Authors: Karin Eufinger (Centexbel) Jane Gardner (ERFMI)

Identification of End-of-life materials

End-of-life materials identification is an important step for the further re-use/ recycling of materials.

Below a list of published standards and standards in development (materials identification):

• EN 15342:2007 Plastics – Recycled Plastics – Characterization of polystyrene (PS) recyclates
• EN 15343:2007 Plastics – Recycled Plastics – Plastics recycling traceability and assessment of conformity and recycled content
• EN 15345:2007 Plastics – Recycled Plastics – Characterisation of Polypropylene (PP) recyclates
• EN 15347:2007 Plastics – Recycled Plastics – Characterisation of plastics wastes
• CEN/TS 16011:2013 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Sample preparation
• EN 15346:2014 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Characterization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) recyclates
• EN 15348:2014 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Characterization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) recyclates
• CEN/TS 16861:2015 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Determination of selected marker compounds in food grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• CEN/TS 16010:2020 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Sampling procedures for testing plastics waste and recyclates
• EN 17410:2021 Plastics – Controlled loop recycling of PVC-U profiles from windows and doors
• EN 15344:2021 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Characterization of Polyethylene (PE) recyclates
• CEN/TS 17627:2021 Plastics – Recycled plastics – Determination of solid contaminants content
• WI00134302 Resilient, textile, laminate and modular mechanical locked floor coverings —Circular Economy and Sustainability — Recommendations/ Guidelines for Design
• WI00134286 “Definition and Declaration of Recyclability and Recycling Potential of textile floor coverings” (preliminary)
• WI00134287 “Definition and declaration of recycled content (organic and inorganic) in textile floor coverings” (active)

There is some overlap of these standards with the secondary raw material quality assessment (see section 2.2.5.)

Different labels and certification schemes utilize standards, please also refer to section 3.

Secondary raw material quality assessment

Secondary raw material quality assessment is important for the (re-)introduction of these materials into the market. For one, all materials used in manufacturing need to be compliant with EU legislation, including e.g. REACH⁽³⁾¹, as is the case for virgin materials.

Standards for the quality assessment of secondary raw materials are still under development, below a list of standards in development (CEN TC249):

Plastics – Quality requirements for application of plastic recyclates in products

• Part 1: General aspects (PWIWI00249A3K)
• Part 2: Polyethylene (PE) (PWI00249A3C)
• Part 3: Polypropylene (PP) (PWI00249A3I)
• Part 4: Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) (PWI00249A3D)
• Part 5: Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) (PWI00249A3E)
• Part 6: Polystyrene (PS) (PWI00249A3F)
• Part 7: Polyamide (PA) (PWI00249A3G)
• Part 8: Poly(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) (ABS) (PWI00249A3H)
• Part 9: Polycarbonate (PC) (PWI00249A3J)