Kickstarted by a customer project: Since the beginning of 2024, we have held the ISCC PLUS label for certified circular economy and bioeconomy throughout the entire supply chain. The ISCC PLUS initiative is committed to gradually replacing fossil raw materials with recyclable, ecologically sustainable, raw materials. What does this mean in concrete terms for our production processes? Will we be using only sustainable plastic in our production? And what exactly is sustainable plastic?
ISCC PLUS certification was achieved as part of a customer project for medical technology components (ISCC stands for International Sustainability & Carbon Certification). For an ISCC PLUS-compliant product made from renewable or recyclable raw materials, the entire supply chain must be certified. The label can be obtained in a wide range of sectors, including food and animal feed, chemicals, and packaging. As the distributor of a product, the customer must feel secure in the knowledge that all project participants – in our case, from the granulate manufacturer to the injection molder – are acting in compliance with ISCC PLUS. The certificate guarantees complete traceability throughout the entire supply chain.
Sustainable plastics: recyclable or produced with green electricity
The chain begins with the raw material manufacturer, who offers ISCC PLUS-compliant and therefore sustainable plastics. Sustainable can mean various things here. New plastic granules can be produced from plastic waste, meaning that they are reused and reprocessed in a circular economy. This reduces the use of new crude oil. The properties of these plastics must fully correspond to those of fossil raw materials in order to be used as an alternative.
It is also possible to produce plastics using “green” forms of energy, such as hydrogen. These raw materials are also labeled sustainable.
The mass balance method
In order to obtain certification, we have to prove that we source sustainable raw materials from the portfolio of an ISCC PLUS-certified manufacturer. To do this, we use a mass balance procedure that works in a similar way to energy trading. Green electricity certificates are purchased with the aim of increasing the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources. Ultimately, however, the same electricity is always flowing through the lines, whether from fossil or green generation. However, fossil-based electricity generation can be reduced by increasing the number of green electricity certificates. Mass balancing according to ISCC PLUS is similar: we acquire corresponding credits from the manufacturer’s sustainable raw materials portfolio. We can use the value of these credits to produce ISCC PLUS-compliant components for our client company. For example, one ton of sustainable granulate purchased corresponds to 1,000 credits. We need 500 kg of material for 100,000 parts, so 500 credits are used from our stock and 500 credits are left over. At RKT, the certification is currently valid for the plastic groups POM (polyoxymethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), and can be extended as required.
In fact, the material purchased does not have to be bioplastic, but conventionally produced granulate from fossil raw materials – just like conventional electricity from the socket. The ISCC PLUS label is key to balancing accounts for purchases and sales. It means that certain products can be assigned the ISCC PLUS label, even if they were manufactured using fossil materials. The proportion of renewable and recyclable raw materials used by manufacturers and companies is still low, but we are seeing growing interest among client companies. The more companies that opt for sustainable plastics in their products, the more both our and the manufacturer’s share of renewable raw materials can grow to establish a circular economy.
High certification requirements
The certification process required considerable effort, as the criteria are strict. Numerous processes had to be meticulously verified, including the procurement process, incoming and outgoing goods, production processes, and staff training. Many requirements had already been established through our existing management systems. However, mass balancing was new territory and had to be incorporated into our processes and training programs. A small project team led by Alex Winkler, Head of Integrated Management Systems and Sustainability Officer, worked on the ISCC PLUS certification for a total of one year.
As sustainable action is part of our corporate DNA, it was clear shortly after the customer inquiry that the ISCC PLUS approach was a good fit for our company. Alongside our customers, we want to be pioneers so that they can offer the first completely “green” medical technology products in specific segments.
Your ISCC PLUS project
If you are interested in manufacturing ISCC PLUS-compliant products or want to know more about the concept, requirements and costs, please contact Alex Winkler: Alex.Winkler@rkt.de.
