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ISO 14021
Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)

Demonstrate transparency, validate recycled content claims, and strengthen trust in your sustainability performance.

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Overview

What is Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)?

Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) content refers to plastic waste from used consumer products that is collected, cleaned, and reprocessed for manufacturing. Unlike virgin plastic, PCR diverts materials from landfills and reduces environmental impact. It has become essential for regulatory compliance and corporate sustainability commitments.
ISO 14021 (Post-Consumer Recycled Content) verifies Type II environmental claims related to recycled plastic materials. It confirms that plastics collected after consumer use are properly sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new products. Certification involves on-site audits, labeling checks, and a 2-years validity period, helping organizations meet regulatory mandates and reduce environmental impact. Through independent verification of traceability, segregation, and mass balance calculations, ISO 14021 ensures transparency, credibility, and global compliance. It enables organizations to make trustworthy environmental claims, enhance brand reputation, and build confidence among regulators, investors, and consumers.

Key Features of ISO 14021

Claim verification under ISO 14021 Type II confirms transparent, traceable recycled-content claims and supports regulatory alignment, brand credibility, and market trust.

Global Impact

PCR is a global priority, with ISO 14021 ensuring transparent, verifiable recycled-content claims worldwide.

Regulatory Compliance

Support compliance with India's Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022, mandating 25 % recycled content by 2025 and 30 % by 2030.

Resource Integrity and Assurance

Ensure traceability, segregation, and mass-balance accuracy through on-site verification, labeling checks, and a 2-years validity period.

Brand Reputation

Boost credibility with independently verified recycled-content claims that build consumer trust and enhance brand value.

Sustainability Goals

Cut reliance on virgin plastics, promote circular-economy practices, and align with global sustainability and climate-action targets.

Market Competitiveness

Meet buyer expectations, strengthen supply-chain confidence, and gain an edge in sustainability-driven global markets.

Driving Circular Progress

India's Plastic Waste Management Rules (2022) make PCR adoption essential, requiring 25% recycled content by 2025 and 30% by 2030 in single-use plastic bottles.

Why PCR Adoption Matters
  • Meets India's Plastic Waste Management Rules (2022) requirements
  • Reduces reliance on virgin plastic and lowers carbon footprint
  • Strengthens recycling infrastructure and circular-economy development
  • Enhances brand trust through verified sustainability claims
  • Aligns with global net-zero and resource-efficiency goals
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WHY CHOOSE PCR Certification?

PCR Certification Matters

Verify recycled-content claims, align with sustainability standards, and build long-term trust through transparent, credible verification.

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Download Our Sustainability Training and Assurance Brochures

ISO 14021 Type II Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)

Develop credibility and transparency in self-declared environmental claims under ISO 14021 Type II. Evaluate recycled-content data, ensure traceability, review mass-balance calculations and verify labeling compliance. By applying these principles, organizations can strengthen sustainability communication, enhance consumer trust and demonstrate integrity in recycled-content claims supporting credible PCR verification and alignment with IRQS standards.
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KEY BENEFITS

Certification Benefits

01
Verified Environmental Claims
02
Regulatory Compliance
03
Global Market Recognition
04
Stronger Brand Credibility
05
Supply Chain Transparency
06
Sustainability Advantage
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OUR APPROACH

Steps Towards Certification

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Step 1: Application & Contract Review

Submit your application and confirm certification scope, organizational boundaries, and water-efficiency objectives.

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Step 2: Desktop Review

IRClass–IRQS reviews submitted documents, data, and water-use information to evaluate preparedness.

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Step 3: Stage 1 Onsite / Online Audit

An initial audit assesses your water-efficiency framework, baseline data, and readiness for implementation.

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Step 4: Stage 2 Gap Closure Review

Address audit findings, verify corrective actions, and ensure compliance with ISO 14021 requirements.

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Step 5: Issuance Certification

Upon successful evaluation, IRClass–IRQS issues the ISO 14021 certificate confirming conformity to the standard.

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Step 6: Surveillance 1

A follow-up audit validates ongoing performance, continual improvement, and consistent implementation.

