Many consumers are unsure - does it really make a difference to separate waste and throw plastic in the yellow bag or does it all end up in the incinerator after all? Do companies really recycle effectively or is it more pretence than reality?
This is precisely where the newly created RAL quality mark „%-Recycling Plastic“ on: The first independent sign that the percentage of recycled plastic materials from the Yellow Bag or Yellow Bin in products. The recycling of commercial and industrial waste is explicitly not included in the percentage figures in order to specifically incentivise the reuse of plastic materials from household waste.
The quality mark is intended to give the consumer the certainty that a truly resource-saving product and strengthen the acceptance of recycled products.
„The quality mark makes the use of recycled plastics transparent and thus strengthens the understanding of continuous waste separation as the basis of a genuine circular economy. The label makes it clear that packaging is returned from the shelf to the shelf, the valuable plastic remains in the cycle and is used again and again.“
Dr Ina-Maria Becker, Chairwoman of the Quality Association for Recyclates from Household Recyclables Collection
RAL Quality Mark promotes the aims of the Recyclate Initiative
The founding members of the quality mark include the Mainz-based cleaning products company Werner & Mertz, which has been committed to the high-quality processing and reuse of used plastic from the Yellow Bag since 2012 with the founding of the Recyclate Initiative.
„In our opinion, recycling or upcycling used plastic from household collections is the most effective approach to counteracting the plastic littering of our planet. If plastic is kept in circulation, it is a very sustainable recyclable material. The quality mark enables consumers to recognise at first glance which high-quality packaging has been made from the Yellow Bag material.“
Alexander Schau, Packaging developer at Werner & Mertz
In addition to Werner & Mertz, many other cooperation partners of the Recyclate Initiative are also members of the Quality Association, namely Der Grüne Punkt, ALPLA and NABU as an honorary member.
„There is still a lot of room for improvement in the recycling of plastic waste from the yellow bin and the recycling bin because manufacturers often still reject the recyclates from this waste. But companies like Werner & Mertz show that high-quality packaging and products can be made from this waste with the RAL Quality Mark for Recyclates from Household Recycling Collections. The new label strengthens the recycling of plastics and shows consumers that it pays to separate waste and that they are making an active contribution to environmental protection and resource conservation.“
Leif Miller, NABU Federal Managing Director
Complex certification for seamless traceability
To ensure that the proportion of recyclate from the Yellow Bag in the packaging can be guaranteed without any gaps All process stages - from sorting and processing through to the use of recyclates in the individual products - is documented and all production sites are inspected.
At Werner & Mertz this includes the auditing of all production sites of ALPLA and Werner & Mertz (Mainz and Hallein) relevant to the respective product. Independent assessors and experts - appointed by the RAL Quality Association - carry out the certification. Regular self-inspections by the companies and external audits every two years ensure that the information is transparent.
In the first step, Werner & Mertz's PE packaging was audited, including packaging for the emsal and green care Professional brands and the new Frosch Senses shower gel bottle. In the next step the PET packaging validated.
