The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), a nonprofit focused on plastics recycling in North America, has broadened its PCR Certification Program.
The initiative now covers verification of the presence and the proportion of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in finished and semi-finished plastic products.
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Until now, the certification effort had centred on PCR material made by recyclers in pellet or flake form.
With this expansion, the programme now reaches further across the supply chain.
This allows manufacturers, brand owners, brokers, distributors, traders and other companies involved in buying, selling or handling PCR to validate recycled-content claims through independent third-party certification.
APR said the newly introduced producer standard is built on ISO chain-of-custody and traceability requirements.
The framework is designed to provide a stringent verification method confirming that businesses are incorporating recycled plastic at the levels they report.
Companies that achieve certification will be included in the APR Certified PCR Directory, which the organisation says will serve as a reliable source for businesses looking for products and packaging made with certified PCR.
APR PCR Certification programme director Rita Phillip said: “Expanding APR PCR Certification to include producers and supply chain participants strengthens confidence in recycled content claims and supports the growing demand for transparency and accountability.”
APR president and CEO Steve Alexander said: “Making new products from post-consumer recycled plastic – plastic packaging commonly recycled by households and businesses – is one of the most effective ways to reduce plastic waste and decrease reliance on virgin plastic. Because recycled content cannot be visually distinguished from virgin plastic, third-party certification is essential for verifying recycled content claims.”
In May, APR and Mexico’s National Association of Plastics Industries (ANIPAC) entered a co-operation agreement focused on plastics recyclability, recycling design standards and circular economy development in Mexico.
The arrangement aims to support technical and work between the two bodies across the plastics chain, covering packaging and product design, collection, recycling and the return of materials to the market.
