Greener plastic solutions - Testing, documentation, and advisory services

   In Danish
Does your packaging or plastic product need to comply with PPWR, RecyClass, OK Compost, or other requirements? Danish Technological Institute helps you choose the right material, test it thoroughly, and document that it holds up.

Greener plastic solutions cover materials that are recycled, bio-based, or biodegradable - and which reduce the product's environmental footprint compared to conventional plastic. However, a material shift places new demands on documentation, quality, and production.

Danish Technological Institute provides advice and testing so you get a qualified basis for decision-making before you switch materials or initiate a certification process. We help you ensure that your product meets both legal and certification requirements, while still functioning in practice.

Material shifts and documentation require more than a good data sheet

Many companies find that switching to a more sustainable plastic solution raises questions that cannot be answered by supplier data alone:

• Can the proportion of recycled plastic be increased without unacceptable variations in quality?
• Is a bio-based material the right choice - and how high is the actual biogenic content?
• Does the biodegradable product degrade as expected under relevant conditions?
• Does the product risk losing strength or functionality during storage or transport?
• Can new, more environmentally friendly materials or surface treatments meet the same requirements for durability, washability, and appearance?
• Do you have the documentation required to work towards, for example, OK Compost, RecyClass, or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel?

A material that looks good on paper is not necessarily the right solution for your product and production process. That is why a successful material shift begins with independent testing and advisory services.

How can Danish Technological Institute help you?

At Danish Technological Institute, we help you make an informed choice before you change materials, increase the amount of recycled plastic, or proceed with a certification process.

We tailor the testing process to your product, application, and documentation needs. Our services cover the entire journey from material selection to documentation:

• Recyclability - assessment and documentation as a basis for, e.g., RecyClass certification
• Biodegradability - testing and documentation as a basis for, e.g., EU’s restrictions on intentionally added microplastics (REACH) or OK Compost processes (TÜV Austria)
• Characterization of recycled raw materials and finished plastic products - so you know the material's actual properties
• Durability and aging - testing how a material shift affects the product's lifespan and functionality
• Material comparison - systematic comparison of new and existing solutions with a focus on function, quality, and variation
• Bio-based content - determination of biogenic content, e.g., via carbon-14 analysis
• Prototyping - opportunity to test new materials in practice before scaling up

The results can be used to qualify your decisions and support dialogue with customers, suppliers, and certification schemes.

PPWR and certification schemes set new requirements for documentation

The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) tightens requirements for packaging manufacturers and brand owners. Among other things, the regulation sets requirements for recyclable design, recycled content, and the reduction of packaging waste.

At the same time, certification schemes such as RecyClass, OK Compost (TÜV Austria), the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, and Nordic Packaging Criteria set specific requirements for testing and documentation that must be carried out by independent parties.

Danish Technological Institute is a self-owning and impartial research and technology organization. This means that our test results and documentation can be used directly in dialogue with certification bodies, authorities, and customers - without conflicts of interest.

We offer independent advisory services and testing in one place

Danish Technological Institute combines material expertise, testing facilities, and knowledge of certification schemes into a single integrated process. This gives you:

• One point of contact - from material selection and testing to documentation and certification preparation
• Impartial advice - we are not tied to specific material suppliers or manufacturers
• Technical breadth - we cover recycled plastic, bio-based plastic, and biodegradable plastic with the relevant testing methods
• Reliable documentation - our results are structured so they can be used directly in certification processes and customer dialogues

Should we take a look at your material selection?

Are you considering switching plastic materials, increasing the share of recycled content, or documenting your product's sustainable properties? Contact our specialist, Nicolaj Ma, for a conversation about where you stand and what it takes to move forward.