Do you operate a plastic waste sorting facility?
RECYCLASS SORTING PROCESS CERTIFICATION
For First Sorting Centres, Secondary Sorting Centres, companies operating both stages and relevant Waste Traders.
Go to scheme page →RECYCLASS CERTIFICATION
RecyClass Certification
Independent verification of plastics recycling, traceability and recyclability
RecyClass provides a system covering successive stages of the plastics cycle – from waste sorting, through recycling and the production of recycled material, to its further use in products and the assessment of packaging recyclability. Almaland conducts RecyClass certification processes for companies operating at different stages of the plastics value chain.
Four core areas
01
RecyClass Sorting Process CertificationWaste sorting
02
RecyClass Recycling Process CertificationRecycling process
03
RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability CertificationRecycled plastics traceability
04
RecyClass RecyclabilityPackaging recyclability assessment
PCA AC 246
Accredited certification body
RecyClass
Recognised certification body
EN 15343 / ISO 22095
Recycled plastics traceability
International operations
Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions
WHICH RECYCLASS SCHEME IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Start with your company’s place in the value chain
The appropriate certification scope depends on the stage at which you work with waste, recycled material, products or packaging.
Do you operate a plastics recycling process?
RECYCLASS RECYCLING PROCESS CERTIFICATION
For companies processing pre-consumer and/or post-consumer waste into Recycled Outputs.
Go to scheme page →Do you purchase recycled material and use it in production?
RECYCLASS RECYCLED PLASTICS TRACEABILITY CERTIFICATION
For companies including compounders, converters, manufacturers and relevant trading organisations.
Go to scheme page →Do you design, manufacture or place packaging on the market?
RECYCLASS RECYCLABILITY
Depending on the project, three pathways are available: Letter of Compatibility for an appropriate semi-finished product or incomplete design, Design for Recycling Certification for a complete packaging design, and Recyclability Certification for final packaging assessed for a specific market.
Go to scheme page →FLEXIBLE PU — THE ROLES OF SP, RP AND RC
The Flexible Polyurethane guidance supports assessment of the flexible PU foam chain: SP may be relevant to input preparation and sorting, RP addresses waste recycling, and RC applies to suitable downstream activities. It covers mechanical recycling and depolymerisation targeting re-polyol. It does not create a separate certification scheme or automatically require three certificates. The route depends on the material's legal status, operations and claims.
Flexible PU article →RECYCLASS ACROSS THE VALUE CHAIN
Four areas – one material loop
RecyClass allows plastics to be viewed as one material chain: from waste and the collection system, through Sorting Process and sorted Plastic Waste, Recycling Process and Recycled Output, to the further use of material under Recycled Plastics Traceability. In parallel, the final packaging design can be assessed under Recyclability.
WASTE / COLLECTION SYSTEMSorting Process
→
SORTINGPlastic Waste
→
RECYCLING PROCESSRecycling Process
→
RECYCLATE / PRODUCTTraceability + Recyclability
FOUR QUESTIONS — FOUR RECYCLASS AREAS
Each scheme answers a different question
SORTING PROCESS
Where does the waste come from, and can its flow through the sorting process be traced?
RECYCLING PROCESS
How is waste processed into recycled material, and what are the characteristics of that process?
RECYCLED PLASTICS TRACEABILITY
Where does the recycled material used come from, and what is its actual content in the product?
RECYCLABILITY
Does the packaging design enable appropriate sorting, recycling and reuse of the recovered material?
NOT SURE WHICH CERTIFICATION IS RIGHT?
Find your stage
I receive and sort waste, or I trade waste before the recycling stageRecyClass Sorting Process Certification
I process waste into regranulate, flakes or another Recycled OutputRecyClass Recycling Process Certification
I buy certified recycled material, use it in products, or trade certified recycled material or products containing recycled materialRecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification
I want to verify the recycled content in a productRecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification
I manufacture or design packaging and want to assess its recyclabilityRecyClass Recyclability
TRACEABILITY AND RECYCLED CONTENT
Reliable information starts with material origin
RecyClass creates continuity of information between successive participants in the chain. It enables independent verification of waste origin, classification, supplier, the process used, material flows and recycled content. RecyClass Recycling Process Certification and RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification are based, among other things, on EN 15343 and the chain-of-custody principles described in ISO 22095.
PLASTIC WASTE
↓
SORTING AND RECYCLING
↓
RECYCLED OUTPUT
↓
PRODUCT CONTAINING RECYCLED MATERIAL
RECYCLASS AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
It is not only about using recycled material
A more complete material loop requires looking in two directions: what happens to waste – sorting → recycling process → recycled material → new product – and what happens to the new product after use – Design for Recycling → collection → sorting → recycling process. Traceability and recyclability are different but complementary elements of a circular economy.
What happens to the waste?
Sorting → recycling process → recycled material → new product
What happens to the product after use?Design for Recycling → collection → sorting → recycling process
INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION
Why third-party certification?
A company declaration and independent verification are not the same. Certification is based on the assessment of documentation, operational data, material flows, processes and actual claims.
RECYCLING PROCESS
Conducted within Almaland’s applicable accreditation scope.
RECYCLED PLASTICS TRACEABILITY
Conducted by Almaland within the applicable accredited scope.
SORTING PROCESS
Almaland operates as a certification body recognised by RecyClass.
RECYCLABILITY
Assessments are conducted in line with the current scope of recognition and RecyClass requirements.
HOW DOES COOPERATION WITH ALMALAND WORK?
One point of contact – the right certification pathway
01Enquiry
You provide the basic information about your company, process or product.
02Scope assessment
We identify the appropriate RecyClass scheme and the preliminary certification scope.
03Proposal
We prepare a proposal tailored to your activity, location and assessment scope.
04Formalities
Once the proposal is accepted, we begin the formal certification process.
05Assessment
Documentation review, audit, product assessment or additional testing – depending on the scheme.
06Review and decision
The process concludes with an independent review and certification decision.
07Certificate
Following a positive outcome, the document applicable to the scheme is issued.
WHY ALMALAND?
Specialised in plastics certification
The entire value chain
Sorting Process → Recycling Process → Recycled Plastics Traceability and Recyclability.
Competent auditors
Processes are conducted by auditors who hold the required competence for the relevant schemes.
Understanding of industrial processes
Assessment covers real material flows, production lines, warehouses, balances and traceability.
Independence
Certification activities are conducted with independence and impartiality.
KNOWLEDGE BASE
Guidance on recycling, traceability and Design for Recycling
How to choose the right RecyClass certification? →PCR and PreCR – what is the difference? →Volume Reconciliation – practical guide →Design for Recycling – where to start? →RecyClass and PPWR →Food contact in the RecyClass system →
Go to the knowledge baseFAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is RecyClass?
RecyClass is a European initiative that develops methodologies, guidelines and certification schemes related to recyclability, recycling processes and plastics traceability.
Are all RecyClass certifications intended for recyclers?
No. Each scheme is designed for a different stage of the value chain.
Which certification verifies recycled content in a product?
RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification.
Can a company hold more than one RecyClass certificate?
Yes. If a company operates at several stages of the value chain, different processes or products may fall under the relevant schemes.
Are all RecyClass schemes accredited in the same way?
No. The status depends on the specific scheme and the scope of the certification body.
ASK ABOUT RECYCLASS
Not sure which RecyClass scheme to start with?
Send us a short description of your activity, process or product. Based on the key information, we will identify the appropriate pathway.