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Standards and Certifications

Many industries require packaging systems or materials that meet defined standards or certifications. PCA has experience with many of the most common standards and certifications. If you have additional requirements, please discuss them with your local PCA packaging expert.

Excel Beef Box

Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Certification

All of PCA’s full-line plants (with the exception of recent acquisitions) and approximately 50% of our sheet plants are certified to GFSI standards.

GFSI certification is a third-party audited and universally accepted verification of a company’s systems and standards supporting food safety. In 2012, our plant in Colby, Wisconsin, became North America’s first full-line corrugated facility to achieve GFSI certification. PCA was the first major integrated corrugated packaging company to have all full-line packaging plants GFSI certified.

Sustainability Certifications

PCA is a proud member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the American Forest & Paper Association, the Corrugated Packaging Alliance and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement. We also have a seat on the Fibre Box Association’s Sustainability Committee.

SFI Logo

Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI)

  • Responsible Sourcing: Fiber Sourcing/Certified Sourcing
  • Product Certification: Chain of Custody
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Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

  • Responsible Sourcing: Controlled Sources
  • Product Certification: Chain of Custody
FSC Logo

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)

  • Responsible Sourcing: Controlled Wood
  • Product Certification: Chain of Custody
Man Sitting at Vibration Table Control Screen

International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) Certified Testing  

The most common ISTA test procedures we conduct are for packaged products weighing 150 pounds or less. It includes a standard set of tests to understand how an individual package performs under multiple handling conditions. It can also be used to compare the performance of alternative packages and product designs.

  • ISTA 1A covers integrity testing for packaged products. It is not designed to simulate environmental occurrences.
  • ISTA 3A is for individual packaged products shipped through a parcel delivery system.
  • ISTA 6 series protocols are member performance tests created to simulate Amazon, Sam’s Club and FedEx distribution environments.
Hazardous Materials Box

Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Packaging

Hazardous materials (hazmat) are products, components and substances defined and classified in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations as “hazardous.” Hazmat packaging at PCA is only produced at authorized, trained and compliant hazmat packaging locations.

Regulated Medical Waste (UN 3291) packaging is treated as hazmat at PCA even where performance testing or performance packaging is not required.

Contact your local representative for more information.

LOCATIONS