Packaging operates within a framework of certifications and regulatory standards that shape how materials are sourced, manufactured, and validated. These frameworks help ensure consistency, safety, and compliance across global supply chains—while also supporting transparency between suppliers, brands, and regulatory bodies.
Quality Management
Quality management certifications provide the foundation for consistent production and process control. In packaging, they help ensure that materials, components, and finished products meet defined specifications across different facilities and production runs.
Key Certifications
- ISO 9001 - Quality Management System (QMS) sets global standards for quality management, ensuring products and services consistently meet customer expectations.
- REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorization & Restriction of Chemicals compliance is mandatory in the EU for companies handling chemical substances, ensuring environmental and human safety.
- DOT - U.S. Department of Transportation Certification certification is issued for transportation safety, ensuring vehicles, products, and materials meet federal standards.
Food Safety
Food safety certifications are critical in packaging that comes into direct or indirect contact with consumable products. These standards focus on contamination prevention, traceability, and process control—supporting safe handling from production through distribution.
Key Certifications
- ISO 22000 - Food Safety Management System (Packaging, Food-Related) certification establishes comprehensive food safety management systems, particularly for food packaging and handling.
- FSSC 22000 - Food Safety System Certification is a globally recognized certification ensuring food safety across supply chains, from production to storage.
- BRCGS / BRC - Brand Reputation Compliance Certification ensures packaging materials meet global safety and quality standards for consumer protection.
- SQF - Safe Quality Food certification guarantees compliance with food safety regulations for packaging suppliers, ensuring high-quality food products.
- HACCP - Hazard Prevention in Production & Packaging provides a risk-based approach to food safety, preventing hazards during food production and packaging.
Product Safety
Product safety certifications apply to packaging used in regulated applications such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics. These frameworks help ensure that packaging materials and processes meet strict safety, hygiene, and regulatory requirements.
Key Certifications
- ISO 13485 - Quality Management for Medical Device is an standard for quality management systems in the medical device industry. It ensures products meet regulatory and safety requirements.
- ISO 15378 - Primary Packaging for Medicinal Products defines packaging quality standards for medicinal products, ensuring regulatory compliance and safety.
- ISO 22716 - Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics (GMP) outlines best practices for manufacturing cosmetics, focusing on product safety, hygiene, and compliance.
Sustainability
Sustainability certifications reflect how packaging operations address environmental impact, resource use, and material lifecycle. These standards help guide efforts around recyclability, energy efficiency, and responsible sourcing within evolving regulatory landscapes.
Key Certifications
- ISO 14001 - Environmental Management System (Sustainability, Waste Reduction) certification that focuses on reducing environmental impact through sustainable management practices and waste reduction.
- ISO/EMS 50001 - Energy Management System enhances energy efficiency, helping organizations cut costs and reduce environmental impact.
- FSC - Forest Stewardship Council Certification guarantees responsible forest management practices, promoting sustainability and environmental benefits.
- APR - Association of Plastic Recyclers Certification is issued by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) verifies the recyclability of plastic packaging within existing recycling systems.
- ISCC PLUS - an international voluntary certification system for sustainable materials and circular economy products.
- ISO 20400 - an international standard that offers comprehensive guidance on embedding sustainability into procurement practices, helping organizations make responsible and ethical purchasing decisions.
Ethical Business
Ethical certifications focus on labor practices, working conditions, and responsible sourcing within the supply chain. In packaging, they provide visibility into how materials are produced and ensure alignment with global expectations around social responsibility.
Key Certifications
- SEDEX - Supply Chain Ethical Data Exchange supports ethical business practices in supply chains, focusing on fair labor, safety, and environmental compliance.
- BSCI - Business Social Compliance Initiative is a social auditing system promoting ethical trade by ensuring fair wages, safe conditions, and no child labor.
- SA8000 - Social Accountability 8000 is an international social responsibility standard developed by Social Accountability International (SAI). It sets out requirements for fair and decent working conditions.
- SMETA - Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit is a widely recognized social audit that evaluates labor standards, health and safety, environmental practices, and business ethics.
- EcoVadis - provides sustainability ratings for companies, helping assess their environmental, social, and ethical performance.
Product Environment
Product environment certifications relate to workplace safety, controlled production conditions, and contamination management. These standards are especially relevant in packaging applications where cleanliness, air quality, and operational safety directly affect product integrity.
Key Certifications
- ISO 45001 - Occupational Health & Safety Management helps organizations create safer workplaces by identifying and mitigating occupational health and safety risks.
- OHSAS 18001 - Occupational Health & Safety Standards sets occupational safety standards to prevent workplace injuries and promote a safer environment.
- CDE Cleanroom - Cleanroom Certification (Air Cleanliness, Contamination Control, ISO 14644) certification mandates cleanroom construction and maintenance, controlling air quality and contamination risks.
- GMP - Good Manufacturing Practices guidelines ensure safe, hygienic, and traceable production in industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction standards help structure how organizations respond to feedback, manage complaints, and improve service quality. In packaging, they support long-term relationships by ensuring responsiveness and accountability across projects and production cycles.
Key Certifications
- ISO 10002 - Customer Satisfaction & Complaint Handling provides guidelines for handling customer complaints effectively to improve customer satisfaction and service quality.
Printing
Printing certifications focus on color accuracy, consistency, and quality control across packaging decoration processes. These standards are particularly important for brands that rely on precise visual identity and repeatable print performance across multiple production runs.
Key Certifications
- G7 Mastert - Printing Certification is a master certification that ensures printing facilities achieve color consistency and quality across different processes.
- GMI - Graphic Measures International (GMI) Certification ensures that packaging and printing suppliers meet strict quality and color consistency standards required by major global retailers.
What This All Means
Together, these certifications and regulatory frameworks reflect how packaging performance, safety, and sustainability are managed across the supply chain. In practice, they create a structured approach to evaluating materials, suppliers, and production environments—supporting consistency and accountability across markets and applications.
Not every certification applies to every product. The key is understanding which standards are critical to your brand, product, and end market—and partnering with suppliers equipped to meet those requirements.
Evergreen supports this complexity through a global network of more than 150 ISO 9001-certified facilities, each holding additional certifications aligned to the specific products they manufacture. For example, all Evergreen aerosol facilities are DOT-certified, and facilities producing packaging for food-grade applications are FSSC 22000-certified.
To explore Evergreen’s full range of packaging solutions, visit our website. If you’re evaluating packaging requirements or certifications for a specific application, connect with a packaging expert through our Get Started page to discuss what may align best with your product line.
