140V1criteria K

Eco Mark Product Category No.140“Containers and Packaging for Food and Beverages, Cosmetics, Household
Goods Version 1.16” Certification Criteria

K. Plastic containers and packaging using bio-attributed plastics
Japan Environment Association
Eco Mark Office
1. Purpose of establishing criteria
Omitted2. Applicable Scope
The criteria shall cover plastic containers and packaging that function to preserve
the quality of content (such as extension of the quality preservation period). However,if the Eco Mark product category is also set on the content, such packaging is treatedas an individual package of said content and thus not included in the applicable scopeof this product category.
The Category K covers bio-attributed plastics managed under the mass balance
approach. Bio-based plastics are exempt from the Category K (whose bio-basedcarbon content can be determined by 14C content measurement specified in ISO
16620-2 or ASTM D6866).

3. Terminology
Omitted4. Certification Criteria and Certification Procedures
To show conformance to the criteria items, the Attached Certificates and related
documents shall be submitted.
4-1. Environmental Criteria and Certification Procedures(1) The attribution factor of characteristics of biomass feedstock to plastic forcontainers and packaging shall meet the corresponding rate in Table 1. The
attribution factor shall be managed under the mass balance approach andmaintained after a relevant product obtains an Eco Mark certification.
Table 1. The attribution factor of characteristics of biomass feedstock to plastic
MoldedLaminated
Classification
product, etc. packaging materials
Weight percentage of bio-attributed 25% or more
10% or more
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plastics (attribution factor)
Note) For laminated packaging materials, any material other than plastic (anadhesive, printing ink, aluminum foil of a laminated packaging material, etc.)
may be excluded from the weight calculation.

