Material declarations
Packaging sold into the EU and US increasingly needs a material declaration: what the box, insert and bag are made of, and whether they are recyclable in the market where they are sold.
Ask your packaging supplier for composition by component, because a single paper label is rarely accurate enough for a box with laminate, magnet, foam and coating.
Recycling and sorting marks
Recycling and sorting marks have to match the material actually used; a symbol on a laminated box that cannot be separated is worse than no symbol. Plan space on the artwork for material identification and any required disposal instruction.
Where the market requires a specific mark format, confirm it with the packaging printer before proofing, since the mark is applied at print stage.
Responsible person and documents
For the EU, the packaging carries the same traceability fields as the product: manufacturer and, where applicable, the EU responsible person, plus a batch or model identifier.
For the US, labelling follows federal and state rules depending on the material and the claim; avoid environmental claims that cannot be documented, and keep supplier declarations on file.
A workable routine
Collect declarations once per packaging component and store them with the artwork version. Re-check them when a supplier or material changes, and attach the current set to each shipment.
That routine keeps the packaging proof, the declaration and the shipped carton aligned, which is what an inspection actually checks.