# How to Build a Plastic Claim Evidence File for Retailers

> Retailers demanding plastic claim proof? The Wellness Quality Institute helps you build an evidence file that holds up. Get verified today.

**Published:** 2026-11-03 | **Updated:** 2026-11-06 | **Author:** mihir
**URL:** https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-evidence-retailers
**Type:** post

**Categories:** Certification

![How to Build a Plastic Claim Evidence File for Retailers](https://wellnessquality.sites.aigrowthagent.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2026/11/1793617390880-698f1d02d158-1024x572.webp)

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## Content

*Written by: Scott Steveson, Specialist, Wellness Quality Institute*

## Key Takeaways

- Retailers treat plastic claim requests as procurement deliverables that require claim-by-claim evidence files rather than regulatory filings.
- Five claim types dominate retailer questionnaires: recycled content, recyclable, compostable, plastic-reduced, and plastic-free, and each one has its own evidence rules.
- Evidence strength runs from supplier declarations (weakest) to independent laboratory data reviewed against a published standard (strongest).
- Absolute plastic-free claims remain technically unsupportable because no method detects every particle size, polymer type, or production lot.
- The Wellness Quality Institute reviews existing third-party laboratory data against its published standard, WQI-CS-01, issues approved claim language limited to what that data supports, and lists verified products in a public registry.

This guide explains the five plastic claim types retailers ask about, the documents that back each one up, where current testing hits its limits, and a practical checklist you can use to assemble an evidence file that stands up to buyer review.

[See how Plastic-Free Pathway Verification works](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## The Two Obligations Suppliers Conflate

Retailer evidence requests and regulatory substantiation rules are separate obligations that often get blurred. That confusion is the main reason suppliers either send too little, treating a retailer questionnaire as informal, or bury buyers in regulatory filings that do not answer the specific questions.

On the regulatory side, the [FTC Green Guides at 16 CFR Part 260](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260) set the operative US standard. Under [16 CFR 260.2](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260), a marketer must have “competent and reliable scientific evidence” before making any environmental claim. That means tests, analyses, research, or studies conducted and evaluated objectively by qualified people. Critically, [16 CFR 260.6(c)](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260) states that third-party certification does not eliminate the marketer’s own substantiation obligation. A certification supports the marketer’s own substantiation but does not replace it.

On the retailer side, the obligation is contractual and commercial. Walmart, for example, [collects packaging data from suppliers through surveys or a web-based packaging compliance system](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity). It [distinguishes packaging “designed for recycling” from packaging that is actually recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity) and treats these as separate claims. In FY2026, [Walmart reported that 81.1% of its global private-brand plastic packaging was designed for recycling](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity), while only [64.3% of its global private-brand packaging was recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity). That documented gap shows how design intent differs from verified end-of-life outcome.

[Tesco’s 2024 Packaging Targets and Requirements document requires that all packaging claims comply with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Green Claims Code Principles](https://scribd.com/document/1046908787/Tesco-Packaging-Requirements-2024). It also requires that [accurate packaging data be shared with its packaging data partner Valpak](https://scribd.com/document/1046908787/Tesco-Packaging-Requirements-2024). These are supplier-facing commercial requirements, not regulatory mandates, and failing to meet them has real procurement consequences.

Retailer requirements differ by chain because each retailer sets its own supplier program criteria, preferred materials lists, and data-sharing obligations. What satisfies Walmart’s packaging compliance system may not satisfy Tesco’s Preferred Materials list or Kingfisher’s supplier packaging sustainability portal. The evidence file must be built for the specific buyer asking the question, and it has to be built claim by claim because each claim type carries its own evidence requirements.

## The Claim-by-Claim Evidence Matrix

Five claim types dominate retailer questionnaires. They are ordered here from the most mature evidence base to the least, and the strength of available proof drops as you move down the list. The plastic-free claim at the end is where current evidence runs out entirely.

### Recycled Content Claims

**What the retailer is asking:** What percentage of this package is made from recycled material, and can you prove it?

**What evidence satisfies it:** Mass-balance accounting, chain-of-custody documentation from the resin supplier, and a bill of materials with percentage by weight. The file should distinguish post-consumer recycled (PCR) content from pre-consumer (PIR) material. Under [16 CFR 260.13](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260/section-260.13), [a marketer may claim recycled content only for materials actually recovered or diverted from the waste stream](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260/section-260.13). The marketer should clearly and prominently qualify claims for products or packages made only partly from recycled material, such as “Made from 30% recycled material.”

