Look at the bottom or the side of almost any branded paper bag and you will find a small cluster of symbols: arrows, leaves, a globe, a tree, a short code. Some of them carry real information. Some are certification marks that a company may use only after an audit. Others are decoration that suggests an environmental benefit without saying what it is. For a brand ordering printed bags, the difference matters, because every symbol on the bag is a statement the brand makes to its customers. This guide explains which eco symbols on paper bags mean something and what you need before you put them on your artwork.
Three kinds of eco symbols on paper bags
It helps to sort packaging symbols into three groups:
- Information marks tell the customer what the material is and how to dispose of it. They describe the packaging; they do not praise it.
- Certification marks belong to independent schemes. A company may use them only if it, and in some cases its suppliers, hold a valid certificate.
- Self-declared claims are words and icons a company chooses itself: “eco”, “green”, “natural”, a leaf or a globe. They are not controlled by any scheme, which is exactly why they need care.
Recycling and material symbols
The recycling loop
The best-known symbol is the loop of three chasing arrows. On its own, it is generally understood to mean that the item can be recycled. When a percentage is printed inside or next to it, it usually refers to recycled content instead, which is a different claim and needs its own evidence. Do not add a percentage unless your supplier can document it.
Material codes for paper
Packaging is often marked with a short material code, usually placed with the recycling loop. For paper and board, the commonly used codes are:
| Code | Material |
|---|---|
| PAP 20 | Corrugated board |
| PAP 21 | Non-corrugated board |
| PAP 22 | Paper |
Material codes are among the most useful symbols you can print: they help customers and sorting staff put the bag in the right stream. Codes for packaging are also set out in the EAEU technical regulation on packaging safety, so check the current requirements with your compliance team when you plan the artwork. Bags made from combined materials, such as a foil-lined thermal bag, are a different case, and a plain paper code would not describe them correctly.
The “tidy” symbol
A figure dropping litter into a bin simply asks people not to litter. It is a reminder, not a recycling or environmental claim.
Certification marks: only with a certificate
Certification marks carry weight because someone has checked the claim. That also means they cannot simply be copied onto a bag.
- Forest certification marks, such as FSC or PEFC, may be printed only when the product is made within a certified chain of custody. That typically requires certification of the paper supplier, the bag manufacturer and, depending on the scheme, the brand, plus a licence code next to the logo. Before any such mark goes on a bag, ask your bag manufacturer for its certificate and check that it covers the product.
- Compostability marks are issued after testing against a defined standard by an accredited body. They apply to a specific product, not to a material in general.
- Ecolabels run by independent or national programmes assess a product across several environmental criteria. They are awarded to a product, not to a company’s whole range.
Using a certification mark without the right certificate is not a small design error. It misleads customers and can expose the brand to complaints from the scheme owner and from regulators.
Self-declared claims: say less, say it precisely
A leaf icon with the word “eco” is the most common symbol on paper bags and the least informative. It does not say what is better about the bag or why. If you want to make an environmental statement yourself, the generally accepted principles for self-declared claims are straightforward: the claim must be specific, accurate, verifiable and not misleading.
- Instead of “eco-friendly bag”, write “Please recycle with paper”.
- Instead of “100% natural”, describe the material: “Made of kraft paper”.
- Avoid claims about decomposition, recycled content or carbon unless you hold the documents that support them.
What Vita Group can document
We prefer to state only what we can prove. For our paper bags, we can provide:
- ISO 9001 certification for our quality management system;
- an EAEU Declaration of Conformity under TR CU 005/2011 on packaging safety.
Both are available on our certificates page. Beyond that, the statement we are comfortable supporting is a simple one: paper bags can be recycled wherever paper is collected. We do not describe our bags as biodegradable or compostable, and we advise customers not to print certification marks unless the certificate behind them covers the product.
Practical points for your artwork
- Decide on the text before the symbols. A short disposal instruction is often more useful than an icon.
- Make symbols large enough. Our bags are printed by flexography, and how fine a line can be reproduced depends on the paper. Very small symbols and thin text may fill in, so keep them clear and in a solid colour.
- Place them consistently. The side gusset or the base is the usual place, away from the main design.
- Supply them as vectors. Like the rest of the artwork, symbols should be in your print-ready vector file (AI, EPS or PDF); our prepress team checks the file technically, but the choice of claims is yours.
You can see the constructions these symbols will go on in our product catalogue.
The bottom line
Not all eco symbols on paper bags are equal. Material codes and a clear recycling instruction are useful and easy to support. Certification marks are meaningful precisely because they require a certificate, so use them only when one covers your product. Vague eco icons add little and can mislead. Print what you can prove, and print it clearly.
Planning the artwork for a new bag? Get in touch, and we will tell you which documents we can provide for it.