Frequently asked Questions

CERTILOOP Certification and Consultancy Services Inc. Our company, which was established in Istanbul as; provides services in the fields of certification, verification, sustainability and consultancy.

The entire value chain in the plastics and recycling industry; By bringing together raw material manufacturers, product manufacturers, compound, masterbatch and additive manufacturers, recycling facilities, brand owners and waste management experts, they can make statements about the suitability of products for recycling and the rate of recycled content in the products in a fair and reliable manner. documents.

CERTILOOP; It is an independent Conformity Inspection Body that meets the need for certification of products, processes and services in Turkey according to ISO EN 17065, ISO EN 22095 and ISO EN 15343 standards.

With the long years of experience of CERTILOOP founders in the plastics and recycling sectors, it also provides consultancy to sector companies in sustainability, waste management, national and international environmental obligations and regulatory areas.

You can review the presentation below to have an idea about the appropriate evaluation method for your packaging.

CERTILOOP Recycling Conformity Assessment Presentation

A Confidentiality Agreement is signed by all parties involved in the evaluation process, which guarantees the confidentiality of all packaging-related information. The contract template is prepared by CERTILOOP.

After you contact CERTILOOP to check that your packaging is suitable for recycling, CERTILOOP first checks the packaging's design specifications for certification and appoints an auditor for your company if the packaging is suitable for evaluation. Upon completion of the auditor's assessment, a detailed certification report and a final certificate are issued.

At least 10 samples should be sent to the inspector for evaluation. Please note that additional samples may be requested if required. The auditor will guide you through this step.

Additional tests may be requested by the auditor. A segregation test is requested if your package has at least one of the following characteristics:

1. Large labels (covering > 50% of the surface) made of a different material than the main product body,
2. The label covering the entire product,
3. Multilayer structures (except PE/PP EVOH),
4. Metalization (except inner/middle layer),
5. Colors not detectable with NIR (if applied as internal layers),
6. Different types of plastic used on the front and back,
7. Different types of plastics (rigid and flexible) (e.g. bags) used in the product,
8. Round shapes that are very hard and difficult to compress.

A wash test may be requested to verify that the adhesive and label are easily removed from the packaging and/or to verify that the printing inks are not flowing.

If any additional testing is required to perform the certification, the auditor always informs the applicant first.

Yes, in all cases, the CERTILOOP logo is taken, which indicates the recyclability class of the packaging (from A to F), the relevant certificate and the inspection report.

CERTILOOP will provide the 'Use of Logos and Claims' guide on how to use the logo (size, shape, color, frame, etc.) in accordance with your communication channel (social media broadcast, packaging printing, etc.).

The Recyclable Design assessment is a qualitative assessment of all the characteristics of your final packaging. As a result, your packaging will receive a grade rank from A to F. Upon completion of Certification, CERTILOOP will provide you with a logo, associated lettering and guidance on the use of logos and claims in your communications. The issued certificate is valid for 3 years for the European and Turkish markets.

The Recyclability Rate assessment is a quantitative assessment of a plastic packaging. This is a country-specific assessment, given that the collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure differs in each country. As a result, your packaging will be given a percentage of recyclable content (%). In addition, you will receive a logo with the corresponding class rank (AF) and a guidance document on how to use the logo and explain its suitability for recycling. The Certificate is valid for 3 years for the specific geographic region where the Certificate was obtained.

If all the features of the packaging cover the features specified in the CERTILOOP Recycling Compliance Ratio and Class Calculation Procedure and the Recyclable Product Design Procedure, it is entitled to receive the Recycling Conformity Certificate. This certificate allows you to label the package with a logo that specifies the final class of the package (A to F).
However, for products not yet covered in CERTILOOP procedures, Technology/Product Approval will be given as a result of the tests to be carried out in contracted laboratories within the framework of the CERTILOOP Recyclable Design Procedure and Recycling Conformity Assessment Procedure.

After you contact the CERTILOOP team via info@certiloop.com, we will evaluate the product with our Technical Committee in line with the procedures we have prepared for the product you will forward to us, and as a result, we will issue a letter of Approval to you. Below you can find the approval process chart.

