Sorting Process prepares and separates an appropriate waste stream. Recycling Process covers operations that turn waste into recycled output intended for further use as a raw material.
Sorting Process: preparing the waste stream
Sorting separates appropriate fractions from waste. It may involve separation by material, polymer, colour or another criterion needed for subsequent recycling.
Recycling Process: producing recycled material
The recycling process includes operations that produce recycled output intended to replace virgin raw material or another material in a subsequent process.
Intermediate operations require assessment
Shredding, washing, separation, drying and other material preparation steps may appear in different technical configurations. The scope should not be classified solely by the name of an individual operation.
How should the appropriate scheme be identified?
Check four elements:
- the status of the input material;
- the purpose of the operation;
- the status and specification of the output material;
- whether the output is already offered as recycled material for further converting.
Example
A sorting facility separating PET bales from mixed waste remains at the Sorting Process stage. A plant turning a prepared stream into flakes or pellets with a defined specification may fall within Recycling Process, depending on the actual process and the current scheme definitions.
Why does the boundary matter?
It determines scheme requirements, auditor competence, documentation, additional modules and how the certificate is communicated.
Key takeaway
Do not classify a company solely by the label “sorting facility” or “recycler”. The appropriate scope follows from actual operations and the material status at a specific point in the chain.