A 50% recipe does not by itself prove 50% recycled content. Compare actual inputs, output quantities, losses and stock records, distinguish recipe versions and ensure the claim matches the confirmed result for the relevant product or batch.
Is a recipe specifying 50% recycled material enough to claim 50% recycled content?
No. A recipe describes an intended process, whereas a certified claim must reflect the material actually used in production. RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification verifies recycled content against actual production records. Where batches vary, the minimum value matters rather than a convenient nominal value or average.
1. A recipe is a plan
A recipe may specify 500 kg of Recycled Input and 500 kg of other ingredients. This records a technical intention, but does not prove that exactly those quantities were consumed in every batch.
Actual consumption may differ because of dosing settings, raw-material changes, quality adjustments, changeovers, losses, customer changes or recycled-material availability. The auditor therefore compares the recipe with production and consumption records.
2. RecyClass requires actual data
The Recycled Plastics Traceability Audit Scheme states that the calculation must reflect the actual recycled plastics share in the product. Verification relies on production records from the evaluation period.
A technical specification can be one piece of evidence. Combining it with material withdrawals, product weight, stock and production volume establishes the actual recycled content.
3. A simple example: 50% in the recipe and 48% in production
The nominal recipe specifies 500 kg of PCR and 500 kg of other ingredients. The actual production order instead uses 480 kg of PCR and 520 kg of other ingredients. In this simplified example, all ingredients remain in the assessed 1,000 kg output.
The actual PCR share is therefore 48%, not 50%. The result should not be increased to the recipe value simply because that was the intended process.
4. Batch differences can occur, but require control
A facility may produce successive batches containing 52%, 51%, 49% and 50% recycled material. Variation does not automatically mean a nonconformity.
A problem arises when the company cannot establish the actual values, does not control changes or communicates a fixed value above the substantiated level.
5. An average does not replace the minimum needed for the claim
A favourable average does not show that every batch meets the same level. For example, equal-mass batches containing 40%, 40%, 60% and 60% average 50%, while half the production contains only 40%.
The Audit Scheme specifies that the certification body reports the minimum percentage where recycled content varies between batches. This prevents a claim that is true only as an aggregate statistic.
6. Planned products differ from assessed products
RecyClass states that the certification scope should cover products or families with a defined recycled plastics share supported by actual production records.
A product that is only planned for launch under a proposed recipe should not automatically be added to the scope. Certification relies on evidence of actual production under the rules of the applicable certification type.
7. Data to bring together before the audit
A useful set includes the recipe or bill of materials, batch number, actual withdrawals of Recycled Input, virgin plastics, additives and fillers, output quantity, losses, regrind, stock records and supplier identification.
This reveals whether the claim follows from the process or only from a value entered in the system.
8. A plausibility check connects the recipe with reality
The auditor can check whether purchased and consumed Recycled Input is compatible with production quantities and the declared recycled share. The recipe is one part of this check.
If high recycled content is claimed but purchases and stock cannot provide enough material, the discrepancy needs to be explained.
9. Managing recipe changes
Every change affecting recycled plastics content should be controlled so that production data and claims remain consistent. In practice, connect change control to the product code, recipe version and effective date.
This helps prevent an old claim from remaining in use after the product's actual composition changes.
10. What the customer should receive
The customer should receive information matching the actual certification scope and minimum substantiated recycled content. A precise claim requires equally precise evidence.
A 50% PCR claim should not be based solely on a product name, a marketing technical data sheet or a default ERP recipe.
FAQ
Does a 50% recipe automatically establish 50% recycled content?
No. Actual consumption of the appropriate Recycled Input and actual product mass must be demonstrated.
Can an annual average be used?
An average can support internal analysis, but should not replace the rules for reporting a particular claim. RPT reports the minimum percentage where batches vary.
Does a difference of 1–2 percentage points always mean a nonconformity?
Not automatically. The controls, declared level and reliability of the actual result all matter.
Is an ERP record sufficient evidence?
Not on its own. The origin of the ERP data and their correspondence with actual material flows must be understood.
Can a planned product enter the certificate scope on the basis of its recipe?
This should not be assumed. The Audit Scheme bases the scope on products or families with actual, defined recycled content and production records.