On February 23, 2018, the team at Transparent Container received exciting news. “Transparent Container is now an authorized printer for UL Certification Marks.” According to the UL website:
“UL is a global leader in testing, inspection, certification, auditing and validation. The UL Mark is the single most accepted Certification Mark in the United States, appearing on 22 billion products annually.”
Steve Pasek has been the Plant Manager of Transparent Container’s Paperboard Facility for two years, and he has over 20-years of experience in the print and packaging industries. Pasek guided Transparent Container’s certification with UL, and we asked him about it.
What is “UL Certified”?
We have the ability to print the UL Certification Mark on packaging. So customers who have UL Certified products will turn to us to print their packaging because we are certified to print the UL logo. Essentially, UL Certified refers to our ability to adhere to a strict set of standards, but we are also part of a community of organizations who adhere to these standards.
How does this help our customers?
UL Certified products have passed the strict inspection or rigorous manufacturing criteria to meet UL Certification. Working with UL Certified vendors is critical for these products and brands.
Certain industries are more likely to become UL Certified. They care to invest the time and work to meet these standards, and they want their consumers to know. Many of our partners in the electrical industry, personal care and beauty, and other retail brands invest in the certification process. I’m sure they’re targeting a segment of the market that requires UL Certification.
UL Certified products are measured for accuracy of their product claims, U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulations, security, and many other things. For these brands, working with a UL Certified partner is a critical piece of their own adherence to standards.
Ultimately, it helps with everyone’s credibility.
What was the process to become UL Certified?
Once we applied and were accepted as an authorized printer for the UL Certification Marks, UL will continue to audit our production facilities and products four times a year.
Does this certification include all of our facilities?
We started by setting up our certification at our Paperboard Facility. Having gone through the process we know what to do to prepare for partners who require UL Certification for any of our plants or packaging solutions across thermoformed, fabricated, or custom packaging. And, of course, we only print UL Certified logos on UL Certified products.
What kinds of standards are measured?
When we print UL Certification on the packaging, we’re like a team – from the standpoint that we wouldn’t print it on a product that’s not UL Certified. We submit the artwork whenever we print a UL Certified product. UL is going to check that we print the logo correctly, and they’re going to make sure that the product actually is UL Certified.
We’re also certified in both the U.S.A. and Canada. We can print both versions of the logo for U.S.A. customers and customers who ship some or all of their products to Canada.
We’re listed on the UL website in the “Authorized Label Suppliers Program” category. If somebody in the Chicago area, or anywhere in the U.S.A., goes to the website to search, they’ll find us.
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