The crucial first step towards the circular economy

Sustainable. Cost-efficient. Focused on the needs of the public.

The RAL GZ 950 quality mark ‘Resources management’ unifies the requirements of a circular economy with the needs of the public by certifying high-quality Resources Centres, at which members of the public can return end-of-life consumer products in a simple and user-friendly way while also being offered information and advice on waste and waste avoidance issues.

Resources Centres (RCs) are at the very core of the Reverse Consumption concept and are designed to ensure the efficient and sustainable take-back of end-of-use (EOU) products. RCs can be either publicly or privately run. Resources Centres are static facilities that are designed and constructed as ‘drop-off’ or ‘bring’ systems for end-of-use products. RC operations include the collection, sorting and storage of end-of-use products and their subsequent repacking and shipment to enable their reintroduction into the circular economy. RCs also include a separate second-hand area designed so that EOU products that are still fully functional can be taken for immediate reuse.

The EU has specified the following recycling goals:

►  Recycling of 65% of domestic waste by 2030
►  Recycling of 75% of packaging waste by 2030

The RAL GZ 950 quality assurance protocol provides stakeholders with a practically implementable instrument for achieving these recycling targets.

RAL GZ 950 aims to promote sustainability and to safeguard the environment for future generations.