Desk studies
Fast design-for-recyclability assessment against RecyClass, CERTIFY and RECY:CHECK guidelines. Five working days, all materials. No lab time required.
What it is
A line-by-line score of your packaging against the relevant RecyClass, CERTIFY and RECY:CHECK design guidelines, mapped to the current PPWR Article 6 recyclability classes (A / B / C). Deltas are flagged with the specific guideline reference so your packaging engineers can act without waiting for a follow-up call.
Five working days from receipt of a complete packaging specification. Material-agnostic: plastics, glass, metals, paper and cardboard, food and beverage cartons all welcome.
When to use a desk study. Use a desk study to triage a portfolio and find which SKUs need lab attention. Move to operational sorting tests when a single SKU needs a defensible answer for a regulator, a retailer, or an internal eco-design decision.
Who it's for
Three patterns we see most often. If you don’t see yours, send us the spec and we’ll scope it.
Brand owners
Early design feedback on new SKUs before they go to tooling. Validates eco-modulation claims and gives sustainability leads a defensible baseline.
Packaging engineers
Pre-submission spec review ahead of RecyClass / CERTIFY certification. Catches the design issues that turn a Class A into a Class B before lab time is committed.
Sustainability & regulatory leads
Portfolio-level audit ahead of PPWR Article 6 disclosures or EPR eco-modulation submissions. Output is line-by-line and exportable.
Ready to assess your packaging?
Send us your packaging spec and we'll come back within three business days with a scoped quote and timeline.
Frequently asked questions.
A desk study is the right starting point when you need a fast, defensible recyclability read on a packaging spec: early-stage design, portfolio audits, or pre-submission checks. An operational test (sorting, wash, pulping, friction) is required when you’re going for a RecyClass certificate or when the design hits a known edge case the desk methodology can’t resolve alone. Most engagements start with a desk study and only escalate to operational testing where the methodology demands it.
Five working days from receipt of a complete packaging specification. Complex multi-material formats or large portfolio audits scope to a longer window; we agree the timeline in the quote.
All of them: plastics (rigid and flexible), glass, metals (aluminium and steel), paper & cardboard, food and beverage cartons, and composite packaging. The methodology we apply depends on the material, but the assessment shape and output format stay consistent.
A written report with: the recyclability class per SKU, the specific design-guideline references behind each finding, and concrete design levers to move up a class. Delivered as PDF and as a structured export your packaging engineers can plug into your internal tooling.
Pricing scales with the number of SKUs and material complexity, not with calendar time. Submit your packaging spec via the quote form and we come back within three business days with a scoped quote.