Frequently Asked Questions

Companies can apply as Members or Supporters of RecyClass by filling in the respective Application Form. The forms can be found via the following page: 

Join RecyClass

Additionally, companies or organisations applying to become Supporters must provide a Letter of Intent to the attention of the RecyClass Steering Board describing which kind of support will be offered to RecyClass.

Any organisation, which is not directly involved in plastic manufacturing, transformation, or distribution can join as a Supporter. Raw material producers, converters, brand owners, retailers are invited to join as Members. More information on the differentiation between the two can be found in the RecyClass Membership Brochure and the Internal Rules, available on the following webpage:

Join RecyClass

RecyClass membership is divided in three levels – Bronze, Gold and Platinum. The annual fees amount to €3,000, €5,000, and €10,000, respectively.

To access the Online Tool, users are asked to make a registration via the following page:

Online Tool

The Tool is free and will allow you to self-assess the recyclability of your packaging. If you are having issues with account registration or verification, please contact us.

All general information is gathered in the brochure below, including a decision tree will help you find the suitable assessment for your packaging.

RecyClass Recyclability Assessments - Brochure

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is signed by all parties involved in the assessment process, guaranteeing confidentiality on all information related to your packaging.

RecyClass provides an NDA template to support you.

The first step is to contact the RecyClass team at info@recyclass.eu. We will evaluate with you the submitted packaging and give you some guidance on the approval relevance. Please find below a schematic view of the process.

Detailed information on the Approval Quality Management & Procedures can be found on the Approvals webpage.

Application fee of €2,500 is charged by RecyClass. In addition, the Recognised Laboratories individually set a price for testing in question. RecyClass Members are offered certain discounts on the prices.

Applicants can choose amongst the Recognised Laboratories by RecyClass, in accordance with the type of packaging that is to be tested. Please be aware, that not all the Recognised Laboratories are able to evaluate all types of packaging. Laboratories will provide the applicants with a quote for the given sample testing. RecyClass members benefit from a discounted quote.

The quantity of samples that must be provided to the laboratory depends on the type of your packaging and is specified in the RecyClass Recyclability Evaluation Protocols :

• For flexible packaging: at least 10 kg of innovation material (as packaging) and 20 kg of control material (as packaging).
• For rigid packaging: at least 20 kg of innovation material (as packaging) and 30 kg of control material (as packaging).

These figures are the minimum quantities recommended by RecyClass. The laboratory will communicate the necessary amount in order to carry out the tests.

In case of a Technology or a Product Approval, you can be asked to additionally perform a sorting test with the RecyClass Sorting Protocol. This step is necessary if your packaging is designed at least with one of the features reported in the Recyclability Methodology – Sorting section.

In this case, additional costs will be incurred, of which the Technical Committee will inform the application before starting the testing process.

RecyClass members benefit from a special quotation in the Recognised Laboratories that perform the Recyclability Evaluation Protocol.

In addition, Platinum membership covers the cost of one application fee (€2,500) per year.

PET bottle testing falls under the scope of the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP). EPBP has established several test procedures to assess the influence of PET bottle innovations - such as barrier materials, resin formulations, additives, and non-PET components in or on PET bottles - on r-PET recycling processes. Please refer to EPBP website to learn more about the PET bottles Recyclability Protocols.
Evaluation protocols for PET trays are currently under development by PETCORE Europe.

A product approval evaluates an innovative packaging, containing characteristics not covered yet in RecyClass Design for Recycling guidelines. This kind of approval leads to lab testing, as described above, and to an official recognition by RecyClass (approval letter).

If all the characteristics of your packaging are already covered by the guidelines, you are eligible for the Recyclability Certification. This certification allows you to label your packaging with the logo of the corresponding final ranking (from A to F) and to communicate about your product’s recyclability, in accordance with the set guidance.

Design for Recycling assessment is a qualitive assessment of all features of your final packaging. As a result, your packaging will receive a class ranking from A to F. Upon the completed Certification, RecyClass will provide you with a logo, corresponding letter and a guidance document on the use of logos and claims in your communications. The issued certificate is valid for 3 years for the European market.

Recyclability Rate assessment is a quantitative assessment of a plastic packaging. This is a country-specific evaluation, given that in each country the collection, sorting and recycling infrastructures vary. As a result, your packaging will be given a rate (%) of its recyclable content. Additionally, you will also receive a logo with the corresponding class ranking (A-F) and a guidance document on how to use the logo and how to claim recyclability. The certificate is valid for 3 years for the specific geographical area for which the Certification was acquired.

Get certified

The recyclability of semi-finished packaging can be also evalauted by the Certification Bodies. In this case a Letter of Compatibility will be delivered, instead of a certificate. Any further alteration of the design such as print, used materials and/or the effect of product-content or residue, might indeed change the outcome of the assessment of the final packaging. Therefore, only final packaging are eligible for the certification. 

The audit for semi-finished packaging follows the same steps as the Design-for-Recycling certification and asseses that the semi-finished product is compatible with readily available sorting & recycling technologies commonly used at industrial scale in the recycling sector in Europe.

