The certification landscape: GRS, ISCC PLUS, food contact, and what buyers should verify

Recycled content schemes

GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certifies recycled content percentage with chain-of-custody through each processing stage, plus social and environmental criteria at certified sites. ISCC PLUS certifies sustainable and circular feedstocks with mass-balance accounting — critical for chemical recycling, where physical segregation of recycled molecules is impossible.

The key distinction for buyers: physical segregation schemes attest that this material is recycled; mass-balance schemes attest that an equivalent quantity of recycled feedstock entered a certified system. Both are legitimate, but marketing claims must match the scheme — and several jurisdictions are tightening rules on how mass-balance claims can be worded on packaging.

Food contact and product safety

Food contact compliance is regulatory, not voluntary: EU regulations 10/2011 and 2022/1616 (for recycled plastics) and FDA regulations in the US define what documentation must exist. For recycled content in food packaging, the recycler's decontamination process itself requires authorization — a supplier claiming food-grade rPET should be able to cite their specific process authorization, not just provide a general certificate.

Declarations of compliance are supplier-issued documents, and their quality varies enormously. A robust DoC specifies the exact regulation, the material grade, tested migration limits, and any usage restrictions (temperature, food types, contact duration).

How to verify rather than trust

Every major scheme maintains a public certificate database — GRS via Textile Exchange, ISCC via its certificate registry. Verify the certificate number, scope, and validity dates directly rather than accepting a PDF. Scope matters: a site certified for one process line or material stream does not automatically cover everything the company sells.

For high-stakes applications, audit rights in the supply agreement and periodic third-party testing of delivered material close the gap between what certificates attest and what arrives in the silo.