Designed To Be Reusable Certificate

English subtitles avalaible

More stringent European directives on the circular economy of reusable products prompted the creation of the DESIGNED TO BE REUSABLE – AIMPLAS certificate, which provides greater transparency and information while guaranteeing the rigorous application of a set of standardized measures agreed at European level to safeguard consumer safety when using reusable plastic materials for food contact.

The certificate is the result of 30 years’ experience in the sector of food contact plastic materials and the pioneering work of our expert team. It is based on Regulation (EC) 1935/2004, Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011, Regulation (EC) No. 282/2008, as well as recently issued standard UNE 53928:2020 on reusable plastic tableware for food use. All this involves a detailed study of the inertness and chemical toxicity of plastic materials during reuse, as well as their functionality after repeated dishwasher washing under standardized conditions.

The DESIGNED TO BE REUSABLE – AIMPLAS certificate enables manufacturers of plastic materials for food applications to attain a better position for their products compared to their competitors by guaranteeing the functionality and food safety of their reusable articles.

What the trademark means

Benefits

How to get certified

Our experience

Team

What the trademark means

The DESIGNED TO BE REUSABLE – AIMPLAS mark means that AIMPLAS, as an international benchmark research centre, guarantees that the article in question was conceived, designed and marketed so that, during its life cycle, it can safely be reused several times for food contact, and can be subjected to a washing process between consecutive uses.

Benefits of Certification

FOR THE MANUFACTURER

DESIGNED TO BE REUSABLE – AIMPLAS is a differentiating mark to better position your product compared to the competition. In addition, the list of companies awarded the mark and their certified products is available for public access on the AIMPLAS website. This is how we spread the word about the products certified in accordance with the requirements applicable to plastic materials for food contact that are suitable for reuse.

FOR THE CONSUMER

Unlike many products labelled reusable at supermarkets, the DESIGNED TO BE REUSABLE – AIMPLAS mark guarantees consumers that they are purchasing a product that is suitable both in terms of food safety and functionality because it can be reused in contact with food several times after washing in the dishwasher.

FOR SOCIETY

In keeping with our commitment to society and the environment, this certificate aims to help reduce the generation of waste and its environmental impact, and to encourage the shift from disposable tableware to reusable items as a means of fostering a true circular economy in the plastics sector.

How to get certified

Manufacturers interested in being certified under the DESIGNED TO BE REUSABLE – AIMPLAS trademark must have their products certified in a phased study carried out at the AIMPLAS laboratories, or at least under AIMPLAS supervision.

The study begins with a review of the supporting documents on the raw materials used to manufacture the plastic material and continues with verification of the overall and specific migration limits of the substances with restrictions using simulants and standardized testing conditions depending on the actual application, by means of overall and specific migration tests under repeated use.

After this stage, a risk assessment of the non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) is performed to ensure that their migration into food from the plastic material does not represent a human health hazard.

Finally, sensory analysis techniques are used to verify that the materials do not alter the organoleptic properties of the food they make contact with.

Once the food safety of the plastic material has been guaranteed for repeated food contact, reusability is assessed from the point of view of functionality by means of dishwasher resistance testing, in which the product must successfully complete at least five washing cycles.

Once the tests are completed, the applicant pays a fee to use the mark for three years. A list of the companies that have been awarded the mark is kept on the AIMPLAS website with the aim of providing information on the products that meet the mark’s technical specifications.

After the trademark’s three-year validity period is over, the applicant must apply for renewal of the mark for the certified product. If the product continues to comply with regulation requirements after completion of the three-year reassessment, certification is renewed for another three-year period and so on.

For manufacturers interested in certifying several products in the same family, a preliminary study will be carried out to limit the number of tests whenever possible. Volume discounts may apply in some cases.

Our Experience

Our Food Contact & Packaging Laboratory is staffed by a large team of specialists in plastic materials for food contact. Every day, they provide personalized advice to a number of companies that manufacture materials and articles intended for food contact. Rigorous testing is also carried out on a wide range of products.
As a technology centre, we have more than 30 years’ experience in the plastics industry providing solutions to companies all along the value chain, including suppliers of raw materials, processors and end users.
Our 10,500 m² facilities are fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Our laboratories also have the highest number of accreditations for plastics in accordance with standard ISO/IEC 17025.