REDcert2 certification - Sustainability in the chemical industry
What is REDcert2 Chemical Industry?
REDcert2 Chemical Industry enables manufacturers of chemicals and their processors (e.g. cosmetics or plastics industry) to replace fossil raw materials such as crude oil or natural gas by using sustainably produced biomass. The use of renewable raw materials such as hydrogen, biomethane, bio-naphtha or palm oil can increasingly replace fossil raw materials and thus reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Certified companies that use sustainable biomass in the production of chemicals thus have the opportunity to market their products as so-called "biomass-balanced products" and to advertise them accordingly.
For whom is REDcert2 relevant?
The requirement criteria of the REDcert2 standard apply to suppliers and conversion facilities - including upstream and downstream companies in the chemical industry. All operations and production units (e.g. purchasing, transport, trade, processing) associated with the certificate-holding company that are involved in the implementation of the standard must be identified, listed and integrated into the certification process.
What are the advantages of certification according to REDcert2 Chemical Industry?
- Risk reduction through greater independence from fossil raw materials
- Product-related claims about the sustainably certified biomass used as a material at a chemical site
- Credibility through the independence of the audit
- Reputation thanks to your contribution to the resource turnaround
- Visibility through a certificate for each certified product
- Documentation of the use of sustainable raw materials in production
- Environmental targets in the area of raw material use more controllable
Use of sustainable renewable raw materials
In the manufacturing or purchasing process of the product certified in accordance with REDcert2, a proportion of at least 20% of the fossil raw materials required for the production of this product must be demonstrably replaced by an equivalent quantity of sustainably certified biomass in the manufacturing and plant network.
The biomass used by the chemical industry for the production or replacement of fossil materials must come from a REDcert, FSC or PEFC certified company or from other systems that have been positively evaluated by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) have been positively assessed.
Guideline formulations must be available for the certified products. These define the amount of fossil raw materials required for the production of the respective substance. Instead of guide formulations, actual formulations from the past three years can also be used.
Mass balancing on the basis of chemical valences
The standard is based on a mass balance approach that was developed for large-scale chemical processes in order to take into account the complexity of chemical manufacturing processes. The mass balance approach is not based on the mass of the raw materials used, but on the chemical valency of the individual atomic components. It represents a stoichiometric balancing approach based on an equivalence consideration and documented in a corresponding account management system.
If you decide to work with GUTcert, an on-site audit will take place to assess compliance with the requirements of the REDcert2 system. Following a successful review of the audit documents by GUTcert, you will receive a certificate demonstrating compliance with the sustainability criteria in accordance with REDcert2. The certificate is valid for one year and is renewed by a recertification audit before it expires.
We calculate the cost of certification in accordance with REDcert2 Chemical Industry on an individual basis, depending on the complexity of the product, the data procurement effort and the product portfolio. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
How does the combination of REDcert2 Chemical Industry with other certification systems work?
If your company is already certified according to REDcert-EU you only need to have the specific REDcert2 requirements checked. With little effort, you can open up new markets for your company and increase your competitiveness immensely.