The safest rule is to communicate only what is supported by the certificate's scope and current RecyClass guidance on marks and claims. Do not extend the result to other products, sites or characteristics.
First establish exactly what was certified
RecyClass includes several separate schemes. Each answers a different question, so the scope of communication differs as well.
- Recycling Process – concerns the certified recycling process and the relevant recycled output;
- Recycled Plastics Traceability – concerns traceability of recycled material and the verified recycled content of the relevant product or component;
- RecyClass Recyclability – concerns the recyclability assessment of a specific packaging design within the scope of the relevant assessment route.
Four principles for reliable communication
A sound claim should be accurate, specific, understandable and verifiable. The broader the wording, the greater the risk that readers will attribute a meaning to the certificate that it does not support.
What should you avoid?
- extending a result from one site to the whole group;
- attributing certification to a product outside the scope;
- equating recycled content with recyclability;
- treating a food-contact module as general legal approval of the material;
- using broad terms such as “green” or “sustainable” when certification verifies only a specific technical characteristic.
Certification marks and B2B/B2C communication
RecyClass publishes separate guidance on the use of marks and claims. Before using a mark on a commercial document, website, transport packaging or product, check the current version of those rules and the scope of the specific certificate.
A product change can affect the right to make a claim
A change in material, supplier, formulation, component, recycled content or packaging design may mean that an earlier claim no longer matches the certified scope. Communication should therefore be subject to change control, just like technical documentation.
How do you prepare an accurate claim?
Before publication, answer five questions:
- which scheme and certificate support the claim;
- which site it concerns;
- which product, material or design it concerns;
- which characteristic was actually verified;
- whether current RecyClass guidance permits this form of communication.
Key point
A certificate is evidence with a defined scope. Professional communication should not expand or oversimplify that scope, or present certification as confirmation of characteristics the scheme did not assess.