RecyClass Publishes Plastic Recycling Design Guidelines for Key Industries

March 5th —— RecyClass, the European plastic circular economy certification platform, recently released a new universal recycling evaluation protocol and for the first time introduced a specific "Design for Recyclability Guidelines" for plastic components in the automotive and electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sectors.

The released documents cover multiple areas including vehicles, refrigerators and heat exchange equipment, as well as small appliances and information and communication technology (ICT) products. The guidelines aim to help manufacturers improve the recyclability of plastic parts and prepare for upcoming EU regulatory requirements.

This guide is built upon the work achievements of 2025. At that time, RecyClass launched the "Recyclability Assessment Protocol" for automotive and electrical and electronic applications, used to analyze the performance of commonly used plastics in these industries within existing recycling systems. The same year, six testing activities were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the protocol and collect data on the recyclability of specific materials and components.

Moreover, RecyClass has also published a dedicated protocol for multi-material plastic components. This document investigates the impact of different polymer combinations and assembly methods on sorting efficiency, material purity, cross-contamination, and the quality of recycled materials, aiming to assist manufacturers in determining whether polymers can be recycled to a quality level suitable for re-use in automotive and electronic/electrical products.

These newly released guidelines and protocols provide a systematic framework for assessing the recyclability of plastic components in products with complex structures and diverse materials. As companies across the automotive and electronics supply chains respond to increasingly stringent regulations and seek to increase the use of recycled plastics in their products, these tools will play a crucial role.