End-of-Condition Certification of Thermoplastic Waste

The European Green Pact develops a management framework underpinned by the key pillars that derive, in turn, from the Circular Economy Action Plan and its objective of making sustainable products the norm. They also respond to specific requests from Europeans expressed at the Future of Europe Conference.

The European Commission also provides clarity to consumers and industry about thermoplastic waste, identifies the applications in which thermoplastic waste is truly environmentally beneficial and how it should be designed, disposed of and recycled. This is why the European Union is pushing and urging member states to make all packaging on the EU market recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030, reducing the need for primary natural resources and creating a well-functioning secondary raw material market by increasing the use of recycled plastics in packaging through mandatory targets.

Derived from the previous framework, Orden TED/646/2023 is published in Spain, which regulates when mechanically treated thermoplastic waste destined for the manufacture of plastic products ceases to be waste, providing legal certainty and eliminating bureaucratic barriers between operators in the recycling chain. Compliance with the aforementioned order allows managers of mechanically treated thermoplastics to ensure that the fractions leaving their plants are no longer considered waste and therefore have the legal status of products, known as recycled plastic material.

In order for a thermoplastic waste manager to be able to place recycled plastic on the market without being considered waste, it must pass periodically and favourably audits by a body accredited under ENAC’s RDE-10 scheme, based on the ISO 9001 standard and on a series of technical standards and other specific requirements applicable to recycled plastic material.

Frequently Asked Questions

ISO 9001 + End of Thermoplastic Residue Condition (ERC) Certification Process

The certification process has the following steps:

Application for certification. In the case of not having ISO 9001 certification in force, this standard must also be included in the application.

The final manager, object of this certification process, must have an authorised facility in the final recovery operation on plastic waste coded as ‘R0307 Recycling of organic waste for the production of materials or substances’.

Planning.

Phase 1. (only for initial certification 9001)
Phase 2.

Issuing the certificate.

Maintenance of the certificate involves the following process:

Annual monitoring 1.
Annual monitoring 2.

Recertification.

In the case of having current certification under the ISO 9001 scheme, the usual duration of the FCR certification process is between 1 and 3 months, from the time the company submits the Application for Certification until the certificate is obtained. These times may be extended depending on the results of the audit. We advise you to apply for certification 2 months before the expected start date of the process.

Legal regulations and other technical standards associated with the End of Condition scheme for Thermoplastic Waste

Order TED/646/2023, of 9 June, establishing the criteria for determining when thermoplastic waste subjected to mechanical treatment and intended for the manufacture of plastic products ceases to be waste in accordance with Law 7/2022, of 8 April, on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy.
Law 7/2022 of 8 April on waste and contaminated land for a circular economy.
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 of 15 September 2022 on recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.
Regulation (EC) 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 on shipments of waste.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on persistent organic pollutants.
Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

Specific technical rules of application (always the most updated version):

UNE-CEN/TS 16011:2015 EX. Plastics. Recycled plastics. Preparation of samples.
PD CEN/TS 16010:2020 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Sampling procedures for testing plastics waste and recyclates.
UNE-EN 15342 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Characterisation of recycled polystyrene (PS).
UNE-EN 15344 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Characterisation of recycled polyethylene (PE).
UNE-EN 15345 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Characterisation of recycled polypropylene (PP).
UNE-EN 15346 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Characterisation of recycled poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC).
UNE-EN 15348 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Characterisation of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET).