Wertstoffbehälter der ESE GmbH mit dem Blauem Engel

Award criteria for the ecolabel “Blue Angel – products made out of recycled plastics”

It is more expensive for companies to use recycled plastics than new plastics. This makes the marketing of products made out of recycled plastics with the ecolabel Blue Angel even more important: The label guarantees the consumer an 80 per cent share of recycled materials. Since 2019 the award criteria also require lab measurements of the recycled materials and verification concerning the migration of heavy metals.

The Blue Angel offers companies the opportunity to market their sustainable products more effectively. Since 2019, the award criteria for materials made out of recycled plastics additionally require laboratory measurements of post-consumer materials and verification regarding the migration of heavy metals.

For over 40 years the ecolabel Blue Angel has provided a guarantee that products and services bearing its label are verifiably less harmful to the environment than comparable conventional products—without compromising. The quality label is owned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment. The German Environment Agency reviews the award criteria every three to four years on their behalf.

The ecolabel as a competitive advantage

The Blue Angel signals to the consumer that recycled materials were used to manufacture the product. For the manufacturer, however, it initially presents a competitive disadvantage because the purchase price of post-consumer materials (PCR) is significantly higher than that of new plastics. This means that companies manufacturing sustainable products out of plastic cannot sell their products at a lower price. But because the ecolabel award criteria are so strict, the Blue Angel offers companies the chance to emphasise the sustainability of their products. The ESE GmbH from Neuruppin made use of this. Back in 2016, it became the first manufacturer to certify their waste and recyclable material containers made of PCR materials through the examining authority RAL for the Blue Angel. This helps the company, for example, to take part in municipal tenders that require sustainability or even explicitly the quality seal from the Federal Ministry for the Environment.

Containers for recyclables from the company ESE GmbH with the Blue Angel ecolabel
Containers for recyclables from the company ESE GmbH with the Blue Angel ecolabel

The Blue Angel is likewise popular with customers and enjoys a high degree of trust from consumers in Germany. Over 90 per cent of consumers have heard of the ecolabel. The experiences of manufacturers show that customers will choose products made out of PCR materials if they have the option. They even ask specifically for the Blue Angel label.

New award criteria since January 2019

To maintain the consumers’ trust in the certification, in 2019 the label awarding body RAL published new award criteria for products made out of recycled plastics, based on knowledge from (DE-ZU 30a) research. As has already been required since 2016, plastic products must contain at least 80% PCR, i.e. plastic waste from private or commercial end consumers. Additionally, the applicant must document the supply chain according to the Europe-wide certification programme for the recycling of plastic waste. (EuCertPlast).

Chemical testing for PCR granulate and the migration of heavy metals

For the first time, the new award criteria require laboratory measurements of PCR granulate. For soft or flexible plastic materials and all recycled PVC materials, the phthalate content of all substances included in the Candidate List according to Article 59 of the REACH regulation (European regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) at the time of application must be determined. The applicant must also determine the halogen content (chlorine and bromine) for all PCR materials and, for hard PVCs, the cadmium content.

Since 2019, the Blue Angel also guarantees that no harmful migration of heavy metals occur. This is especially important when PCR materials come into direct contact with skin, hair, soil, or water. For products that come into contact with skin, the applicant must additionally determine the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content.

According to the 2016 award criteria, non-PCR plastics and PCR materials are not permitted to contain any substances that are designated with defined hazard labels according to the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP) of Substances and Mixtures. These substances, such as pigments, UV stabilisers or other additives, present a physical, health or ecological hazard. According to the new award criteria, further substances with hazard labels are not permitted if the plastic comes into contact with skin.

The label awarding body RAL simplifies the application process, as it is now also possible online. As soon as the certification is complete, the product enjoys a significant advantage against competitors without the Blue Angel.