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OUR APPROACH

Steps Towards Certification

Step 1: Application & Contract Review
Step 1: Application & Contract Review
Submit your application and confirm certification scope, organizational boundaries, and water-efficiency objectives.
Step 2: Desktop Review
Step 2: Desktop Review
IRClass–IRQS reviews submitted documents, data, and water-use information to evaluate preparedness.
Step 3: Stage 1 Onsite / Online Audit
Step 3: Stage 1 Onsite / Online Audit
An initial audit assesses your water-efficiency framework, baseline data, and readiness for implementation.
Step 4: Stage 2 Gap Closure Review
Step 4: Stage 2 Gap Closure Review
Address audit findings, verify corrective actions, and ensure compliance with ISO 14021 requirements.
Step 5: Issuance Certification
Step 5: Issuance Certification
Upon successful evaluation, IRClass–IRQS issues the ISO 14021 certificate confirming conformity to the standard.
Step 6: Surveillance 1
Step 6: Surveillance 1
A follow-up audit validates ongoing performance, continual improvement, and consistent implementation.
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JOIN THE MOVEMENT

ISO 14021:2016 – Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)

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Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic refers to materials collected after consumer use, recovered through recycling systems, and reprocessed into new products. These include bottles, containers, and films that are sorted, cleaned, and transformed into usable raw material for manufacturing. Our verification process reviews traceability, segregation, mass-balance calculations, and labeling compliance, ensuring data accuracy and credibility in recycled-content claims. Certified organizations demonstrate transparency, regulatory assurance, and brand leadership in sustainable plastic use while meeting India's Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022.

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Frequently Asked Questions

ISO 14021:2016

ISO 14021:2016 is a standard that governs self-declared environmental claims for products—specifically how claims such as “recycled content” are defined, substantiated, and communicated.

This service verifies that your product or material’s claim of post-consumer recycled content (PCR) is accurate, traceable and conforms to ISO 14021 requirements. It covers verification of material sourcing, calculation of recycled content, chain of custody and label claims.

PCR certification helps organisations:
  • Validate recycled content claims and avoid “green-washing”
  • Build trust with customers, retailers and supply-chain partners
  • Meet increasingly stringent regulatory, procurement and market demands
  • Demonstrate alignment with circular-economy and sustainability objectives

Post-consumer recycled content refers to materials generated by households or commercial/industrial end-users after the material has served its intended use—and which are being diverted from the waste stream for recycling.

The recycled content percentage is determined as the mass of post-consumer recycled material divided by the total mass of the finished product. The calculation must be supported by documented evidence, mass balance or allocation method, and conform to the ISO 14021 definitions.

Any products or materials made—partially or wholly—with post-consumer recycled content. Industries can include plastics, packaging, textiles, metals, building materials, electronics, home goods—provided transparent traceability of PCR content is demonstrated.

The process typically includes:
  • Submission of documentation: material sources, suppliers, mass-balance records
  • Verification of calculations, chain of custody, processing steps
  • On-site or remote audit of production and documentation controls
  • Review of labelling and declaration claims to ensure ISO 14021 compliance
  • Issuance of an independent verification statement or certificate

The timeline depends on factors such as product complexity, number of suppliers, mass-balance data readiness and audit scope. As a guideline, the process often spans 4-8 weeks given prepared documentation.

Deliverables include:
  • A verification statement confirming the PCR claim and compliance with ISO 14021
  • A summary report highlighting findings, non-conformities (if any) and recommendations for improvement
  • Documentation suitable for marketing, procurement compliance, and stakeholder transparency

No—PCR certification verifies the recycled content claim, not the overall sustainability or lifecycle impact of the product. It is focused on one element (post-consumer recycled content) of broader environmental performance.

Provide your organisation name, the product/material category, scope (percentage of recycled content claim), supplier network size and existing documentation. We will review and offer a tailored proposal with cost, audit scope and timeline.

Get Certified with Confidence

Start your journey today with trusted experts in certification, assurance and training who make the process simple seamless and stress free.

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