OBP Recycling Organization Standard (Ocean Bound Plastic)

What is the OBP Recycling Organization Standard?

Representing the manufacturing and processing leg of the OBP (Ocean Bound Plastic) Certification Program developed by Zero Plastic Oceans (ZPO), this standard focuses on the process of transforming collected plastic waste into recycled raw materials (pellets, flakes, yarn, etc.) or final products. Its primary objective is to guarantee that products marketed with "ocean-friendly recycled plastic" claims are genuinely made from abandoned waste that was at risk of entering the oceans. By establishing a robust chain of custody within recycling facilities, the standard completely eliminates the risk of "greenwashing" in the supply chain.

Key Technical Criteria of the OBP Recycling Standard

The system audits both the physical flow of the plastic from entry to exit and the sustainability performance of the facility itself. The technical framework can be summarized as follows:

• Traceability and Chain of Custody:

  • OBP waste received from certified collection organizations must be fully traceable throughout all stages within the facility: shredding, washing, melting, and molding.

  • To prevent the mixing of OBP with conventional plastics, facilities must implement either a Segregation model or a strictly mathematically tracked Mass Balance model.

• Transaction Certificates (TCs) and OBP Content Claims:

  • Every batch of recycled product sold must be accompanied by Transaction Certificates (TCs) documenting the exact percentage of OBP content. The use of OBP logos on consumer-facing packaging relies entirely on these documents.

• Environmental Management and Facility Compliance:

  • While saving plastic from nature, the recycling process itself must not pollute the environment. The facility must fully comply with national/international regulations regarding wastewater treatment, air emissions, energy use, and solid waste management.

• Social Responsibility and Occupational Health:

  • Working conditions within the facility must meet ILO (International Labour Organization) standards; a safe working environment, fair wages, and workers' rights must be guaranteed.

Who this standard is for

The OBP Recycling Organization Standard is for plants that turn collected ocean-bound plastic into recyclate (flakes, pellets, or similar). Incoming material must come from certified collection (or another accepted OBP source) with chain documents.

What is certified

• Mechanical (or otherwise in-scope) recycling of documented OBP lots
• Yield, contamination, and output lot records
• Chain of custody from certified collection into recyclate sales
• Sales of OBP recyclate to certified producers/users or brands

What this standard does not cover

• Collection in the field (Collection Organization)
• A finished consumer brand claim without the Brand standard
• NEU offset services

Questions buyers and operators usually ask

Can we recycle conventional PET and OBP PET on the same line?

Yes if identity and mass-balance/segregation rules of the standard are met. Undocumented mixing that inflates OBP output is a core non-conformity.

Do we need GRS as well as OBP?

GRS is a Textile Exchange recycled-content standard. OBP is origin (ocean-bound) plus the OBP scheme rules. A yarn mill may be asked for both; one TC does not replace the other.

What if collection documents are missing for a truck?

That truck cannot enter the OBP claimed volume. Parking it as conventional recyclate — if the process allows — is safer than forcing it into OBP.

Can we sell OBP pellets to a non-certified converter?

The converter cannot pass an OBP product claim without being in the relevant OBP standard. You can sell material, but the claim stops unless they are certified.

What to have ready before the audit

• Incoming collection TCs / delivery documents for every OBP load
• Process flow and yield calculations
• Laboratory or quality records for contamination
• Outgoing invoices matching OBP recyclate lots
• Subcontracted washing/extrusion listed in scope

Frequent findings

• OBP output kilos above documented OBP input after yield
• Accepting collection from a non-certified collector as OBP
• GRS hangtag used as OBP evidence
• Tolling lines not in the certificate scope