[Certification Procedure]
Documents to meet all requirements in the following a) – c) shall be submitted.
a) An applicant shall submit a certificate that states the attribution factor ofcharacteristics of biomass feedstock to plastic and supportive documents(product specifications, etc.).
Manufacturers and other relevant parties in the supply chain of the plastics
shall calculate and record all inputs of biomass feedstocks attributed to theplastics and their production outputs and the attribution factors throughout ayear (including supportive documents) to maintain the attribution factors ofbiomass feedstocks at an appropriate level. An applicant shall also submit any
evidence documents of third-party audit or certification (an internationalsustainability certification for plastics, etc.) (submit an audit report, a copy ofcertificate, etc.). An applicant shall retain the evidence documents for five years.
b) Sustainability of biomass mixed into plastic as raw material shall meet therequirements of Appendix 2 “Sustainability checklist of bio-based plastics (rawresin)” and the supply chains of the biomass shall be identified. If the biomass
material has underwent third-party audit or certification for sustainability (aninternational sustainability certification for plastics, etc.), the result of audit orcertification may be submitted as evidence instead of Appendix 2. An applicant
shall submit documents on the source of biomass material (a cultivation area
(country, state, city, etc.), a generation process of waste and residues, etc.), a
manufacturing flowchart (of raw resin) (describe the name of manufacturers offundamental chemicals (monomers), polymers, etc.), and checklists or anevidence of a third-party audit or certification.
c) It shall be confirmed through life cycle assessment (LCA) that the bio-attributed
plastic does not cause an increase of GHG emissions (in terms of CO 2)
throughout the product life cycle in comparison with fossil-based one to replacewith. An applicant shall submit the result of LCA conducted by a third-party.
(An applicant shall provide the LCA result and the calculation conditions. If theapplicant has undergone LCA under an international sustainability
certification scheme for plastics, it may submit the data instead. The appli cantmay submit an academic paper published on a journal as an evidence as long as
the same materials and/or manufacturing processes (sites) are mentioned in thepaper as those used for the product applied for certification.)(2) In manufacturing the applying product, related environmental laws and regulations
and pollution control agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “EnvironmentalLaws, etc.”) must be followed with respect to air pollution, water contamination,
noise, offensive odor, and emission of hazardous materials in the area where theplant performing the final manufacturing process is located.
In addition, the state of compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. for the last
five years from the date of application (whether there is any violation) must bereported. If there is any violation, it is necessary that proper remedies andpreventive measures have been already taken, and the related Environmental Laws,
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140V1criteria Ketc. must thereafter be followed appropriately[Certification Procedure]With respect to the compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. in the area
where the plant performing the final manufacturing process is located, acertificate issued by the representative of the manufacturer of the applying
product or the relevant plant manager (entry or attachment of a list of names of
the Environmental Laws, etc.) must be submitted.
In addition, the applicants shall report whether there is any violation in the past
five years, including a violation subject to administrative punishment oradministrative guidance, and if there is, the following documents in a and b mustbe submitted:a. With respect to the fact of violation, guidance documents from administrative
agencies (including order of correction and warning) and copies of written
answers (including those reporting causes and results of correction) to such
documents (clearly indicating a series of communication);b. Following materials (copies of recording documents, etc.) concerning themanagement system for compliance with the Environmental Laws, etc. in 1)5):
1) List of the Environmental Laws, etc. related to the area where the plant islocated;
2) Implementation system (organizational chart with roles, etc.);
3) Bylaws stipulating retention of recording documents;
4) Recurrence prevention measures (future preventive measures);5) State of implementation based on recurrence prevention measures (result ofchecking of the state of compliance, including the result of onsiteinspection).
(3) Substances regulated by “Voluntary Regulation on Printing Ink (NL regulations)”by the Japan Printing Ink Makers Association shall not be added to printing ink
used for the container and packaging as a prescription constituent.
[Certification Procedure]
The Applicant shall state in the Attached Certificate that the product conformsto NL regulations.
(4) Plastic materials used in the containers and packaging shall not be added plastics
that contain halogen in polymer backbone as a prescription constituent.
[Certification Procedure]
For plastic materials, the Applicant shall state in the Attached Certificates
whether any halogen element is added or not in polymeric backbone.
(5) Plastic additives used in plastic materials such as the plasticizers, color materials,
stabilizers, lubricants, etc. shall conform to the positive list system of food utensils,
containers and packaging, etc. If plastic additives not listed in the positive list areused in the general containers which are not intended for food, the additives shallmeet the requirements described in ISO 8124-3, etc.
[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall submit certificates that such plastic additives as plasticizer,
color materials, stabilizers, lubricants, etc. used in the plastic materials conform
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to the Positive List system of food utensils, containers and packaging, etc. With
respect to plastic additives not included in the Positive List, the results of tests
to show the conformance to the requirements stipulated in ISO 8124-3, etc. shallbe submitted.
(6) Adhesives to be used for the containers and packaging shall conform to “voluntaryregulations on adhesives for food package materials, etc.” (NL regulations) by theJapan Adhesive Industry Association.
[Certification Procedures]
Conformance to the NL regulations shall be stated in the Attached Certificate(7) The materials for containers and packaging shall meet the requirement describedin “the Standards and criteria for Food and Food Additives, etc. (Ministry of Healthand Welfare Notice No. 370, 1959)”[Certification Procedures]
The Applicant shall submit test results certifying that the corresponding
requirements are met.
4-2. Quality Criteria and Certification Procedures(8) Quality of containers of containers and packaging shall conform to the industrial
voluntary standards or the manufacturer’s own standards.
[Certification Procedures]
A document to show the conformance to the appropriate standards shall besubmitted.
4-3. Certification Criteria and Certification Procedures for labeling on products
containing bio-attributed plastics(9) Eco Mark shall be provided on products, packages, the website, and catalogues, etc.
in accordance with the “Environmental Labeling Guidelines” (Ministry of theEnvironment) and the following instructions.
1) Necessary information shall be provided to make the reason for Eco Markcertification known to consumers properly.
Example: “This product has a content of bio-attributed plastics of XX percent”, etc.
[Examples of unacceptable claims]
Avoid phrases that may mislead consumers into believing that the product actuallycontains biomass material. :・Phrases suggesting that the product contains biomass material, for example,“Use” and “Contain” biomass material
・The content of bio-based synthetic polymer XX%・Bio-based content XX%2) An applicant shall assure that it does not make a claim for the content of biobased plastics in products that are not attributed to biomass characteristics in asingle product category managed under the mass balance approach.
If a single product (or a molecular structure) is consisted of a material managed
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140V1criteria K

under the mass balance approach and other materials that actually contain biobased plastics, the claims for those materials shall be made separately (notmaking a claim of them together)
Example 1 Manufacturing a multilayer film consisting of a bio-attributed polystyrene
film and a bio-based polyethylene film.
Example 2 Manufacturing PET by using bio-based ethylene glycol and bio-attributed
terephthalic acid

[Certification Procedures]
An applicant shall submit a text, etc. of environmental claims. For the instruction2), an applicant shall submit a statement of assurance.

5. Considerations
In manufacturing products, it is desirable to consider the following, although this is nota requirement for certification. The conformance to the individual criteria item shall be
indicated in Attached Certificates.
(1) Containers and packaging shall have a mechanism related to discharge control ofwastes from recovery/recycling(2) Plastic materials to be used in a container/package shall not be a disincentive forrecycling after use.

6. Product Classification, Indication and Others(1) A product classification (application unit) shall be by brand name.
(2) When indicating the Eco Mark on the packaging, it should be indicated so as toclearly show that the product packaging or container is the Eco Mark certified
products and also show that the product content has nothing to do with the EcoMark(3) In principle, Eco Mark shall be indicated on the body of the container and packaging,etc.
Example)エコマーク認定容器

Eco Mark Certified(Note for the indication)*For indicating the logo, Eco Mark certification number (eight-digit number) or thename of the licensee using the logo shall be appeared.
* Such expression as “Eco Mark product” can be used following the 2.(2) of the Guideto Eco Mark Usage.
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140V1criteria K“Eco Mark product”, “#Eco Mark”, “www.ecomark.jp”, “Eco Mark Certificate”*In accordance with “Environmental Labeling Guidelines” of the Ministry of theEnvironment of Japan, etc., the environmental claims of certified products may be
indicated in association with Eco Mark.
(https://www.env.go.jp/policy/hozen/green/ecolabel/guideline/)* The Guide to Eco Mark Usage shall be followed for any cases not listed above.
(https://www.ecomark.jp/office/guideline/guide/)February 1, 2023
August 1, 2024
June 30,2027

Revised (Version1.15, Category K added, I, J, etc. revised)
Revised (Version1.16, Category A-1:4-2(8), A-2:4-1(8), B:42(12), C:4-1(7), D:4-1-2(6), G, I and J:4-1(6)Expiration

The Certification Criteria for the Product Category will be revised when necessary.

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Appendix 2 “Sustainability checklist of bio-attributed plastics (raw resin)”No

PurposeRequest (Item that must be realized)

Subject

Realized

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant items.)

1

Prevention of

Hasn’t the farm land where plants are□Confirmed the laws and regulations concerning the land

globalcultivated been converted from valuable

conversion for the site.

warming,land in biodiversity or land with highconservation ofcarbon storage (forests, peatland, etc.)□Notsite through on-site investigation or hearings.

the natural

since 2008?

converted□Defined and released the guideline for procurement of□Converted

plants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of an□Not

independent third party.

□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of theecosystem
Farm land

applicable- Name of the guideline:

due to- Location of release:residues or□Also using the certification system of an independent

waste

third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.):[2Conservation

If the Applicant uses the geneticallyof themodified crop as a raw material, has theecosystem

Applicant assessed ensuring of safety?

□Confirmed
□Yes/
□No/
□Not
applicable(GM crops
Farm landNot used)□Not
applicabledue toresidues orwaste

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thelawsand]regulations

concerning

genetically engineered crop on the site.
□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of thesite through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of anindependent third party.
- Name of the guideline:- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.):[]

140V1criteria K
No

PurposeRequest (Item that must be realized)

Subject

Realized

3

Prevention of

Has the Applicant gained the□Confirmed

land

understanding of usage conditions offertilizers/agricultural chemicals on the site

acidification/n

fertilizers/agricultural chemicals in the□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of theutrientmain cultivation area of plants?

enrichment,Isn’t any agricultural chemical regulatedwater

under the “Stockholm Convention oncontamination

Persistent Organic Pollutants” (POPs□Yes/□No□Not
Farm landTreaty) used?

applicable

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant items.)

waste

laws

andregulations

concerning

site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of an
independent third party.
- Name of the guideline:

due toresidues orthe- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.):[4theApplicant

gainedthe]

Appropriate

Haswater usage

understanding of usage conditions of water□Confirmed the laws and regulations concerning usage ofwater (limits on the amount of water) on the site.

in the main cultivation area of plants?

□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of the□Yes/□No□Not
Farm land

applicabledue toresidues orwaste

site through on-site investigation or hearings.
□Defined and released the guideline for procurement ofplants. Alternatively, conforming to the guideline of anindependent third party.
- Name of the guideline:- Location of release:□Also using the certification system of an independent
third party, regarding the procurement of plants.
-Name of certification system:□Others (Describe specifically.)[8/9]

140V1criteria KNo

Purpose5

Use of recycled

If recycled resources are available as a

□Yes/resources,

part of crude raw materials of bio-

□No/avoidanceRequest (Item that must be realized)

ofcompetition for

attributed plastic (raw resin) on the site,
did the Applicant preferentially use them?

Subject

Raw resin

foodRealized□Not

Implementation Method (Check off all relevant items.)
Name of recycled resource in use[]

Generated amount/percentage of recycled resources

applicable[](Notavailable)

6

Prevention of

Has the Applicant gained the□Gained the understanding of the actual condition of theglobal

understanding of the processing status of

Crude raw□Yes/site through on-site investigation or hearings.

warmingmethane having a high global warming

material□No□Others (Describe specifically.)

potential if it is generated bymanufacturin□Notfermentation in the main manufacturing

g plant

applicable[]

plant for the crude raw material?
78Utilization ofIn the course of cultivation to raw resin

Energy name and method of utilization

non-fossil

manufacturing, did the Applicant utilize

Manufacturinenergy sources

as many non-fossil energy sources (forg plantand renewable

example, bagasse, biogas, off gas, etc.) or

energy sources

renewable energy sources as possible?

LegalDoes the manufacturing plant of the bio-complianceattributed plastic (monomer, raw resin)□Yes/

Monomer manufacturer / plant name[Resinregulations

manufacturin□Yes/g plant□Nopollution

control

agreement with respect to air pollution,]□No

follow related environmental laws andand[water contamination, noise, vibration,
offensive odor, and emission of hazardous
materials?
* Residues or Waste defined in Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of EU

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Resin manufacturer / plant name[]