Find the right RecyClass pathway for your company
Start with what your organisation actually does
You do not need to know the names of every RecyClass scheme. The right certification depends primarily on what material enters your company, what happens to it in your process and what material or product leaves your organisation.
Five main pathways
Plastics recyclers
Do you process waste into regranulate, flakes, regrind or another Recycled Output? RecyClass Recycling Process Certification will usually be the key scheme.
Plastic-waste sorting facilities
Do you operate First Sorting or Secondary Sorting? RecyClass Sorting Process Certification may be the relevant scheme.
Plastics converters
Do you purchase recycled material and use it in injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, thermoforming, film production or compounding?
Packaging manufacturers
Do you manufacture bottles, preforms, films, trays, containers or other packaging? Two independent areas may apply: recycled content and recyclability.
Companies using recycled plastics
Do you purchase recycled material and need to demonstrate its content in a product?
The same certification can address different needs
Choose “Plastics converters”
If your main focus is the production process: line, storage, dosing, recipes, Controlled Blending and traceability in production.
I am a converter →Choose “Companies using recycled plastics”
If your main issue is recycled-material origin and content, supplier status, PCR in the product and confirming recycled content to your customer.
I use recycled plastics →One company may need several RecyClass scopes
A packaging manufacturer may need both verification of recycled content and an assessment of packaging design under RecyClass Recyclability. You do not always have to choose only one pathway.
Choose your activity area
Where is your company?
The boundary is not always obvious
The company name alone is not always enough. Three pieces of information matter most.
Do you not see your activity among the five main categories?
The certificate should reflect the organisation’s actual place in the value chain
Understanding of different stages of the plastics value chain
Sorting Process
Processes preceding recycling.
Recycling Process
Actual recycling processes.
Recycled Plastics Traceability
Downstream use and traceability of recycled plastics.
Recyclability
Assessment of packaging design for its potential downstream recycling.
Frequently asked questions
I operate sorting and recycling in one company. What then?
Two scopes may apply: RecyClass Sorting Process Certification and RecyClass Recycling Process Certification.
I purchase finished recycled material and use it in production. Where should I go?
If your main focus is the production process, choose the converter pathway. If your main issue is recycled-material origin and content, choose the pathway for companies using recycled plastics.
I manufacture packaging. Which pathway should I choose?
Depending on the objective, Recycled Plastics Traceability, RecyClass Recyclability or both areas may apply.
Can Almaland help determine the appropriate scheme?
Yes. For an initial scope assessment, a short description of the input material, process, output material and location is sufficient.
Not sure which pathway matches your activity?
Tell us what material you receive, what happens to it in your company and what product or material leaves the process. Based on that, we will identify the appropriate certification area and next steps.