UK recycler Indigo Environmental (Cheshire; www.indigoenv.com) has joined the Sustainably Sourced Plastic (SPS) scheme, developed by the Sustainable Certifications Group (SCG, Livingston, UK; www.scgroupuk.org), based in Scotland. The certification scheme uses a series of testing procedures to verify recycled content of waste plastic in the face of what it called “fraudulently declared imports”.

The scheme has been developed in conjunction with the BSI Flex 6228 standard to provide an overall validation of the plastics packaging supply chain, ensuring the required percentage of recycled content can be traced and checked, from recyclers to manufacturers and retailers.

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Indigo said it was the first plastics recycler to join the scheme. Managing director Paul Kinley said: “We are 100% behind independent verification. The need for this level of scrutiny has to be the way forward in order to ensure open and honest reporting. SCG’s SSP scheme is by far the most progressive way to ensure transparency within our sector.”

The certification process comprises multiple stages, including conforming to the BSI Flex 6228 standard, site visits, feedstock and product sampling, approved testing, and monitoring plans.