A plastic recycler produces recycled PP granules and receives a request from a large buyer asking for a “BIS certificate.” The recycler begins preparing an application, only to discover that the first question should have been different: what exact material or product is being certified, which Indian Standard applies, and is certification compulsory at all?
This distinction is central to BIS certification for recycled plastic products in India. BIS develops standards covering plastic recycling, recyclate designation and specific finished products, but the existence of an Indian Standard does not automatically make certification mandatory. Businesses should first identify the product, its intended use and the current Quality Control Order status before applying.
No. There is currently no blanket rule requiring every recycled plastic, recycled granule or recycled-plastic product in India to obtain a BIS licence merely because recycled material is used.
BIS itself states that product certification is basically voluntary. It becomes compulsory where the Central Government brings a product under mandatory conformity assessment, normally through a Quality Control Order or another applicable legal requirement.
This means a recycler should distinguish among three questions:
These are not the same question.
A manufacturer may also seek voluntary BIS certification where a suitable certification standard exists and certification has commercial value, even when no QCO makes it mandatory.
There is no single Indian Standard covering every recycled plastic product.
The appropriate standard depends on whether the business produces general recyclate, PP/PE mixtures, PET recyclate or a specific finished product.
| Indian Standard | Main relevance | What businesses should understand |
|---|---|---|
| IS 14534:2023 | Recovery and recycling of plastic waste | General recycling guideline |
| IS 14535:1998 | Recycled plastics for manufacturing products | Identification and classification of recycled plastic |
| IS 16591 Part 1:2016 | PP/PE recyclate from flexible and rigid consumer packaging | Specific designation/specification system with a BIS Scheme-I Product Manual |
| IS 16630 Part 1:2018 | Post-consumer PET recyclates | PET recyclate designation and specification basis |
| IS 16058:2024 | Dunnage pallets made from recycled packaging wastes | Specific finished-product standard with Scheme-I certification pathway |
BIS lists IS 14534:2023 as the second revision of its guideline for the recovery and recycling of plastic waste. Its purpose is broader than product certification: it addresses recycling processes and management of plastic waste.
BIS also identifies IS 14535:1998 as a standard intended to identify and classify recycled plastic materials according to basic properties and applications.
Therefore, neither standard should be presented to a business as automatic evidence that every recycler must obtain an ISI Mark.
One of the most relevant technical standards for recyclers is:
IS 16591 Part 1:2016 – Plastics – Mixtures of Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) Recyclate Derived from PP and PE Used for Flexible and Rigid Consumer Packaging – Part 1: Designation System and Basis for Specification.
BIS has issued a Product Manual specifically for certification under Scheme-I against this standard.
The Product Manual shows that certification can involve parameters such as:
The manual specifies a sample quantity of 3 kg for grant/change-of-scope/factory-surveillance purposes and sets out grouping according to the recyclate designation claimed by the manufacturer.
The important compliance point is that availability of a Scheme-I certification pathway does not itself mean the product is compulsorily certified.
Businesses should be particularly careful with older online articles.
The Government had previously issued Quality Control Orders for:
However, both were rescinded on 12 November 2025.
S.O. 5136(E) rescinded the earlier PE notification relating to Polyethylene Material for Moulding and Extrusion.
S.O. 5138(E) rescinded the earlier QCO relating to Polypropylene Materials for Moulding and Extrusion.
Therefore, a recycler, importer or polymer supplier should not rely on an old article stating that PP or PE moulding material is currently under those former QCOs.
A fresh QCO check should be completed against the precise product immediately before a commercial decision or BIS filing.
For PET recyclers, BIS lists:
IS 16630 Part 1:2018 – Plastics – Recyclates from Post-Consumer Bottles and Other Forms of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – Part 1: Designation System and Basis for Specifications.
The current BIS programme of work lists this standard for post-consumer PET recyclates.
A PET recycler should therefore establish:
The last point becomes especially important where recycled PET is intended for direct food-contact applications.
A food-contact rPET project should not treat general plastic-recycling compliance as sufficient.
The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) First Amendment Regulations, 2025 permit products made from recycled PET for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing food when the applicable standards and guidelines notified by FSSAI are met.
FSSAI subsequently notified its Guidelines for Acceptance of Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as Food Contact Material on 23 May 2025.
Those guidelines apply specifically to recycling processes transforming post-consumer food-grade PET into FCM-rPET resin and include acceptance requirements and approved recycling-technology considerations.
FSSAI also maintains a list of manufacturers authorised for food-grade rPET applications.
BIS standard compliance, FSSAI food-contact approval and Plastic Waste/EPR registration are different compliance layers.
Receiving one does not automatically replace the others.
A second common mistake is to assess only the recycled raw material and ignore the final product.
Suppose recycled packaging waste is converted into a warehouse pallet.
The relevant product may fall under:
IS 16058:2024 – Dunnage Pallets Made from Recycled Packaging Wastes for Warehousing Application.
BIS has a specific Product Manual for certification under Scheme-I. The manual covers pallet types, dimensions, construction, workmanship, density and performance testing, among other requirements.
BIS announced the All India First Licence against IS 16058:2024 in October 2025, confirming active implementation of the certification standard.
The principle is important:
Once recycled raw material becomes a finished product, the relevant BIS question may shift from the recyclate standard to the Indian Standard governing the final product.
The same logic should be applied to pipes, packaging products, containers, sheets, automotive components and other products made partly or wholly from recycled resin.
Before applying, run this five-step check.
Is it:
Determine whether it is:
The standard must match the actual product, not simply the fact that recycled plastic is involved.
Search the current BIS compulsory-certification list and the applicable ministry’s latest QCOs.
BIS explicitly directs manufacturers to check whether their product appears in the compulsory-certification list before concluding that a licence is mandatory.
Ask whether the product is:
Only after these five checks should the business determine the certification route.
Where Scheme-I certification is applicable, the process normally starts with product-standard verification rather than form filling.
Identify the relevant Indian Standard and the exact scope of the product.
A BIS licence is product-, standard- and manufacturing-premises-specific. BIS states that separate applications are required for different products/Indian Standards and separate factory locations.
Where available, check the product manual for:
For IS 16591 Part 1:2016, for example, the manufacturer must declare designation codes proposed for inclusion in the licence scope. BIS may restrict scope according to manufacturing and testing capability.
BIS requires the manufacturer to possess appropriate manufacturing infrastructure, process control, quality control and testing capabilities and to manufacture products conforming to the applicable Indian Standard.
For a recycler, the assessment should therefore examine the entire production chain, including:
For Scheme-I, testing requirements should be taken from the relevant standard and Product Manual.
For IS 16591, BIS identifies tests covering composition, melt mass-flow rate, density, colour/form and applicable additional properties.
The same product manual expects a Quality Assurance Plan and appropriate routine testing. Certain testing may be subcontracted to a BIS-recognised/empanelled laboratory or another laboratory holding applicable NABL accreditation as described in the Product Manual.
BIS product-certification applications are submitted online through the applicable BIS/Manak Online system.
A technically complete application should have the product scope frozen before submission.
BIS states that the licence decision is based on assessment of:
Product conformity may be established through third-party laboratory testing, factory testing or a permitted combination.
After successful assessment, the licence permits use of the Standard Mark only within its approved scope.
For IS 16591, the Product Manual requires the Standard Mark to be incorporated legibly and indelibly on each applicable bag and/or unit package containing conforming material.
Manufacturers should never use an ISI Mark on an unapproved material, grade, designation or product merely because another product from the same factory holds a BIS licence.
A foreign manufacturer exporting a product to India may need the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) where the applicable standard/certification route calls for it.
BIS explains that FMCS grants a licence to foreign manufacturing units for products conforming to the relevant Indian Standard, whether the standard is subject to voluntary or mandatory certification.
