Prepare a short description of your activities, sites, process, input and output materials, and the purpose of certification. This information provides the basis for selecting the appropriate scheme and scope.
Step 1. Define what is to be certified
First answer the basic questions: which material do you work with, which process do you operate, what is the output, and what do you want to demonstrate independently to a customer or the market?
Step 2. Select the RecyClass scheme
- Sorting Process — for sorting plastic waste and relevant waste traders;
- Recycling Process — for processes that turn waste into recycled output;
- Recycled Plastics Traceability — for the subsequent use and traceability of recycled material;
- RecyClass Recyclability — for assessing packaging design.
Step 3. Define the organisational scope
Identify the sites, lines, processes, polymers, products, materials and additional modules. If your company has several plants, do not assume that all of them can automatically be included in one scope.
Step 4. Provide the certification body with the basic information
Preparing a quotation and plan usually requires information about the activities, site size, number of locations, processes, materials and intended scope.
Step 5. Prepare the system and documentation
Depending on the scheme, relevant evidence may include supplier certificates, traceability, purchasing records, storage, recipes, production data, volume reconciliation, quality control and sales documentation.
Step 6. Plan the audit
Once the scope is agreed, the certification body plans the assessment in accordance with the current scheme rules. Preparation should focus on how the system actually works, rather than creating documents solely for the audit.
Step 7. Close any non-conformities
If the audit identifies non-conformities, the organisation prepares an appropriate correction, root cause analysis and corrective action in accordance with the scheme requirements.
Step 8. Review and decision
After the audit, the documentation goes through the further stages required by the scheme and the certification body's system. Completing the audit visit does not automatically result in a certificate being issued.
Key takeaway
Defining the scope correctly at the outset saves the most time. The right scheme, site and material form the foundation of the entire certification process.