The marketplace is full of products with recycled content claims, but PCR bears the highest risk for fraudulent claims
GreenCircle Certified is officially an Association of Plastics Recyclers endorsed certifier for PCR. (Credit: GreenCircle Certified, LLC)
GreenCircle Certified, LLC announced the achievement of becoming an Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR) Endorsed Certifier for Post-Consumer Resins (PCR).
The marketplace is full of products with recycled content claims, but PCR bears the highest risk for fraudulent claims. These greenwashing claims have allowed companies to sell manufacturers “recycled content” that is not recycled. It has become increasingly difficult for companies seeking PCR to be certain that they are buying genuine post-consumer material. False claims amplify risk to all participants in the recycling market, especially buyers’ confidence in recycled content claims.
Only 9 percent of discarded plastics are actually being recycled globally, which means the commitments to incorporate recycled content in products exceed the actual supply of PCR. Third-party certification of recycled content, especially PCR, ensures the materials being certified are truly recycled content.
APR and GreenCircle recognize that it is essential that certification of PCR be viewed as reliable, consistent, and accessible by both producers and users of recycled plastic resins. GreenCircle’s mission is to eliminate these greenwashing claims from the marketplace and effectively turn companies into brands that consumers can trust.
The Recycled Content certification was the first standard developed by GreenCircle in 2009 and has been used as a reference for a wide range of industry organizations, including APR. GreenCircle has completed over 200 Recycled Content certifications and re-certifications, ranging from plastic resin and PCR lumber to metal and door hardware.
GreenCircle conducts a detailed evaluation of the product and manufacturing operations to verify and certify recycled content claims on a per plant, per product basis. GreenCircle verifies sources of recycled materials and distinguishes recycled content by pre- and post-consumer content within the supply chain.
GreenCircle’s Recycled Content guidelines meet the ISO 14021 definition for pre- and post-consumer recycled content. Our certification system and Recycled Content guidelines have been reviewed and accepted by numerous organizations including, the U.S. EPA Ecolabel program, which was created to “effectively identify and procure environmentally sustainable products and services.”
“GreenCircle Certified is excited to be an endorsed certifier for post-consumer plastic resins by the Association of Plastic Recyclers!” says Tad Radzinski, Certification Officer at GreenCircle Certified. “Our proven process for recycled content verification and certification is rigorous and transparent, assuring stakeholders that the claim can be trusted. Every company that is certified by GreenCircle is a brand you can trust.”
Source: Company Press Release