RecyClass Certificate for Packaging – Design for Recycling and Recyclability Certification

Which RecyClass certificate does your packaging need?

A RecyClass certificate for packaging should answer a specific customer question. Is the aim to demonstrate a design's compliance with recycling guidelines, assess finished packaging in a particular market, or provide evidence for a semi-finished product supplied to another manufacturer? Start by distinguishing these purposes.

Recycled content is a separate issue. If the customer asks about the percentage of recycled plastic in packaging, consider Recycled Plastics Traceability. Recycled content and the recyclability of a design describe different characteristics of the same product.

Design for Recycling Certification: assessing the design

Design for Recycling Certification, or DfR, concerns finished packaging and its compliance with the relevant design-for-recycling guidelines. The entire submitted design is assessed, rather than just the name of its main polymer.

This route is useful when a manufacturer needs an independent design assessment. Compliance with design guidelines alone does not establish that suitable collection and recycling are available in every sales market. The scope is described in the DfR / Letter of Compatibility audit scheme.

For a bottle, for example, the closure, label and other design elements also need consideration. “PE bottle” is too general a description to reconstruct the assessed design or compare it with a version using a different label supplier.

Recyclability Certification: packaging and market

Recyclability Certification considers the packaging design together with collection, sorting and recycling conditions in the countries covered by the assessment. Identifying the markets for which evidence is required is therefore an important part of the application.

If the same packaging is sold in several countries, do not assume an identical result without checking the geographical scope. The relevant criteria are set out in Recyclability Certification Audit Scheme v2.0.

In practice, purchasing can pass the certificate to marketing with a brief record of the exact packaging variant, assessed countries, result, validity and permitted communication. This helps prevent a claim being extended to other packaging or markets.

Letter of Compatibility: evidence for a semi-finished product

A Letter of Compatibility, or LoC, concerns semi-finished products. It can support the exchange of information between a supplier and the manufacturer of the finished packaging. It should not be presented as certification of the complete packaging after all other elements have been added.

If you receive this document from a supplier, check which component or material it describes and the conditions it specifies. Compare these with the finished product specification. Our article on Letter of Compatibility, DfR and Recyclability Certification explains the differences.

What should you prepare for a packaging assessment?

The procedure requires information about the complete design, component specifications and appropriate samples. Depending on the design, further clarification or testing may be needed. The scope is determined for the particular solution; every pack does not require an identical set of tests.

Before submitting an enquiry, organise the following information:

• the name and unique code of the variant to be assessed;
• the material, weight and colour of the body and other components;
• details of the label, closure, adhesive, printing and barrier layers;
• how components are attached and any intended separation by the user;
• drawings, supplier specifications and other variants included in the application;
• sales countries and the intended use of the certification result.

Quality Management & Procedures v3.0 describes the application, documentation, samples and assessment. Self-assessment in the RecyClass Online Tool is also relevant before starting. The tool's result is not an independent certificate.

How do you obtain certification?

First establish the subject of the assessment and the appropriate route. The applicant then provides documents and samples, and the certification body assesses the design against the applicable criteria. Allow for any additional testing or evidence in the schedule. Once assessment is complete, the resulting document reflects the outcome and scope.

The quotation depends on the number and complexity of designs, variants, markets and required tests. Distinguish one basic design from versions with different labels, colours or closures in your enquiry. This allows the body to determine whether variants can be assessed together.

What do the classes mean, and how may results be communicated?

RecyClass classes describe the recyclability assessment result under the scheme's methodology. Class A does not mean 100% recycled content. Interpret the class in relation to the assessed design and type of certification, as explained in the Recyclability Methodology.

According to the official FAQ, DfR results may also be communicated to consumers off-pack, for example on a website. This does not permit a DfR certification mark on the packaging. Recyclability Certification allows consumer communication, including on-pack labelling, subject to the scheme's rules and the relevant scope. Before using a mark, check the current rules, the particular document and the proposed claim.

Frequently asked questions about packaging certificates

Is a RecyClass Online Tool result sufficient?

It is a self-assessment that supports design development and application preparation. Certification requires a separate assessment by a recognised body. See How the RecyClass Online Tool works.

Does the existing certificate still apply after a label change?

Do not assume this automatically. Report the change and establish its effect on the scope. Link your specification-change procedure with checks on the validity of claims. See Changing packaging after certification.

How long is the document valid?

Recyclability procedures normally provide a three-year period, subject to conditions including changes to the assessed packaging and the required checks. The specific document's dates, scope and maintenance requirements are decisive.

Does the certificate automatically confirm complete PPWR compliance?

No. It may provide evidence about assessed characteristics, but it does not replace consideration of all obligations applicable to the packaging. Claims should match the actual scope of certification.

Choose the assessment route with Almaland

Explore RecyClass packaging certification. In your enquiry to Almaland, identify the finished packaging or semi-finished product, its design, sales markets and the type of evidence required. This helps establish the appropriate assessment route.