What is BSI Flex 6228 – Plastic packaging about?
A UK tax on plastic packaging with less than 30 percent recycled materials means the sector needs an efficient and reliable way to identify levels of recyclate. BSI Flex 6228 on plastic packaging sets out how to test for the recycled content of PET packaging products and pellets, and report on the findings.
NOTE: Available as a FREE download, BSI Flex 6228 is a live document, published quickly to meet a current, pressing market need. We expect that future iterations will follow quickly and recognize that further work is needed to quantify recycled content to exact fractions and finalize a working industry standard and test method for recycled content certification.
Who is BSI Flex 6228 – Plastic packaging for?
BSI Flex 6228 on plastic packaging can be adopted by:
- Plastic packaging pellet and packaging manufacturers
- Plastic packaging pellet and packaging importers
- Anyone with an interest in the recycled content of PET plastic packaging including:
- Business customers of producers and importers of plastic packaging
- Those with plastic packaging forming part of their supply chain
- Policy setters and regulators
- Consumers of goods containing plastic packaging
- Anyone with an interest in sustainability or environmental concerns
What does BSI Flex 6228 – Plastic packaging cover?
BSI Flex 6228 on plastic packaging specifies requirements for determining recycled content, contained within PET packaging products, that has been produced through mechanical recycling methods from plastic waste streams. Where the standard is applied to packaging products, it covers rigid forms of packaging which includes translucent or transparent.
In addition to plastic packaging products, BSI Flex 6228 also specifies requirements for determining the recycled content within PET pellets created from waste streams for use as a raw material from which plastic packaging will be created.
The BSI Flex 6228 covers:
- Criteria and testing for the levels of recycled content present in the applicable plastics pellets or the applicable packaging products
- Reporting requirements
The test methods covered indicate the presence and levels of recycled PET (rPET) present in PET packaging products through the following test methods:
- Thermal (DSC/TGA)
- Colourimetry
- UV-visible spectrometry
NOTE: While this standard covers recyclate (i.e. polymers that have been used commercially and have been returned for re-use through waste collection), BSI Flex 6228 does not cover regrind (i.e. material used during processing and recycled internally within a production facility for blending with virgin polymers). It does not cover packaging materials produced from chemical recycling methods, nor does it cover coloured or opaque PET products or any other polymers. Further, the standard does not provide methods to determine the quality of the packaging, and/or its suitability for a specific purpose, such as containing food or drink.
Why should you use BSI Flex 6228 – Plastic packaging?
BSI Flex 6228 on plastic packaging can help manufacturers and importers of PET packaging products to efficiently and reliably:
- Comply with requirements of the Plastic Packaging Act 2022
- Identify fraudulently declared imported plastic packaging
- Take advantage of increased demand for at least 30 per cent recycled packaging
- Grow sustainably
- Trade more easily
- Develop expertise with recycled PET packaging
BSI Flex 6228 can also be used to:
- Demonstrate a commitment to sustainable packaging
- Contribute to the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy and Net Zero ambitions
- Contribute to reducing GHG emission by up to 1.2m tonnes of CO2 annually
BSI Flex 6228 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure; Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities; and Goal 13 on climate action.