At this stage, the use of the RecyClass logo is prohibited. The use of any claims on the recyclability of the semi-finished product are not supported by RecyClass. To use the logo and/or to have RecyClass endorsement, you must submit the final packaging for certification. Indeed, it is the final packaging (including its decorative elements and product-residue) that will enter the recycling system.

Practical details of the audit for semi-finished packaging (costs, samples to provide, members benefits etc.) are similar to certifications. Please refer to the questions and answers below. 

The Certification process is explained on the RecyClass website, detailing step by step how to certify the recyclability of your packaging. 

How to become certified?

Following the completion of the assessment by the auditor, you will receive a detailed certificate report and a final certificate.

An application fee of €150 is charged by RecyClass. Specific audit cost is set individually by the different Certification Bodies and may represent around 800 euros.

In case of the design for recycling assessment, you are free to choose the auditor amongst the list of accredited Certification Bodies.

In case of the recyclability rate assessment, as it is a local assessment, you must choose the auditor according to the country (or countries) of interest. Each Certification Body is accredited for one or several countries.

At least 10 samples must be sent to the auditor. Please note that additional samples can be requested if needed. The auditor will guide you on this step.

Additional tests can be requested by the auditor. Specifically, a sorting test is requested if your packaging possesses at least one of features reported in the Recyclability Methodology – Sorting section.

A washing test can be requested to verify that the adhesive and the label are easily removable from the packaging and/or to verify that printing inks do not bleed.

If  any additional tests are required to perform the certification, the auditor must always inform the applicant first.

A given number of Certification application fees (€150 each) is covered by the RecyClass membership. If you are a Bronze member, 1 fee per year is included; if you are a Gold member, 3 fees per year are included; if you are a Platinum member, 5 fees per year are included. The cost of the Certification itself is decided by the individual Certification Bodies.

Yes, in any case you will receive the RecyClass logo reporting the recyclability class achieved by the packaging (from A to F), the associated certificate and the audit report.

RecyClass will provide you with the guide 'Use of Claims Document' on how to use the logo (size, format, colour, frame, etc.) in accordance with your communication channel (social media publication, packaging impression, etc.). Included within this document is a list of authorized claims to support you on correctly reporting your Certification publicly.

Use of Claims

A certificate is obtained via a third-part audit, carried out by one of the recognised Certification Bodies. Detailed steps of the process are described here.

The cost of audit is set individually by the Certification Bodies. In addition, a management fee of €150 is charged by RecyClass. RecyClass Members are offered discounts on the management fee – for more information, consult the Membership Brochure.

The list of recognised Certification Bodies is available on the website and interested companies can choose freely among these.

RECYCLING PROCESS CERTIFICATION BODIES

Members are offered discounts on the management fee – for more information, consult the Membership Brochure.

The terms of use pertaining to the certification logo/mark are detailed in the Quality Management and Procedures. For more information about reliable claims, consult the Use of Claims Guidance.

Recycling Process Certification focuses on the certification of pre-  and post-consumer recycling processes, while the Recycled Plastic Traceability Certification focuses on the traceability of materials along the value chain and subsequent calculation of recycled content in products.

Recycling Process Certification, or equivalents, is the point of origin audit for the chain of custody of recycled plastics. This implies that recyclers supplying material to a company interested in carrying out Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification must be certified under RecyClass Recycling Process Certification (or an equivalent).

RecyClass recognises the EuCertPlast certificates as equivalent to this new Scheme for a transition period of 18 months starting from 1st of July 2022.

Please use the following link to give consent to list your certified company on the RecyClass website as an equivalent certificate.

The Certification process is explained on the RecyClass website, detailing step by step how to certify the traceability of recycled plastics within a process or operation and the share of recycled content present in the output products. 

HOW TO BECOME CERTIFIED?

Following the completion of the assessment by the Certification Body, you will receive a detailed audit report and a final certificate.

The calculation of the recycled content is explained on the following webpage:

Recycled Content Calculation

The calculation follows the method described in the European standard EN 15343:2007 Plastics Recycling. Recycled plastics traceability, assessment of conformity and recycled content.

The cost of audit is set individually by the Certification Bodies. In addition, a management fee of €150 is charged by RecyClass. RecyClass Members are offered discounts on the management fee – for more information, consult the Membership Brochure.

The list of recognized Certification Body for the Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification is available on the following webpage. You are free to choose the auditor amongst the list.

List of Certification bodies

Members are offered discounts on the management fee – for more information, consult the Membership Brochure.

RecyClass will provide you with the guide 'Use of Claims Document' on how to use the logo (size, format, colour, frame, etc.) in accordance with your communication channel (social media publication, packaging impression, etc.). Included within this document is a list of authorized claims to support you on correctly reporting your Certification publicly.

Use of Claims

Applicants of the RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification must have certified recycled input. Namely, the suppliers of recycled material must be certified under the RecyClass Recycling Process Certification or an equivalent scheme recognised by RecyClass.

For detailed requirements, check out the Certification Documentation.