustainability requirements are becoming relevant in many projects. Promotional products, corporate wear, and merchandise in particular often consist of multiple materials and components.
A notebook, for example, may contain paper, cardboard, adhesives, printing inks, and packaging materials. A drinking bottle may combine plastic, metal, silicone, and custom branding. This makes it important to understand what a certification actually tells you and where its scope ends.
Certification, Audit or Material Claim: What's the Difference?
From our perspective, these terms are often used interchangeably, even though they describe different things.
Term | Meaning |
Certification | Independent standard with defined assessment criteria |
Audit | Assessment of a company or production site |
Material claim | Description of a product characteristic |
Supplier assessment | Evaluation of processes, quality, or compliance requirements |
An example:
A bag can be made from recycled polyester. Initially, this is simply a material characteristic.
If the origin and processing of the recycled material are verified according to a recognized standard, this may, for example, form the basis for GRS certification.
FSC: Relevant for Wood and Paper Products
The FSC label (Forest Stewardship Council) is particularly common on products such as:
Notebooks
Calendars
Paper bags
Packaging
Wooden products
FSC relates to the sourcing of wood and paper-based materials and promotes responsible forest management.
For promotional products, this means:
An FSC claim can provide information about the sources from which the wood or paper used in a product originates.
However, it is important to note:
FSC certification does not automatically assess every aspect of the finished product. In the case of a notebook, for example, FSC primarily relates to the relevant forest-based materials.
👉 Sustainable promotional products: What companies should really consider when making their selection
GRS: When Recycled Material Needs to Be Verified
GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard.
The standard is commonly used for products containing recycled materials. Examples include:
rPET drinking bottles
Backpacks
Bags
Textiles
Accessories
GRS does not look exclusively at the recycled content of a material. It also covers chain-of-custody requirements and specific social, environmental, and chemical-related requirements.
Important in practice:
A product with a GRS claim provides information about the recycled material used and the applicable certification requirements. However, this does not automatically mean that the entire product is sustainable in every respect.
Material | Common certification |
Papier | FSC |
Holz | FSC |
Recyceltes Polyester | GRS |
Bio-Baumwolle | GOTS |
Baumwolle | Fairtrade |
Textilien | OEKO-TEX |
Fairtrade: Focusing on Specific Raw Materials
Fairtrade is often used as a synonym for sustainability. In practice, however, Fairtrade focuses on specific raw materials, producers, and conditions within their supply chains. For promotional products, this can include:
Cotton
Food
Coffee
Tea
Cocoa
Fairtrade provides information about trading conditions and certain social criteria within the respective supply chain.
However, the certification does not automatically cover every material or component of a product. It is therefore worth checking which specific raw material has actually been certified.
GOTS: Particularly Relavant for Textiles
Companies dealing with corporate wear, employee clothing, or merchandise collections will often come across GOTS.
GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard.
The standard is used for textiles made with organic fibres and defines requirements relating to these fibres as well as various processing stages throughout the textile supply chain. For companies sourcing textiles, GOTS can therefore provide valuable guidance.
OEKO-TEX: Often Misunderstood
OEKO-TEX is one of the best-known labels in the textile industry. A common assumption is that every product carrying an OEKO-TEX label has automatically been produced sustainably.
The reality is more nuanced. OEKO-TEX covers different aspects depending on the specific standard. The one companies encounter most frequently is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100.
Its focus is on testing textiles and their components for harmful substances. That is an important consideration, but it does not automatically answer every question relating to materials, supply chains, or manufacturing conditions. For this reason, it is always worth looking at the specific OEKO-TEX standard involved.
What Certicifations Cannot Tell You
A certification provides information. But it rarely provides the complete picture. From our point of view, companies should also ask questions such as:
Where was the product manufactured?
What information is available about the supply chain?
Have audits or supplier assessments been carried out?
Which quality and compliance requirements apply?
How long is the product expected to remain in use?
This is precisely why we at Verticas see certifications as one element within a broader assessment.
Alongside product-related factors, topics such as supplier assessment, auditing, quality assurance, and transparency also play an important role in our Sustainability Report.
Our Perspective on Certifications for Promotional Products
Certifications can help companies assess materials, raw materials, and individual stages of a production process. But they cannot answer every question. Companies looking to evaluate promotional products more comprehensively should therefore also consider factors such as expected product lifetime, product quality, origin, supply chain, and transparency. From our perspective, a more complete picture often emerges when product and process are considered together. This approach also shapes many of our projects involving promotional products, corporate wear, merchandise, and procurement solutions.
Sources & Further Information
FSC International: https://my.fsc.org/my-en/get-fsc-certified/fsc-chain-of-custody-certification
Textile Exchange (GRS): https://textileexchange.org/recycled-claim-global-recycled-standard/
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): https://global-standard.org/our-standards/gots
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100: https://www.oeko-tex.com/de/unsere-standards/oeko-tex-standard-100
Stand der Recherche: November 2026
FAQs
What does FSC mean for promotional products?
FSC relates to forest-based materials such as wood and paper used in a product. The certification provides information about the sourcing and chain of custody of these materials.
What does GRS stand for?
GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard. The standard is commonly used for products containing recycled materials and includes requirements relating to recycled content, chain of custody, and certain social, environmental, and chemical practices.
Is Fairtrade a sustainability certification?
Fairtrade primarily focuses on specific raw materials and trading conditions within their supply chains. It provides important information but does not automatically cover every aspect of a product's overall sustainability.
What is the difference between GOTS and OEKO-TEX?
GOTS is a standard for textiles made with organic fibres and covers requirements throughout textile processing and manufacturing. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 primarily focuses on testing textiles and their components for harmful substances.
Does a certification automatically mean that a promotional product is sustainable?
Not necessarily. Certifications can provide valuable information about particular materials or processes. A more comprehensive assessment should also consider product lifetime, quality, supply chain, origin, and transparency.
Why are certifications becoming more relevant in B2B procurement?
Many companies consider sustainability, compliance, and supply chain requirements when making procurement decisions. Certifications can help provide documented evidence about specific materials, processes, or supply chain characteristics.
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