A 4-Step Guide to Buying and Certifying PCR for Sustainable Packaging
Michel Weinketz | 31/01/2025
2025 is a year for brands to lead in innovation and meet consumer and legislative expectations in sustainability. PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) plastics are at the heart of this transformation, offering a tangible way to reduce environmental impact. Pretty much everything you see around you, right now, was once wrapped or packed in plastic. At Resycure, we want that packaging to be made from recycled plastic. Our job is making the journey to adopting PCR frictionless. Here’s a four-step guide to getting started.
Step 1: Understand the Legislative Landscape
Start by understanding the specific requirements for your packaging category. Different regulations apply depending on whether your product is for food, cosmetics, home care, or other uses. For instance, plastic bottles require 25% recycled content by the end of 2025, under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). It’s essential to use recycled plastics that comply with EU-approved safety and performance standards, which can be verified through RecyClass or Blue Angel certifications.
Collaborate with Resycure to get access to pre-qualified materials that meet EU standards and reach the necessary recycled content quotas.
Step 2: Optimize Procurement with Bundled Demand
Traditional procurement processes for recycled plastics are often slow and complicated. You can change that by testing procurement bundles that aggregate demand across multiple brands to negotiate significantly better pricing and stable supply terms.
You get access to large order price and quality conditions, even with small to medium size orders.
Resycure’s rPET Bundle, for example, is ideal for food and beverage brands needing high-quality, compliant materials with full technical transparency. For cosmetics and personal care, the rHDPE Bundle provides access to odor-free, high-performance plastics. Each bundle is tailored to specific needs, ensuring quality and consistency.
Step 3: Streamline Your Qualification Process
*“Resycure brought us pre-tested and pre-qualified resins along with all the compliance and mechanical property reports. What used to take the best part of a year to qualify one resin was reduced by 5-6 months. So it saved us time and got us better commercial conditions”*
Senior Packaging Procurement Manager
Material qualification in recycled plastics is a crucial process that guarantees the materials used comply with the industry standards. First, identify the technical, regulatory, and performance specifications your packaging must meet. Next, find suppliers that provide recycled plastics, ensuring the material aligns with your defined requirements. Then your lab & industrial test, and packaging trials will assess the material’s properties and behavior.
Want to manage it all in one place? Resycure’s Smart Qualification® program speeds up the process by providing pre-qualified materials backed by rigorous testing. We coordinate every step, from recycler sampling to final packaging trials, and you receive materials that meet your performance and compliance needs without delay.
Step 4: Demonstrate Sustainability Impact
Switching to PCR is more than just a business decision – it’s a step toward building a more sustainable future. Every piece of packaging made from recycled materials contributes to reducing waste, conserving resources, and lowering carbon emissions.
At Resycure, we help you quantify this positive impact by providing detailed carbon footprint reports for each batch of material. These insights empower you to communicate your environmental achievements with transparency and inspire confidence among consumers, partners, and stakeholders.
