Recycled Products (RPv1.0ii-2015)

The rise of circular economy thinking creates new ways of approaching manufacturing and product stewardship across a breadth of markets. Making products from recycled content is a significant step to shift our economy from linear to circular. This standard strongly supports the progression of circular solutions.

When manufacturers create recycled products, they help keep materials out of landfill and groundwater and encourage new circular markets. Minimising the consumption of virgin resources can save water and energy as well as reduce pollution.

However, not all recycled products can be considered equal when it comes to the environmental, health and social impacts generated during their manufacture, use and disposal. So, GECA has developed the Recycled Products standard to define sustainable performance benchmarks for these products throughout their entire life cycle.

The standard sets requirements that aim to provide a benefit by:

• avoiding the illegal harvest of wood and fibre for raw materials

• reducing the use and subsequent release of environmentally harmful substances to the environment at all stages of the product’s life cycle, including ozone depleting substances

• encouraging recovery, reuse, recycling and responsible disposal of materials and packaging

• preventing the use of specific hazardous materials and toxic heavy metals such as known carcinogens and mutagens

• ensuring workers and suppliers through the supply chain can expect fair pay, equal opportunity, and a safe working environment

The standard is applicable to the following categories of recycled or reused content products:

• Plastics;
• Rubber;
• Timber;
• Fill and foundation materials; and
• Glass (Glass fines unsuitable for the manufacture of new glass containers only).