EU Plastic Regulations: Fostering Circular Economy Practices with ISCC PLUS

In this episode we explore how EU plastic regulations are driving the shift toward a circular economy and how ISCC PLUS certification helps businesses ensure traceability, compliance, and sustainability across the plastics value chain. 

Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Transcript

Florencia: Hello, and welcome to Intertek’s ISCC Awareness Series, where we explore the latest in sustainability, certification systems, and the transition toward a circular economy.
I’m your host, Florencia Bahamonde, Senior Global Program Manager for ISCC at Intertek Business Assurance.
Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s reshaping how industries design, produce, and recycle plastics: EU Plastic Regulations — and how ISCC PLUS certification helps businesses turn compliance into opportunity.
Joining me is Angel Monteagudo, our Technical Director at Intertek Spain& Portugal.

Angel: Hi Florencia! It’s a pleasure to be here and to discuss how regulation and certification are coming together to accelerate the circular economy.

Florencia: Let’s start with the big picture — what are the main EU regulations currently driving the shift towards circular plastics?

Angel: That’s a great question. The EU has developed a comprehensive policy framework aiming to close the loop on plastic production and waste. Key initiatives include:

• The EU Circular Economy Action Plan, which establishes mandatory recycled content targets for packaging, vehicles, and construction materials.
• The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), currently in final approval stages, requiring up to 30% recycled content in plastic beverage bottles by 2030, and harmonized labeling to improve sorting and recycling.
• The Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), which bans or restricts disposable plastic items and enforces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• The Waste Framework Directive and REACH Regulation updates, integrating environmental and chemical safety criteria into circular economy strategies.
   Together, these regulations set the foundation for traceable, verifiable recycling systems — creating strong demand for certified recycled materials.

Florencia: Exactly — and that’s where certification like ISCC PLUS really becomes a bridge between regulation and implementation, ensuring credibility across supply chains.

Florencia: These policies are ambitious — but how are they impacting companies in practice?

Angel: They’re transforming value chains across multiple industries.

• For packaging, brand owners and converters must integrate verified recycled plastics and prove traceability to comply with PPWR targets.
• In automotive, regulations like the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive push for certified circular polymers in new components.
• The textile and electronics sectors are next — expected to adopt recycled or bio-based materials with proof of origin and sustainability.

Ultimately, companies need transparent mass-balance systems and chain-of-custody documentation to demonstrate compliance — not just claims.

Florencia: And that’s a key point: transparency. Whether you’re a resin producer or a brand owner, traceable certification supports both compliance and consumer trust.

Angel: Now Florencia, getting into your field of expertise, Let’s talk solutions. How does ISCC PLUS certification help companies meet these new regulatory demands — and what are the main challenges they face?

Florencia: ISCC PLUS provides a globally recognized certification system for circular, bio-circular and bio-based materials. It covers the entire plastic value chain — from waste collectors and recyclers to polymer producers, converters, and brand owners.

The system verifies material origin, mass balance accounting, and chain of custody, ensuring that recycled or renewable feedstocks are accurately traced through complex supply chains.

It’s important to highlight that, although ISCC PLUS is a voluntary certification scheme, it plays a crucial role in helping companies align with the EU regulatory requirements we discussed earlier.

By ensuring traceability, material accounting accuracy, and verified sustainability claims, ISCC PLUS provides the evidence companies need to demonstrate compliance with recycled content mandates and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks.

It’s not only a certification — it’s a compliance enabler that translates policy objectives into verifiable, auditable business practices, bridging the gap between regulation and implementation.

Angel: That’s essential — ISCC PLUS not only validates sustainability claims but also builds confidence across the market. And with these updated interpretations, the certification process is becoming clearer and more aligned with EU expectations.

Florencia: Ángel, since you’re based in Spain — where many recyclers are already certified under EN 15343 — could you explain what this standard is about and how it complements ISCC PLUS?

Angel: Of course, Florencia. EN 15343 is the European standard for traceability and recycled content verification in plastics recycling, and it’s mainly applied to mechanical recycling operations. It establishes how recyclers should document, verify, and report the origin and proportion of recycled materials.

On the other hand, ISCC PLUS offers a broader sustainability framework, applicable to both mechanical and chemical recycling, including advanced feedstock conversion pathways such as pyrolysis and depolymerization.

When combined, the two create a powerful system of dual assurance:

• EN 15343 confirms technical traceability and recycled content compliance according to EU standards.
• ISCC PLUS verifies the sustainability, chain of custody, and alignment with broader EU and international circular economy regulations.

Florencia: So, Ángel — does that mean suppliers should aim to get both certifications?

Angel: That’s a great question, Florencia. It really depends on their position in the value chain and market goals. For recyclers supplying material to European packaging or brand owners, EN 15343 is often a baseline requirement to demonstrate traceability and recycled content according to EU standards.
 However, adding ISCC PLUS provides additional recognition — especially for companies trading internationally or supplying into chemical recycling and advanced polymer markets. It connects their operations with global sustainability frameworks and helps meet future regulatory and customer expectations.

Florencia: Exactly — and that’s where Intertek plays a key role. We’re accredited to perform both certifications, meaning we can integrate the audit process, reduce duplication, and deliver a single, credible verification package that helps companies demonstrate full compliance and market readiness. Combining EN 15343 and ISCC PLUS gives businesses complete confidence — from technical traceability to verified sustainability — strengthening trust across the entire plastics value chain.

Angel:  Florencia, could you give us a high-level overview of how companies can get involved with these certifications?

Florencia: Certainly. We know that sometimes organizations struggle to find the right information, doubt if their process or materials are in the scope of the ISCC PLUS or EN 15343 certification, so I suggest that for those interested in learning more and connect directly with a technical expert, please feel free to reach out to us by email or leave a message in our website.

Florencia: That’s all for today’s episode of Intertek’s ISCC Awareness Series. A huge thank you to Ángel for sharing these valuable insights on how EU plastic regulations and ISCC PLUS certification are shaping a more circular, transparent, and sustainable plastics industry.

Stay tuned! We will continue diving into the ISCC certification in our next episodes.