3 companies receive GreenBlue’s Recycled Material Standard certification

Emeryville, California-based SCS Global Services (SCS), which provides third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing and standards development, has announced that three companies have been certified under the newly launched Recycled Material Standard (RMS): Little Rock, Arkansas-based Revolution, Santa Ana, California-based Arqlite and St. Louis-based Granite Peak Plastics. Environmental nonprofit GreenBlue, Charlottesville, Virginia, created the standard, and SCS is its first authorized certification body.

RMS is a voluntary, market-based tool developed to advance the use of postconsumer resin (PCR) and postindustrial recycled plastics that is aimed at processors and traders of recycled plastics. It allows brands to track, validate and communicate recycled material claims with a certified chain of custody.

“We applaud Revolution, Arqlite and Granite Peak Plastics for their commitment to plastics recycling best practices and for working so diligently with GreenBlue to usher in a new era of plastics credits that can enable major brands and others such as universities and governments to meet their established sustainability commitments,” says Nina Goodrich, executive director at GreenBlue. “Each of these companies has become an exemplary model for plastics and sustainability stewardship as demonstrated through the SCS auditing process, helping to set the stage for future engagement with additional companies interested in becoming part of this new plastics commodity.”

SCS says Arqlite and Granite Peak Plastics are participating in a new environmental commodity created by GreenBlue, the Attributes of Recycled Content, or simply ARCs. Similar to carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs), the ARC trading system allows companies to purchase and retire ARCs, thereby providing financial support to investments in the North American supply chain and advancing the use of recycled materials. All information regarding the new trading system is housed in the RMS ARC Registry.

“This Recycled Materials Standard adds a new dimension to the current types of recycled content standards we’ve been auditing to over the last 15 years,” says Nicole Munoz, SCS Global Services vice president of Environmental Certification Services. “While similar in intent to other standards, the new RMS is adding an additional layer of transparency to the certified company’s claims by enabling stakeholders to register their certified and qualified projects to ensure accurate tracking and visibility in the global marketplace.”

Arqlite produces Smart Gravel, construction gravel made from recycled plastics that can be used as light aggregate, hydroponic growth media, drainage media and more. Patrick Casey, director of finance and project management at Arqlite, says RMS certification “is an immeasurably important milestone that validates both our solution and operation while providing access to capital that will enable the successful deployment of our technology and potentially expand our reach beyond our Southern California facility. This certification could very well be the tipping point that will help Arqlite realize its full potential in establishing a new global benchmark of excellence.”

Arqlite and Granite Peak Plastics are represented by ACT, a global provider of sustainability solutions in the emissions, renewable fuels, renewable energies and energy efficiency markets with U.S. offices in New York City. ACT is working with the companies to create suitable ARCs for availability in the marketplace.

Dylan Lubbe, Strategy and Development at ACT, says the RMS standard “enables our clients to act upon their sustainability commitments through the purchasing of ARCs.” He adds, “These ARCs will help to finance the much-needed expansion of the current recycling infrastructure and the advancement of recycling technologies.”

“With a focus on working collaboratively to drive the plastics circular economy, we understand how important it is to assure brands, and ultimately consumers, that the postconsumer resin they are receiving from Revolution has been independently certified,” says Cherish Miller, vice president, Sustainability and Public Affairs, at Revolution. “As certification needs continue to evolve, our goal is to continue to be part of the process by providing input as both a recycler of postconsumer and postindustrial film and as a manufacturer of products containing recycled content.”

Companies interested in becoming certified to the new RMS can begin the process by filling out the participant application and scheduling an audit with SCS Global Services through the SCS website.