Eliminate waste and pollution

Principles behind circular economy
and how FSC contributes

Eliminate waste and polution

Eliminating waste and pollution is a core principle of the circular economy. It means recovering valuable materials from waste streams and previous use cycles, and bringing them back into use instead of discarding or burning them.

By replacing virgin materials with recovered inputs, companies can conserve natural resources, reduce environmental impacts, and lower pressure on ecosystems.

However, circularity is not only about managing waste. It is also about preventing waste in the first place. This requires designing products and systems that reduce material loss and keep resources in circulation for as long as possible.

As circularity becomes a growing business and policy priority, efficient and responsible resource recovery is both a practical necessity and a strategic advantage.

Core elements of this principle

Recover valuable resources and materials

Use materials recovered from waste streams and previous lifecycles to replace virgin inputs.

This helps conserve resources and reduce environmental impacts. Companies increasingly rely on resource recovery to strengthen supply chains, reduce costs, and meet regulatory requirements.

By keeping materials in circulation at their highest value, recovery strategies contribute to a more resilient and efficient system.

Look beyond traditional raw material streams

A resilient system should not depend on any single source of fibre.

Drawing responsibly on by-products and waste from many different types of raw materials makes the most of materials that already exist and eases pressure on ecosystems where possible.

It also means designing products from the start so that mixed fibre inputs can be recycled again easily, keeping materials in circulation cycle after cycle rather than being lost after a single use.

FSC’s contribution today

Recover valuable resources and materials: FSC Recycled & FSC Mix (moebius loop)
For more than 15 years, FSC has supported the use of recycled materials through its FSC Recycled and FSC Mix labels.

The FSC Sourcing Reclaimed Material standard made it possible to bring recycled materials back into supply chains in a reliable way.

Today, thousands of companies use FSC certification to show the recycled content of their products.

The standard sets clear requirements for how reclaimed materials are classified and verified, including the distinction between pre-consumer and post-consumer inputs. This ensures that recycled materials are credibly documented before being incorporated into FSC-certified products.

Products labelled FSC Recycled contain 100% recycled forest-based material, while FSC Mix products can include both recycled and responsibly sourced virgin materials.
When recycled content is included in FSC Mix products, the Moebius loop can be used to clearly communicate the percentage of recycled material. This supports transparency and enables informed purchasing decisions.

By combining verified sourcing with clear product communication, FSC enables reclaimed materials to re-enter supply chains and reduces reliance on virgin resources.

Expanding FSC’s Contribution

Proposed solution: A recognition framework for agricultural residues and other non-forest bio-based fibres
Recovering resources also includes materials beyond forests. Agricultural residues and other non-forest bio-based fibres are increasingly used alongside forest fibres.

When sourced responsibly, these materials can reduce pressure on forests and make use of resources that might otherwise be wasted.

Today, however, these materials are treated as neutral inputs within FSC-certified supply chains.

As products increasingly combine different fibre types, this creates both a governance gap and an opportunity: to establish a clear and transparent way to recognise responsibly sourced agricultural residues and by-products within FSC claims.

FSC is developing and pilot testing a recognition framework as part of an ISEAL Innovation Fund-supported initiative.

The framework is anchored in the FSC system and developed in collaboration with partners such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials and other sustainability schemes.

The aim is to define clear eligibility criteria, explore how traceability systems can work together, and test how certified residues and by-products from credible systems can be included in FSC-certified products – without duplicating existing certification processes.

By building connections between sustainability systems, this approach – if successful in pilots - could support more efficient resource use and help reduce waste while maintaining strong environmental and social safeguards.

This project is made possible thanks to a grant from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, which is supported by: