The digital procurement platform for recycled plastics, Cirplus, has developed a new standard for the use of recycled plastics together with the IKK - Institute for Plastics and Circular Economy and the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute. DIN SPEC 91481 improves the quality assurance of polyamide-based recyclates by rectifying the previously poor data quality.
The new DIN SPEC 91481 provides clear guidelines for the classification and description of waste and recyclates, thus simplifying the trade in recycled plastics. In addition, the co-operation partners have developed a Concept for a digital product passport for plastic recyclates and waste along the entire value chain, which can also be implemented at European level.
With the digital product passport in accordance with DIN SPEC 91481, a Comprehensive data acquisition and processing of raw materials through to the compound be ensured. The aim is to ensure the data quality of the material over its entire life cycle and to create the often missing information at the raw material level and pass it on in a legally compliant manner.
“Quality fluctuations and price differences between virgin material and recycled plastics are currently making it difficult to expand the recyclate market. Standards facilitate the use and procurement of circular plastics and are therefore a basic prerequisite for scaling up the recycling industry. DIN SPEC 91481 creates more clarity for polyamide-based waste and recyclates and provides an important impetus for a deeper digitalisation of the plastics and waste industry.”
Christian Schiller, Founder and Managing Director of Cirplus
Combined with the wide reach and ease of use of digital platforms, DIN SPEC 91481 paves the way for a paradigm shift towards a truly circular plastics industry, which is catalysed by standardisation and digitalisation.
“The new DIN SPEC is an opportunity for all stakeholders in the value creation cycles of recycling, including in the field of technical plastic recyclates, to remove current obstacles in terms of both quantity and quality. This can make a significant contribution to defossilisation and a more CO2-neutral circular economy in the plastics industry.”
Prof Dr Hans-Josef Endres, Head of the IKK at the University of Hanover and consortium leader of DIN SPEC 91481 as well as the previous DIN SPEC 91446.
DIN SPEC 91481 builds on DIN SPEC 91446, which was also initiated by Cirplus, and transfers the data quality levels defined there to the specific requirements of polyamide recyclates. This previous standard is already used in the packaging and construction industries and was adopted by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) at the beginning of 2023 in VDA Recommendation 284 - a pioneering guideline for the use of recycled plastics in automobiles.
SourceCirplus
