ISO 15270 help expand plastics recovery and recycling worldwide

A new ISO International Standard will assist the emerging worldwide market for plastic recovery and recycling. Because plastic products are traded internationally and many of the plastic resin manufacturing companies and industrial users are multinational companies, the arrival of ISO 15270:2008, Plastics - Guidelines for the recovery and recycling of plastics waste, is particularly opportune.

Plastics material for recovery may be obtained from various sources and the major markets for plastics are packaging, building and construction products, electrical and electronic products, automotive, and consumer items. ISO 15270:2008 has been developed to assist all plastics industry stakeholders in the development of a sustainable global infrastructure for plastics recovery and recycling, and sustainable market for recovered plastics materials and their derived manufactured products. It establishes the different options for the recovery of plastics waste arising from pre-consumer and post-consumer sources. The standard will assist in the selection of methodologies and processes for the management of post-use plastics that may be approached using various strategies.

The standard also provides recommendations for inclusion in material standards, test standards and product specifications. Consequently, the process stages, requirements, recommendations and terminology presented in this standard are intended to be of general applicability.

ISO 15270:2008, Plastics - Guidelines for the recovery and recycling of plastics waste costs 78 Swiss francs and is available from ISO national member institutes (see the complete list with contact details) and from ISO Central Secretariat through the ISO Store or by contacting the Marketing & Communication department.