Using standards and certifications scheme to support industry best practice

Standards are needed to assure the plastic pellets are managed in a safer way and should be the minimum requirements across the supply chain. External audits allow companies to prove that they handle pellets responsibly and verify pellets are handled at every stage of their life cycle appropriately. A public register of certified companies allows others to buy products from those that handle them responsibly.

Opportunity

Certification of standards can build on existing voluntary approaches to pellet management. Certified standards are already used on many industrial sites for health, safety and environmental management. A pellet handling standard and certification scheme could reach almost all parts of the supply chain.

Challenge

A certification scheme is only as good as the standard that underpins it. A vague minimum standard, and poorly managed certification scheme will not bring about the needed change, and limited transparency could lead to greenwashing. Voluntary schemes won’t reach all companies– further levers such as legislation will be needed to reach the worst offenders.

Current Activity

Standards: A publicly available specification, PAS 510, has been developed by BSI, it outlines how pellet handlers can stop pellet loss and is freely available and applicable globally to all actors in the supply chain. Increasingly retailers and brands are asking their suppliers to meet this standard. However without external audits, ISOs or robust certification schemes it is still hard for companies to prove they are following best practice.

Certification: In 2023 Plastics Europe and EUPC launched a certification scheme for plastic pellet handlers in Europe. However it does now follow the OSPAR Recommendation of using a rigorous standards (i.e PAS 510) and there is insufficient details on addressing loss from all stages of the supply chain such as transport.

To date voluntary initiatives have not driven sector wide uptake of measures to address pellet loss. Legislation will be needed to ensure all companies meet standards and to ensure certification schemes meet minimum requirements.

Actions

– Call for a legislated supply approach based on rigorous standards and independent, transparent certification using 3rd party audits against these standards.

– Demand zero pellet loss targets in legislation and certification

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Resources

Supply chain approach

Scottish Government – Preventing plastic pollution from pellet loss: supply chain approach 2020 – Report

Summary of work commissioned on behalf of the Scottish Government Plastic Pellet Loss Steering Group

Fidra – How do we tackle plastic pollution from global pellet loss? – Supply Chain Approach – Leaflet

All companies handling pellets should take full responsibility of the pellets they handle

BSI Specification for Plastic Pellets PAS510

PAS510:2021 sets out requirements for the handling and management of plastic pellets, flakes and powders throughout the supply chain to prevent spills, leaks and loss to the environment

PS Partnerships Review of PE EUPC OCS Certification Scheme Documents

PS Partnerships Review of PE EUPC OCS Certification Scheme: Certification schemes are often needed to allow industry to show they…

Fidra's requirements for effective certification:

Uptake by plastic pellet handling companies & sites
Uptake by plastic pellet handling companies & sites
1. Certification must provide a mechanism to verify that companies are compliant with an agreed standard of best practice to prevent pellet loss to the environment, wherever pellets are handled.
1. Certification must provide a mechanism to verify that companies are compliant with an agreed standard of best practice to prevent pellet loss to the environment, wherever pellets are handled.
1.1 Recognised standards: certification must use a pellet handling standard or standards that have been developed with multi-stakeholder consultation and are publicly available. See FFI & Fidra minimum requirements
1.1 Recognised standards: certification must use a pellet handling standard or standards that have been developed with multi-stakeholder consultation and are publicly available. See FFI & Fidra minimum requirements
1.2 Third party audits: the scheme must require audits by independent professional auditors who are accredited by a recognised authority to assess compliance with the standard being used and have had training to do so.
1.2 Third party audits: the scheme must require audits by independent professional auditors who are accredited by a recognised authority to assess compliance with the standard being used and have had training to do so.
1.3. Site-level certification: certification must be done at site / depot level (not at company level) and involve a site inspection. The resulting certification will only apply to the specified site or (in the case of transporters) depot.
1.3. Site-level certification: certification must be done at site / depot level (not at company level) and involve a site inspection. The resulting certification will only apply to the specified site or (in the case of transporters) depot.
1.4 Universal access: the scheme must be available to and appropriate for any company that handles or has custody of pellets or plastic products made from them, whatever their size or function in the supply chain.
1.4 Universal access: the scheme must be available to and appropriate for any company that handles or has custody of pellets or plastic products made from them, whatever their size or function in the supply chain.
1.5 Dealing with non-compliance: certification must include appropriate procedures for addressing non-compliance, the criteria for which must be clearly defined within the certification scheme. Procedures must result in failure / loss of the certificate if non-compliance is not addressed within a standard, short timeframe, as specified by the scheme. Completion of corrective actions must be confirmed by the independent auditor.
1.5 Dealing with non-compliance: certification must include appropriate procedures for addressing non-compliance, the criteria for which must be clearly defined within the certification scheme. Procedures must result in failure / loss of the certificate if non-compliance is not addressed within a standard, short timeframe, as specified by the scheme. Completion of corrective actions must be confirmed by the independent auditor.
1.6 Regular recertification and surveillance: certification must be valid for a limited time (e.g. 3 years), during which surveillance audits must be conducted at least annually and the conclusions from the surveillance audits, including any non-compliances and completion of required corrective actions, made public.
1.6 Regular recertification and surveillance: certification must be valid for a limited time (e.g. 3 years), during which surveillance audits must be conducted at least annually and the conclusions from the surveillance audits, including any non-compliances and completion of required corrective actions, made public.
2 Certification must be sufficiently transparent to allow regulators and the general public to understand what the scheme entails and assess its effectiveness.
2 Certification must be sufficiently transparent to allow regulators and the general public to understand what the scheme entails and assess its effectiveness.
2.1 Scheme transparency: details of the certification scheme must be publicly available, so that the equivalence of different schemes can be assessed, and to provide assurance that effective measures are in place to prevent pellet loss at sites certified to any of the available schemes.
2.1 Scheme transparency: details of the certification scheme must be publicly available, so that the equivalence of different schemes can be assessed, and to provide assurance that effective measures are in place to prevent pellet loss at sites certified to any of the available schemes.
2.2. Identification of certified companies: certificate holders must be easy to find e.g. logged on a public register, to allow selection of certified operators by others in the supply chain
2.2. Identification of certified companies: certificate holders must be easy to find e.g. logged on a public register, to allow selection of certified operators by others in the supply chain
2.3 Public reporting: certification must include production of a certification report, a summary of which must be publicly available. The summary report must include information on non-compliances, required corrective actions and estimated volumes of pellets lost at the certified site. No commercially sensitive information will be required in the summary report.
2.3 Public reporting: certification must include production of a certification report, a summary of which must be publicly available. The summary report must include information on non-compliances, required corrective actions and estimated volumes of pellets lost at the certified site. No commercially sensitive information will be required in the summary report.
2.4 Tracking progress: certification schemes must make information available that allows an assessment of scheme effectiveness, e.g. aggregated data on pellet loss to the environment from certified operators.
2.4 Tracking progress: certification schemes must make information available that allows an assessment of scheme effectiveness, e.g. aggregated data on pellet loss to the environment from certified operators.
3) Certification must require tracking of certified pellets and products made from them, along the full chain of custody, from production to placing final products on the market.
3) Certification must require tracking of certified pellets and products made from them, along the full chain of custody, from production to placing final products on the market.
3.1 Secure chain of custody: certification schemes must require that material can be uniquely identified throughout its journey along the supply chain, accompanied by information on the certification status of all actors who have had custody of the material. This is so that anyone placing plastic products on the market can verify they come from certified supply chains. This could be supported through a digital tracking system.
3.1 Secure chain of custody: certification schemes must require that material can be uniquely identified throughout its journey along the supply chain, accompanied by information on the certification status of all actors who have had custody of the material. This is so that anyone placing plastic products on the market can verify they come from certified supply chains. This could be supported through a digital tracking system.
4) Certification schemes must encourage uptake throughout the industry.
4) Certification schemes must encourage uptake throughout the industry.
4.1 Working towards compliance: Certification schemes must provide a way to facilitate and encourage companies to work toward certification. Such a mechanism is particularly important considering the large number of SMEs & micro-businesses in the plastics industry. Ideally, a support scheme to assist SMEs to gain certification should be created.
4.1 Working towards compliance: Certification schemes must provide a way to facilitate and encourage companies to work toward certification. Such a mechanism is particularly important considering the large number of SMEs & micro-businesses in the plastics industry. Ideally, a support scheme to assist SMEs to gain certification should be created.
4.2 Enabling supply chain pressure: The system must be designed to ensure that supply chain pressure can drive uptake and encourages an industry-wide culture shift toward zero pellet loss. For example a recent report for the Scottish Government proposes making procurement from certified companies a condition of certification.
4.2 Enabling supply chain pressure: The system must be designed to ensure that supply chain pressure can drive uptake and encourages an industry-wide culture shift toward zero pellet loss. For example a recent report for the Scottish Government proposes making procurement from certified companies a condition of certification.
Uptake by industry
Uptake by industry

