Sustainable children's books: what FSC certification means

When you buy a children's board book, you're buying a lot of paper. Board books are thick — each page is made from multiple layers of card laminated together, which is what gives them their durability. A single board book can use as much paper as several regular books. Where that paper comes from matters.

What FSC means

FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. It's an international certification system that guarantees the wood and paper in a product comes from responsibly managed forests. Forests that are FSC-certified are monitored for biodiversity, indigenous rights, and sustainable harvesting — meaning trees are replanted, ecosystems are maintained, and the supply chain is traceable from forest to finished product.

When you see the FSC logo on a book, it means the board, the cover stock, and the paper used in production all come from certified sources. It's one of the most reliable environmental certifications available, and it's independently audited.

Why it matters for children's books

Children's board books are produced in enormous quantities worldwide. The majority are printed in China, often using paper from sources that are difficult to trace. For parents who care about sustainability — and increasingly, that's most parents — FSC certification provides a meaningful assurance that the book in their child's hands didn't contribute to deforestation.

Beyond the paper itself, the inks and lamination matter too. EN 71 is the European safety standard for toys, and it covers everything from chemical composition to mechanical resistance. A board book that meets EN 71 and uses FSC-certified materials is as close to a genuinely sustainable children's product as the market currently offers.

Words · Parole and sustainability

Words · Parole is printed on 305gsm FSC-certified high bulk board with matt anti-scratch lamination and matt machine varnish on the interiors. It's manufactured by Allnote, an FSC-certified printer based in Istanbul with a London office, and shipped to the UK by road — a significantly lower-carbon route than shipping from East Asia.

We chose FSC certification not as a marketing feature but as a baseline. If you're making something for children, it should be made well and made responsibly. That includes the materials it's made from.