Recykl Organizacja Odzysku S.A., based in Poznań, has become the first Polish company in the waste processing sector to obtain a full Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for recycled plastic granulate — certified by EPD Polska and published on EPDportal.org.

Why an EPD for recycled materials?

Construction and manufacturing markets increasingly demand verified environmental transparency, not only for primary materials but for recycled inputs as well. Recycled granulate — used as a substitute for virgin polymers in packaging, construction components, and industrial applications — carries its own environmental footprint: carbon emissions from collection logistics, sorting, washing, and extrusion. Without a certified EPD, that footprint remains invisible to specifiers and procurement teams who need documented evidence, not claims.

Recykl recognised this gap early. As buyers in the automotive, construction, and consumer goods sectors began requesting third-party verified data under frameworks such as ISO 14025 and EN 15804+A2:2019, the company engaged EPD Polska to conduct an independent Life Cycle Assessment and publish a declaration that could be used in green building calculations, procurement tenders, and product comparisons.

What does the declaration cover?

The EPD covers recycled PET, PE, and PP granulate and declares full data for modules A1–A3 (cradle-to-gate): raw material acquisition (post-consumer waste collection and sorting), transport to the processing facility, and manufacturing (washing, shredding, extrusion). Declared indicators include:

  • Global Warming Potential (GWP) expressed in kg CO₂eq per tonne of granulate
  • Acidification potential and eutrophication potential
  • Primary energy consumption — renewable and non-renewable
  • Process waste balance and water use

The results demonstrate a 73% lower carbon footprint compared with virgin PET granulate production — a figure that can now be cited in supplier documentation, environmental reports, and green procurement specifications.

„Having an EPD is not just a market requirement for us — it is above all confirmation that our operations genuinely reduce emissions compared with primary production. We can now prove it with verified numbers.”

The significance for circular economy procurement

This EPD matters beyond Recykl itself. It establishes a precedent: recycled materials can and should carry the same level of environmental documentation as primary products. Green building certifications such as BREEAM and LEED already accept EPD data for embodied carbon calculations, and the EU’s forthcoming Digital Product Passport regulation will make verified environmental data mandatory for a growing list of material categories.

For buyers integrating recycled content into their supply chains — whether for carbon reduction targets, Level(s) reporting, or corporate sustainability commitments — a certified EPD provides the defensible, third-party verified data that internal estimates cannot replace.

About Recykl Organizacja Odzysku S.A.

Recykl is one of Poland’s leading organisations in the recovery and recycling of post-consumer plastic waste. The company processes PET bottles, PE films, and PP packaging collected through the national deposit and selective collection system, producing recycled granulate supplied to manufacturers across Poland and Central Europe. The EPD certification marks a significant step in the company’s transition toward a fully documented circular economy position.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an EPD be issued for recycled materials, not just primary products?
Yes. ISO 14025 and EN 15804+A2:2019 apply to any construction or industrial product, including those made from recycled inputs. The LCA methodology handles recycled content through system boundary rules that allocate environmental burdens between the waste generation stage and the recycling process itself.
How does the carbon footprint of recycled PET granulate compare to virgin PET?
Recykl’s certified EPD demonstrates a 73% lower Global Warming Potential per tonne compared with virgin PET granulate production. The primary driver is avoided extraction and polymerisation of fossil-based feedstocks, partially offset by the energy required for collection, sorting, washing, and extrusion of post-consumer waste.
Which certification schemes accept EPD data from recycled materials?
BREEAM, LEED, and DGNB all accept EPD data for embodied carbon calculations regardless of whether the product is made from primary or recycled materials. The key requirement is that the EPD is issued under an ISO 14025-compliant programme — such as EPD Polska — and covers the relevant life cycle modules.
How can procurement teams use this EPD?
The EPD can be referenced in supplier questionnaires, green procurement specifications, corporate carbon reporting, and project-level embodied carbon calculations. It provides third-party verified GWP data that can be entered directly into tools such as One Click LCA or EC3.