RecyClass certification for plastics recyclers

Post-consumer Plastic Waste originates from products used by the final user or products that have completed their original use cycle. Pre-consumer Plastic Waste includes appropriate waste generated before the use stage of the final product. Both categories should be correctly identified and documented because their shares may be communicated further through the chain of custody.

For a customer, the statement that a material “comes from recycling” may be insufficient. Relevant information may include post-consumer / pre-consumer share, waste source and sector, polymer type, recycler, process, actual recycled content and the applicable chain of custody.

A recycler should reconcile Plastic Waste with Recycled Outputs, process waste, by-products, inventory changes and other relevant flows. Volume Reconciliation helps verify whether the organisation’s declared data corresponds to the actual production scale and whether the balance can be reconstructed from existing records.

Before the first audit, relevant elements include the required permits, completeness of data, documented material origin, the ability to link input material with the process and Recycled Output, quantitative balance and product specifications. Initial Certification uses the full data period required by the scheme; with at least 3 months of data, Provisional Certification may apply.

Module A1 covers the relevant final pre-processing operations before decontamination, while Module A2 covers the actual decontamination process. Module A does not replace a material-safety assessment and does not automatically confirm full compliance of the final product with Food Contact requirements or Regulation (EU) 2022/1616.

Module B contains additional requirements for relevant Cosmetics & Household Care applications. Module C concerns Corporate Social Responsibility and, under the current RecyClass rules, is mandatory for relevant processes outside EU27+3. Module D contains additional requirements for specified recovered PVC streams, depending, among other things, on waste origin, lead content and the final use of Recycled Output.

A converter or manufacturer purchasing certified Recycled Output may continue the documented chain through RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification. Recycler certification therefore acts as a starting point for downstream verification of recycled-material origin and content.

A facility may operate at several stages of the value chain. An appropriate sorting process may require RecyClass Sorting Process Certification, the recycling process itself RecyClass Recycling Process Certification, and downstream use of the resulting recyclate RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification.

The RecyClass Recycling Process Certificate is valid for 12 months and requires timely renewal to maintain continuity of the certified chain of custody. RecyClass indicates that this certification may be used as appropriate audit evidence for certain recycled-content requirements, including in the context of the Spanish Plastic Tax; the certificate should always be used in line with its actual scope and current legislation.