Applicants can choose from “Recognized Laboratories” by CERTILOOP according to the type of packaging to be tested. It should be noted that laboratories cannot evaluate every package, it may be necessary to work with a different laboratory depending on the package type. Laboratories will provide applicants with a quote for the sample testing provided.

The amount of sample that must be supplied to the laboratory depends on the type of packaging and the recommended minimum quantities are given below as outlined in the CERTILOOP Conformity for Recycling Assessment Procedure. If necessary, laboratories may request additional information from you.

1. For flexible packaging: at least 10 kg of new product (as packaging) and 20 kg of control material (as packaging),
2. For rigid packaging: at least 20 kg of new product (as packaging) and 30 kg of control material (as packaging)

In the case of a Technology or Product Approval, you may be required to perform an additional segregation test according to the CERTILOOP Discrimination Procedure. This step is required if your packaging has been designed with at least one of the following features according to the CERTILOOP Recycling Compliance Ratio and Class Calculation Procedure. In this case, the Technical Committee will inform the applicant of additional costs before starting the testing process.

9. Large labels (covering > 50% of the surface) made of a different material than the main product body,
10. The label covering the entire product,
11. Multilayer structures (except PE/PP EVOH),
12. Metalization (except inner/middle layer),
13. Colors not detectable with NIR (if applied as internal layers),
14. Different types of plastic used on the front and back,
15. Different types of plastics (rigid and flexible) (e.g. bags) used in the product,
16. Round shapes that are very hard and difficult to compress.

Print, material used and/or product content etc. Changing specifications can actually change the evaluation result of the final package. Therefore, only the final packaging is suitable for certification. For this reason, a Letter of Conformity will be given instead of a certificate as a result of the evaluation of the semi-finished packaging's suitability for recycling.

The use of the CERTILOOP logo is prohibited at this stage. The use of any claim regarding the suitability for recycling of the semi-finished product is not supported by CERTILOOP. To use the logo and/or have CERTILOOP approval, the final packaging must be submitted for certification.

After the completion of the assessment by CERTILOOP, a detailed audit report and a final certificate will be issued. Certification focuses on the traceability of recycled plastics in a process and the verification of a certain percentage of recycled plastic content in products. The audit is carried out in accordance with the principles of the controlled blending chain of custody model defined in EN 15343 and ISO 22095. All actors of the plastics value chain that use recycled plastic in their products can apply for this certification.

The calculation follows the method described in the EN 15343:2007 Plastic Recycling standard. This is a controlled mixing model that focuses on the physical traceability of recycled plastics. It provides robust and reliable verification of the use of recycled plastic in products and allows reporting of a known percentage of recycled plastic in printouts.

CERTILOOP provides you with the 'Use of Claims and Logos' guide on how to use the logo (size, shape, color, frame, etc.) in accordance with your communication channels (social media broadcasting, packaging printing, etc.). This document outlines what can be done to publicly and accurately announce your Certification.

With certification of the recycling process, plastic recyclers can demonstrate the quality of their production processes and transparently declare the source of waste. The audit program has been prepared in accordance with EN 15343:2007 and ISO 22095:2020 standards. Certification of the Recycling Process is a point of origin inspection for the chain of custody of recycled plastics.

After you contact CERTILOOP to get a certificate, an auditor will be appointed to you, and after the on-site audits, an audit report will be prepared and your certificate will be issued to you.

CERTILOOP provides you with the 'Use of Claims and Logos' guide on how to use the logo (size, shape, color, frame, etc.) in accordance with your communication channels (social media broadcasting, packaging printing, etc.).

Whereas Recycling Process Certification focuses on the certification of pre- and post-consumer recycling processes, Recycled Plastic Traceability Certification focuses on the traceability of materials along the entire value chain and subsequently the calculation of the recycled content in products. Recycling Process Certification, or equivalent, is a point-of-source inspection for the chain of custody of recycled plastics. This means that a company seeking Recycled Plastic Traceability Certification must have its recycled material supply certified under the CERTILOOP Recycling Process Certification (or equivalent).