Standards Development

Scope

This BSI Flex specifies requirements for determining recycled content that has been produced through mechanical recycling methods from plastic waste streams. This recycled content is contained within PET packaging products.

While this standard covers recyclate, (polymer that has been used commercially and returned for re-use through waste collection) it does not cover regrind (material that has been used during processing and recycled internally within a production facility for blending with virgin polymers). Where the standard is applied to packaging products, it covers rigid forms of packaging which includes translucent or transparent packaging.

This standard covers the criteria and testing for the levels of recycled content present in the applicable plastics pellets or the applicable packaging products, and reporting requirements.

The test methods covered in this standard indicate the presence and levels of recycled PET (rPET) present in PET packaging products through the following test methods:

•           Thermal (DSC/TGA);

•           Colourimetry; and

•           UV-visible spectrophotometry.

The standard does not cover packaging materials produced from chemical recycling methods, nor does it cover coloured, opaque or laminated PET products or any other polymers. Further, the standard does not provide methods to determine the quality of the packaging, and/or its suitability for a specific purpose, such as containing food or drink.

The standard is for use by plastic packaging pellet and packaging manufacturers, importers and those wishing to assess the recycled content of PET plastic packaging. The standard might also be of interest to business customers of producers and importers of plastic packaging, and those with plastic packaging forming part of their supply chain. The standard might be beneficial to policy setters, consumers of goods containing plastic packaging and those with an interest in sustainability or environmental concerns.