ISO 22095 is a general chain-of-custody framework. It does not independently verify a recycled content percentage. A claim also needs defined material characteristics, reliable records and the applicable certification scheme's rules.
Is ISO 22095 a RecyClass standard or a certificate proving recycled content?
No. ISO 22095 is a general standard covering chain-of-custody terminology and models used to track material or product characteristics through supply chains. RecyClass uses its principles as a reference, particularly controlled blending, but has its own audit schemes, requirements and claim rules.
1. Chain of custody goes beyond tracking a batch number
Traceability concerns the ability to reconstruct a material's history, location or source. Chain of custody adds rules governing how a particular material characteristic is retained, mixed, allocated and communicated along successive supply-chain stages.
For recycled plastics, this characteristic may be the recycled material share and its pre-consumer or post-consumer origin.
2. ISO 22095 provides a general framework
ISO sets out a shared approach and terminology for different chains of custody. Organisations and standard owners can use it as a reference.
The standard itself does not establish the detailed RecyClass requirements for supplier certificates, volume reconciliation, plausibility checks or product scope. Those requirements come from the applicable certification scheme.
3. Recycling Process and RPT refer to ISO 22095:2020
The official RecyClass pages identify alignment of Recycling Process and Recycled Plastics Traceability with EN 15343 and the chain-of-custody models in ISO 22095:2020.
The RPT scheme explicitly uses controlled blending, in which the actual recycled share in the output remains known.
4. Segregation means physical separation
Under segregation, material carrying a specified characteristic is kept apart from material that does not have it. In RecyClass Recycling Process, segregation means keeping certified recycled plastics physically separate from other materials.
This can simplify evidence of origin, but requires well-organised storage, production lines and material flows.
5. Controlled blending allows physical mixing in known proportions
Under controlled blending, recycled plastics may be physically combined with virgin plastics, additives, masterbatches or fillers. The recycled share in a defined output must remain known and documented.
This does not allow an attribute to be allocated on paper to any chosen product. Recycled material is physically present in the product in a known proportion.
6. Mass balance is a different chain-of-custody model
Mass balance is distinct from controlled blending. In 2026, ISO published the separate ISO 22095-2 standard on mass balance requirements and guidance, further underlining that these models are not interchangeable terms.
RecyClass Recycling Process and RPT continue to describe their schemes with reference to controlled blending rather than unrestricted allocation of a characteristic using mass balance.
7. ISO 22095 does not independently substantiate a claim
ISO's official description makes clear that the existence of a chain-of-custody system alone does not verify a specific product claim. Rules are also needed to define the characteristic being tracked and the conditions under which it may be claimed.
A company should therefore not communicate that ISO 22095 automatically means 50% PCR. That percentage must follow from data and an appropriate assessment system.
8. EN 15343 and ISO 22095 have complementary roles
EN 15343 directly addresses plastics recycling traceability and assessment of recycled content. ISO 22095 has a broader scope covering chains of custody for materials and products.
RecyClass draws on both: EN 15343 for plastics traceability and recycled content, and ISO 22095 for chain-of-custody models.
9. The standard is developing in 2026
ISO 22095:2020 remains a published standard and has Amendment 1:2026. Work has also started on ISO/CD 22095-1, intended to replace the general standard in the future.
Long-term procedures should therefore take account of ISO developments. During a RecyClass audit, the document versions referenced in the applicable Audit Scheme remain the basis of assessment.
10. Applying chain of custody in a facility
For every transfer, the organisation should be able to establish what material entered, its status and quantity, where it was stored, what it was mixed with, what output was produced and which claim may be passed on.
A sound chain of custody combines physical identification, documentation, quantity controls and communication rules.
FAQ
Can ISO 22095 serve as a standalone recycled content claim?
ISO 22095 is not itself such a claim. A specific scheme or assessment system is needed to define the material characteristic and how it is verified.
Does RecyClass use mass balance?
Recycling Process and RPT refer to controlled blending. These terms should not be used interchangeably.
Does controlled blending mean recycled material is physically present?
Yes. In the RecyClass model, the recycled plastics share in the output is known and follows from the physical material flow.
Is ISO 22095:2020 still current in 2026?
It remains published and has Amendment 1:2026. Work on the future ISO 22095-1 has also begun.
Are EN 15343 and ISO 22095 the same standard?
No. They are different documents with complementary roles.