Experience that goes beyond knowing a checklist
A RecyClass auditor must understand both the scheme requirements and the actual industrial process
The team’s competence developed even before the current RecyClass schemes – including EuCertPlast, Recovinyl/RecoTrace audits of PVC recycling facilities and work related to preparing companies for Blue Angel requirements.
The team’s competence developed even before the current RecyClass schemes – including EuCertPlast, RecoTrace and activities related to preparing companies for Blue Angel requirements.
An audit is not limited to checking whether procedures exist
RecyClass is the next stage in the development of the team’s competence
Auditors are qualified for specific schemes
TECHNICAL COMPETENCE IN PRACTICE
An auditor should understand the process, material and data – not only the documents
Scheme training is important, but it does not replace technological knowledge. What matters in an assessment is the ability to connect scheme requirements with the actual operation of the facility.
SORTING AND WASTE PREPARATION
Competence includes, among other things, waste sources and classification, collection systems, manual and optical sorting, NIR, baling, traceability and quality control of sorted streams.
RECYCLING PROCESSES
An auditor should understand stages such as shredding, grinding, washing, separation, drying, extrusion, filtration and pelletising, and their effect on the quality of the output material.
PLASTICS PROCESSING
Knowledge of injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, thermoforming, film production and compounding enables proper assessment of the downstream use of recycled materials.
TRACEABILITY
The auditor analyses whether the physical material can be reliably linked to documentation, supplier, batch, process, warehouse, recipe and final product.
MATERIAL BALANCE
One of the most important tools is analysing the consistency of purchases, inventory, production, losses, waste, sales and output materials. The data must be explainable across the entire process.
PACKAGING AND RECYCLABILITY
Packaging assessments consider materials, labels, adhesives, barriers, closures, colours, multilayer structures and the effect of individual components on sorting and recycling.
ADDITIONAL MODULES
Some scopes require additional competence, for example for food-contact applications, PVC, corporate social responsibility or other modules provided for by the relevant scheme.
ANALYSIS OF LARGE DATA SETS
An assessment may include extensive data sets covering deliveries, purchases, production, recipes, raw-material consumption, warehouses, subcontracting and sales. The auditor must be able to identify inconsistencies and trace their source.
Training does not replace industrial experience
RecyClass training is designed to explain scheme requirements and how assessments are conducted. Technical competence also covers sorting, recycling, compounding, plastics processing and packaging-production technologies.
One of the most important audit tools
THE AUDITOR’S ROLE IN THE PROCESS
Audit, technical review and decision are separate stages
A positive site visit does not automatically mean a certificate is issued the same day. The outcome results from the complete certification process.
AUDITOR
Conducts the organisation assessment, collects evidence, checks conformity with requirements, documents findings and identifies any nonconformities.
TECHNICAL REVIEW
Where required by the relevant scheme, an independent person analyses the scope, evidence, findings, nonconformities, corrective actions and report before the process is completed.
CERTIFICATION DECISION
The decision is made in accordance with the rules of the relevant scheme and the certification body’s management system. The auditor should not treat the outcome as predetermined during the visit.
THE AUDITOR IS NOT A CONSULTANT
The auditor may explain a requirement, identify missing evidence and describe a nonconformity, but should not design a solution for the client that the same auditor would later assess.
AUDITOR SELECTION
Selection considers qualifications for the specific scheme, required modules, technical experience, language, geographical scope and the absence of unacceptable conflicts of interest.
COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT
Technologies, legal requirements and RecyClass documentation change over time, so competence is developed through training, audit experience, case analysis and exchange of technical knowledge.
Technical competence is not enough without independence
The auditor should act objectively, on the basis of evidence and without unacceptable conflicts of interest.
Frequently asked questions
Can every auditor conduct every RecyClass scheme?
No. Competence and qualifications are assigned to the relevant schemes and, where applicable, modules.
Does the auditor decide whether a certificate is issued?
The audit is one stage of the process. The applicable model may include a separate review and certification decision.
Can the auditor advise how to close a nonconformity?
The auditor may explain the requirement and identify the issue, but the organisation chooses and designs its own corrective actions.
Do you need an audit conducted by people who understand the actual industrial process?
Send us a description of your activity and scope. We will match the process and competence to the relevant scheme.