European Recycling Standard - Norm EN 18065

Cirplus, Europe’s largest AI-powered procurement platform for recycled plastics, in collaboration with the IKK – Institute for Plastics and Circular Economy and the Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid, has succeeded in ensuring that the Cirplus-initiated standards DIN SPEC 91446 and DIN SPEC 91481 have been incorporated into the new European standard DIN EN 18065. For the first time, this creates a uniform Europe-wide system for classifying and ensuring the quality of plastic recyclates, as well as a European digital product passport specifically for plastic recyclates.

DIN EN 18065 promotes the trade and use of recycled materials and strengthens the confidence of investors and buyers in the scalability of the circular economy, especially in sectors where recycling materials have so far been rarely or not at all used. The standard applies across industries, with a particular focus on applications subject to new regulations, especially in the packaging and automotive industries. This is an important signal for the international circular economy, especially following the failure of the UN negotiations for a global plastics agreement in Geneva.

The new EN standard is based on so-called Data Quality Levels (DQLs), which were originally developed in the DIN SPECs. These make it possible to classify plastic recyclates, for example, by their origin, material properties, or recycling process. It also includes provisions for a European digital product passport for plastic recyclates, ensuring that data is documented and transferred consistently along the entire value chain. This enables a more transparent and efficient circular economy.

“By transferring our DIN SPECs into a European standard, we now have a unified framework that significantly improves transparency and comparability in the recyclates market. This not only facilitates trade and use but also supports the implementation of the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy. Investors and buyers gain clarity that extends beyond the European legal framework,” said Christian Schiller, founder and CEO of Cirplus.

“This positive development shows that standards originating in Germany can successfully be advanced at the European level. This reduces existing barriers to the use of recyclates and strengthens the foundation for a more resource-efficient plastics industry. Germany is once again taking a leading role in circular economy and technology,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Josef Endres, Head of the IKK – Institute for Plastics and Circular Economy at Leibniz University Hannover and consortium leader of DIN SPEC 91446 and DIN SPEC 91481, which served as the basis for EN 18065.

“With the DIN SPECs 91446 and 91481, we demonstrated how data quality in the plastics industry can be defined both practically and scientifically. The fact that this work has now been incorporated into the new European Standard EN 18065 confirms our approach and finally provides the industry with a uniform foundation. For companies, this means more planning security, fewer barriers to the use of recyclates, and significantly faster market penetration,” said Martin Doedt, Head of Laboratory Management at the Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid.

The new European standard builds on DIN SPEC 91446, which for the first time created a common language and system for classifying plastic recyclates. It was quickly adopted in the automotive industry and served as the basis for VDA Recommendation 284, which introduced its own quality standards. Together with DIN SPEC 91481, it now forms the foundation of numerous industry standards and is gaining even greater impact through its European incorporation into EN 18065. The next step is its implementation as an ISO standard, which could create a strong international signal.