The foreign manufacturer must normally have appropriate manufacturing and testing facilities and submit a separate application for each relevant product/standard and manufacturing location.
An Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) is also required. The AIR must be located in India and assumes defined responsibility in relation to compliance with the BIS framework and licence conditions.
Since 1 June 2026, BIS states that FMCS applications are accepted through the online route rather than the previous hard-copy process.
Exact requirements depend on the applicable standard, scheme and factory, but a recycled-plastic manufacturer should normally prepare a technical dossier covering:
| Area | Readiness evidence |
|---|---|
| Business | Entity and manufacturing-premises details |
| Product | Exact product name, grade, designation and intended use |
| Standard | Applicable IS and current revision |
| Production | Detailed process flow and manufacturing controls |
| Raw material | Source and specification of feedstock/recyclate |
| Machinery | Manufacturing-machinery list and capacity |
| Laboratory | Test-equipment list, calibration and testing capability |
| Quality | Quality Assurance Plan and batch/control-unit definition |
| Testing | Applicable test reports and sample plan |
| Factory | Plant layout and production-area details |
| Marking | Proposed BIS marking/packaging details |
| Foreign factory | FMCS documentation and AIR nomination, where applicable |
The objective is not simply to collect PDFs. The documentation should tell the same technical story as the factory, product samples and test results.
IS 14534 is important for plastic recycling, but the final BIS certification question may depend on another material or product-specific Indian Standard.
The presence of an IS number does not automatically mean compulsory certification.
The former QCOs for PP and PE moulding/extrusion materials were rescinded in November 2025.
For IS 16591, designation, composition, melt-flow and density ranges affect product grouping and licence scope.
BIS certification is based on continued conformity, not simply one passing laboratory report.
Plastic Waste Processor registration operates under the plastic-waste/EPR framework and allows compliant processors to participate in the formal EPR system. It is not a BIS product licence. CPCB’s PWP SOP separately addresses processor registration and EPR certificates.
A recycled PET resin intended for food-contact applications must be assessed against FSSAI’s specific rPET framework rather than treated as ordinary non-food recyclate.
Certification does not end when the licence is granted.
BIS conducts surveillance to verify that manufacturing infrastructure, process controls, testing capability and product conformity continue to be maintained. Factory and market samples may also be assessed.
The 2026 amendment to the BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations changed Scheme-I licence validity. A licence may now initially be granted for up to five years and renewed for a further period of up to five years. Annual fees and the required production statement remain part of continued operation.
Manufacturers should therefore maintain:
Before filing, answer these ten questions:
If several answers are “no”, filing immediately can create avoidable queries or testing costs.
No. BIS certification is not automatically compulsory simply because a material is recycled plastic. The applicable Indian Standard and current QCO/mandatory notification must first be identified.
IS 16591 Part 1:2016 covers mixtures of PP and PE recyclate derived from PP and PE used for flexible and rigid consumer packaging. BIS has issued a Scheme-I Product Manual for the standard.
IS 16630 Part 1:2018 addresses the designation system and basis for specifications for post-consumer PET recyclates.
Not by itself. IS 14534:2023 provides guidance concerning the recovery and recycling of plastic waste. The BIS certification requirement should be established against the actual material or finished product and its current regulatory status.
Yes. IS 16058:2024 applies to dunnage pallets made from recycled packaging wastes for warehousing applications, and BIS has issued a Scheme-I Product Manual for this product.
No. Food-contact recycled PET has a separate FSSAI regulatory framework. The FSSAI guidelines cover recycling technologies and acceptance of FCM-rPET resin intended for food-contact materials.
For applicable FMCS applications, an Authorised Indian Representative is required.
For recycled-plastic businesses, the most valuable work often happens before a BIS application is filed.
Green Permits can assist manufacturers, recyclers, importers and foreign suppliers with:
A product-specific assessment is recommended before treating BIS certification as either compulsory or unnecessary.
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