Plastics Europe - EUPC Operation Clean Sweep Certification Scheme

$20 / month

Uptake by plastic pellet handling companies & sites
No companies/sites are currently certified (out of the ~50,000 companies estimated by Plastic Europe to be handling pellets in Europe)
1. Certification must provide a mechanism to verify that companies are compliant with an agreed standard of best practice to prevent pellet loss to the environment, wherever pellets are handled.
Scheme launched February 2023
1.1 Recognised standards: certification must use a pellet handling standard or standards that have been developed with multi-stakeholder consultation and are publicly available. See FFI & Fidra minimum requirements
Does not use PAS510 or recognised standard
1.2 Third party audits: the scheme must require audits by independent professional auditors who are accredited by a recognised authority to assess compliance with the standard being used and have had training to do so.
Third party audits are required from accredited auditors(accredited auditors not currently available)
1.3. Site-level certification: certification must be done at site / depot level (not at company level) and involve a site inspection. The resulting certification will only apply to the specified site or (in the case of transporters) depot.
Certification is at facility level. Further details of how this is made clear on company websites and the public register are required.
1.4 Universal access: the scheme must be available to and appropriate for any company that handles or has custody of pellets or plastic products made from them, whatever their size or function in the supply chain.
While the scheme is meant to be open to all there are in sufficient details on transport requirements both on land and at sea.
1.5 Dealing with non-compliance: certification must include appropriate procedures for addressing non-compliance, the criteria for which must be clearly defined within the certification scheme. Procedures must result in failure / loss of the certificate if non-compliance is not addressed within a standard, short timeframe, as specified by the scheme. Completion of corrective actions must be confirmed by the independent auditor.
Yes 30 days to rectify, unclear if this is confirmed by auditor
1.6 Regular recertification and surveillance: certification must be valid for a limited time (e.g. 3 years), during which surveillance audits must be conducted at least annually and the conclusions from the surveillance audits, including any non-compliances and completion of required corrective actions, made public.
3 year certification with control and renewal audits required but these are not annual and are not required to be public
2 Certification must be sufficiently transparent to allow regulators and the general public to understand what the scheme entails and assess its effectiveness.
2.1 Scheme transparency: details of the certification scheme must be publicly available, so that the equivalence of different schemes can be assessed, and to provide assurance that effective measures are in place to prevent pellet loss at sites certified to any of the available schemes.
Some details of the scheme are available, but governance details such as the membership of committees are not transparent
2.2. Identification of certified companies: certificate holders must be easy to find e.g. logged on a public register, to allow selection of certified operators by others in the supply chain
No public regisiter available to date
2.3 Public reporting: certification must include production of a certification report, a summary of which must be publicly available. The summary report must include information on non-compliances, required corrective actions and estimated volumes of pellets lost at the certified site. No commercially sensitive information will be required in the summary report.
Currently no public reporting
2.4 Tracking progress: certification schemes must make information available that allows an assessment of scheme effectiveness, e.g. aggregated data on pellet loss to the environment from certified operators.
No public data on scheme's effectiveness
3) Certification must require tracking of certified pellets and products made from them, along the full chain of custody, from production to placing final products on the market.
3.1 Secure chain of custody: certification schemes must require that material can be uniquely identified throughout its journey along the supply chain, accompanied by information on the certification status of all actors who have had custody of the material. This is so that anyone placing plastic products on the market can verify they come from certified supply chains. This could be supported through a digital tracking system.
No digital tracking system for certified pellets
4) Certification schemes must encourage uptake throughout the industry.
4.1 Working towards compliance: Certification schemes must provide a way to facilitate and encourage companies to work toward certification. Such a mechanism is particularly important considering the large number of SMEs & micro-businesses in the plastics industry. Ideally, a support scheme to assist SMEs to gain certification should be created.
No incentives to join the scheme No related training course, advice line or other support services. No bespoke support for SMEs
4.2 Enabling supply chain pressure: The system must be designed to ensure that supply chain pressure can drive uptake and encourages an industry-wide culture shift toward zero pellet loss. For example a recent report for the Scottish Government proposes making procurement from certified companies a condition of certification.
Procurement policies are not in the scheme
Uptake by industry
No companies are currently certified