SGS announced it will start certifying recycled plastics from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
The Switzerland-based testing company will offer the EN15343 ‘plastics recycling traceability and assessment of conformity and recycled content’ across the three countries. This European certification establishes procedures for track and trace of recycled plastic content used in product manufacturing. It allows companies to demonstrate the percentage of recycled plastic in their products.
Following the introduction of the plastic tax in Europe, countries like the United Kingdom and Spain require foreign manufactures to provide buyers with evidence about the amount of recycled content used in their products in order to circumvent tax liability.
Spain, in particular, requires the EN15343 certification that SGC is accredited to offer by ENAC, Spain's government-appointed National Accreditation Body.
Plastic manufactures and packaging companies in Spain looking to import recycled plastic from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will be able to reduce or avoid tax liabilities if they buy EN15343-certified products. The certification can also be used as evidence in other European countries.
EN15343 targets a wide range of post-consumer and post-industrial products made from mechanically recycled plastics, including PET sheets, PVC films, thermoforming products, electrical and electronic products, automotive, textiles, hardlines, and single use plastic packaging products, amongst others.
"We are delighted to expand the EN15343 certification to India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. This enhances our ability to promote sustainability and regulatory compliance within the plastics industry across these key South Asian markets," said Shailesh Sharma, director – connectivity & products - softlines and hardlines, SGS India.
Spain introduced the plastic tax on April 8, 2022. It imposes a tax on non-reusable plastic products at the rate of €0.45 per kg and an additional tax on waste incineration and disposal in landfills. The 12-month transitional period allowing accreditation of recycled plastic amounts through a signed statement from the packaging manufacturer ended on Dec. 31, 2023.
Imports of recycled plastics into Europe has been on the rise in the past years. Recycled PET imports doubled between 2021 and 2022, reaching 1.9Mt, driven by increased demand for rPET in the EU. India, China, and Turkey were amongst the biggest exporters in terms of volumes and value followed by Indonesia, Egypt, and Vietnam.
Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) has blamed the tough situation many European recyclers find themselves in on cheap imports. The association attributes the declining market situation to the lack of a level-playing field, which has seen PET imports to the European Union increase by 20% from Q2 2022 to Q2 2023, resulting in low demand for European rPET.
PRE has called for enforcement mechanisms, like the introduction of an independent third-party certification system, to level the playing field between European and non-European plastic recyclers.
SGS has already jumped on the bandwagon and others are likely to follow. The PPWR, which sets targets for recycled content in EU member states, states that if imported plastic is to count those targets, it must be collected in line with EU standards for separate collection and then processed in facilities that comply with the same pollution and emissions limits that apply to domestic producers.