Certification proves your recycled-content claim is real. A credible third party checks your process, so buyers, brands, and regulators don't have to take your word for it. That builds trust and keeps unfounded claims out of the market. It also carries legal weight: APR PCR certification is named in law as a way for your recycled content to count toward PCR requirements and EPR targets.

APR writes the standards. Think Green certifies you against them. The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) owns the standards and sets the rules: what counts as post-consumer recycled content, and what you have to do to get certified. Think Green is the team you'll actually work with. Our auditors evaluate your process and operations against APR's standard and issue your certificate.

Every certification body audits against the same APR standards, but that doesn't mean the experience is the same. Think Green is a different kind of certification body. We only certify in areas where we have deep, hands-on experience. Your account manager and your auditor will both be industry veterans who truly understand your business. Your audit is scheduled around your timelines, and your certificate is issued promptly once you've demonstrated conformance with the requirements. Other certification bodies can't say the same.

All Think Green clients get a dedicated account manager with expertise in the plastics industry and APR certification to guide you through the certification process. As a certification body, we aren't permitted to act as a consultant, so we can't offer company-specific recommendations on how to meet the standard's requirements. However, we can provide lots of information. We can break down the standard's language in ways you can understand, describe the intent behind the standard's clauses, and offer examples of things we've seen other companies do to meet the requirements. Our goal is to make certification as easy as it possibly can be, so you feel well supported along the way. This is the real Think Green difference.

Rest assured, your information is kept safe. Every client signs a certification agreement with us that includes confidentiality terms to protect your business information. All Think Green account managers and auditors are also bound by their own confidentiality agreements. Your information is only used to carry out your certification, and it stays with us.

Unlike most certification bodies, we can move as fast as you need. We schedule audits quickly and issue certificates promptly once you've shown conformance. On our side the timing is short: we can get an audit on the calendar without a long queue, we take about two weeks to review your documents, and we turn your report around within a week of the audit. Having said that, most clients need some time to get ready. From signing an agreement to the issuance of your certificate, the process typically takes two to three months.

You'll pull together the records that let us trace your material and confirm your process. In practice that usually means supplier documentation confirming your material qualifies (post-consumer for reclaimers, APR certified for manufacturers and traders), a process diagram or plant layout, records that track material through your operation, and your internal audit results. We'll send you a clear checklist up front, so nothing's a surprise.

If your product contains at least 10% post-consumer recycled content, it may qualify for certification. The APR-PCR-101 and APR-PCR-102 standards, which apply to different stages of the supply chain, have their own content thresholds, so reach out to Think Green and we'll walk you through the requirements and confirm whether your products are likely to qualify.

In order for material to count toward your recycled content claim, you'll need documentation from your suppliers confirming its eligibility. If you're a reclaimer, that documentation must state the material is post-consumer. If you're a trader or manufacturer, it must confirm the material is APR PCR certified. Chasing these documents down often takes longer than clients expect, so it's worth starting right away.

It is possible to mix non-PCR and non-APR certified material into certified products as long as the products meet APR's minimum content thresholds (see the FAQ above regarding minimum content). You may also use these materials in other non-certified products.

In most cases a process diagram or plant layout showing your equipment types is enough: bale openers, shredders, washers, dryers, extruders, bins, silos, and so on. You don't need to send manufacturer details or specifications. We'll verify those at the audit if needed. For reclaimers, the one piece that matters most is the equipment that makes yours a mechanical recycling process rather than a chemical one, and we'll check that during the audit.

Two issues cause most of the delays we see. First, companies don't always realize that an internal audit has to be completed before we can issue the certificate. Second, getting documentation from suppliers often takes longer than people expect. If you're considering APR PCR certification, it makes sense to start gathering that supplier documentation right away.

APR requires that certificate holders go through annual audits to confirm they remain in conformance with the standard's requirements.

APR requires certificate holders to keep their certification body up to date on any changes to their operations. Once you tell us about a change, we'll evaluate whether APR requires any further follow-up from us. In some cases we may need to audit the change, either virtually or in person. Keeping us informed avoids potential non-conformances down the road.