RecyClass Recycling Process covers the transformation of plastic waste into recycled material. The assessment addresses material origin, traceability and the recycled content of the output within scope. Read the certificate together with its scope, site, validity period and the relevant material information.
What does a RecyClass Recycling Process certificate confirm?
A RecyClass Recycling Process certificate is intended for facilities recycling plastic waste. The assessment covers a specific process and its output material, including waste origin, continuity of traceability and determination of recycled content. The scheme draws on principles including EN 15343 and ISO 22095.
For a customer buying recycled plastics, the document is a starting point for supplier verification. The first question should be: does the material I am purchasing come from the site and process identified in the scope? Knowing that a supplier or a corporate group “has RecyClass” does not answer that question.
The official RecyClass Recycling Process page explains the scheme's scope. The certificate is not a general assessment of every technical property of the recycled material or every product sold by the company.
Who is Recycling Process certification for?
This is the relevant starting point for an organisation that receives plastic waste and carries out recycling. To define the scope, describe the actual technology, the status of the input material and the form of the output. Commercial names such as “regranulate”, “regrind” or “secondary raw material” do not determine eligibility on their own.
A company that purchases recycled material and uses it in manufacturing needs to consider its role further down the supply chain. Our separate guide explains the RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability certificate. If the activity ends with waste sorting, first check the Sorting Process scope.
How should you read a plant's certification scope?
Organise your initial checks into four groups:
- Organisation and site: compare the company name and plant address with the delivery documentation.
- Process and material: identify the operations, polymers and output materials covered by the assessment.
- Dates and status: check the validity period, type of certification and current certificate status.
- Claims: check the information on material origin, recycled content and any additional modules, including the accompanying documentation.
For example, a buyer purchases material from plant B but receives a certificate referring to plant A. The buyer should request clarification and the appropriate scope before using that certificate as evidence for the delivery. A shared company owner does not resolve the difference between sites.
What evidence is needed for the audit?
The audit scheme covers matters including operating authorisations, waste receipts, storage, processing and output records. Links between these records, the material balance and the basis for the recycled-content calculation are important. The requirements are set out in Audit Scheme v1.1.
A practical readiness check is to reconstruct one real batch backwards. Select a customer shipment and establish where the material came from, when it was processed and where the input, additive, output and reject quantities were recorded. Then check whether another employee can reconstruct the same history.
If the result depends on one person's memory or on manually matching unlabelled files, improve record keeping before the assessment. Our article on documents needed for RecyClass certification provides further detail.
How do you obtain a RecyClass Recycling Process certificate?
- Describe the proposed scope. Give the certification body information about the plant, technology, materials and intended claims.
- Agree the assessment arrangements. The body checks eligibility and establishes the scope, information required and audit plan.
- Complete the document and site assessment. The auditor compares the described system with actual records and operations.
- Address the findings. If nonconformities are identified, the organisation provides corrective actions and evidence of closure.
- Receive the certification decision. The body makes its decision after the assessment is complete. Completing an audit does not guarantee a certificate.
The formal steps are described in Quality Management & Procedures v1.1. Timing and cost require a quotation for the specific scope. Include the number of sites, processes and production shifts, together with the availability of records, in your enquiry.
Validity and additional modules
Under Audit Scheme v1.1, a Recycling Process certificate is valid for one year. A standard initial assessment uses 12 months of records. The scheme also provides provisional certification for a shorter operating history, using at least three months of data. The appropriate assessment route should be established for the plant's circumstances.
Additional module requirements depend on the activity and intended scope. One example is Module A, which addresses applications related to food contact. Coverage of a module must not be extended to other plants or materials without checking the scope. See our guide to Modules A, B, C and D in Recycling Process.
Frequently asked questions about the Recycling Process certificate
Does a recycler's certificate cover my customer's product?
Not automatically. The customer's own process, additives and formulations may change the composition of the product. Traceability and recycled-content claims at the next stage need to be assessed within an appropriate scope.
Does the certificate always mean 100% recycled content?
No. The percentage depends on the assessed material and its documentation, not on the scheme's name. Include the required material specification in your enquiry instead of assuming a particular percentage.
Does it establish full PPWR compliance or approval for food contact?
The certificate alone should not be interpreted in that way. RecyClass assessment has a defined subject and scope; legal requirements for a particular product need separate consideration. See RecyClass and PPWR.
What should the first certification enquiry contain?
Start with a short description of what you receive, which operations you perform, what you sell and which claim your customer needs. Include the plant address and the period for which production records are available.
Discuss your certification scope with Almaland
Explore RecyClass Recycling Process certification and send an enquiry to Almaland. Information about your process and material will help establish the appropriate assessment scope and prepare a quotation.