**Which named standards apply:** [The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) PCR Certification verifies the presence and percentage of post-consumer recycled content and its chain of custody through independent third-party certification](https://waste360.com/waste-recycling/apr-expands-pcr-certification-program-to-verify-recycled-content-in-plastic-products). [The SCS Recycled Content Standard (SCS-103) sets a minimum eligibility threshold of 5% recycled content](https://legalclarity.org/recycled-content-certification-requirements-and-programs) and [permits either physical segregation or mass-balance chain-of-custody models](https://legalclarity.org/recycled-content-certification-requirements-and-programs). ISCC PLUS provides a chain-of-custody framework for recycled and renewable feedstocks using mass balance. RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification verifies traceability of recycled content using a controlled-blending approach.

**Where the evidence stops being sufficient:** [APR PCR Certification verifies presence and percentage of PCR](https://waste360.com/waste-recycling/apr-expands-pcr-certification-program-to-verify-recycled-content-in-plastic-products) but does not establish that a finished package is recyclable, compostable, plastic-free, or compliant with every retailer’s claim rules. SCS-103’s 5% minimum eligibility threshold means certification alone does not substantiate a high-PCR claim, so the certified percentage must be stated separately. Under ISCC PLUS mass balance, allocated quantities are not necessarily physically present in every unit, so a buyer should request the batch declaration, not only the site certificate. [ISO 14021:2026, the updated standard for self-declared environmental claims, now requires recycled-content claims to be part of a documented program and adds chain-of-custody guidance](https://blog.ansi.org/ansi/iso-14021-2026-environmental-claims). That is a structural change from the 2016 edition and links recycled-content claims to the broader evidence hierarchy.

### Recyclable And Recycle-Ready Claims

**What the retailer is asking:** Can this package actually be recycled by the consumers who buy it?

**What evidence satisfies it:** Under [16 CFR 260.12](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260/section-260.12), a recyclable claim requires proof that the item can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered through an established recycling program. [Infrastructure-access proof showing that recycling facilities are available to at least 60% of consumers where the product is sold is required under 16 CFR 260.12(b)(1)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260/section-260.12). How2Recycle evaluates packaging across collection access, sortation, reprocessing feasibility, and end-market demand, and retailers treat that assessment as a strong evidence source for this claim type. On-pack labeling documentation should accompany any recyclability claim.

**Which named standards apply:** How2Recycle, run by GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition, assigns one of four designations: Widely Recyclable, Check Locally, Store Drop-off, or Not Yet Recyclable. California SB 343 restricts the use of chasing-arrows labeling to materials that local recycling programs actually accept.

**Where the evidence stops being sufficient:** How2Recycle supports an on-pack recyclability or disposal instruction for the assessed packaging configuration. It does not certify recycled content, prove that every consumer will have access to recycling, or substantiate compostable or plastic-free claims. Design-for-recycling recognition from APR shows that a package’s design introduces no known barriers to recycling. It does not guarantee the package will be recycled, which mirrors the design-versus-outcome gap seen in recycled-content reporting.

### Compostable Claims

**What the retailer is asking:** Will this package break down in a composting facility, and under what conditions?

**What evidence satisfies it:** The [FTC Green Guides (16 CFR 260.7)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260/section-260.7) require marketers to have competent and reliable scientific evidence substantiating compostable claims. Some states, such as California and Washington, also require compostable products to be independently tested and certified to recognized compostability standards like ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868. [Under 16 CFR 260.7(b), a compostable claim requires competent and reliable scientific evidence that all materials will break down into usable compost safely and in approximately the same time as the materials with which they are composted](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260).

**Which named standards apply:** ASTM D6400 and D6868 are the US standards for industrial compostability. BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certification confirms compliance with ASTM D6400 and D6868. The Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) certifies compostability through trials in working composting facilities.

**Where the evidence stops being sufficient:** Industrial and home compostability are different claims that require different evidence. Under [16 CFR 260.7(c)](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260), [compostable claims must be clearly and prominently qualified where home composting is not viable](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260). An unqualified compostable claim is deceptive where municipal or institutional composting programs are not available to a substantial majority of consumers where the product is sold. This mirrors the access requirement for recyclability and keeps the matrix consistent.

### Plastic-Reduced Claims

**What the retailer is asking:** How much less plastic does this package contain compared to what, and how did you measure it?

**What evidence satisfies it:** Plastic-reduced claims need a clear baseline comparison, usually before-and-after packaging weights or measurements. The file should include the percentage reduction, the product version, the date and time period of the baseline, and the methodology used. Under [16 CFR 260.4(d) Example 5](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260), [a “25% less plastic than our previous packaging” claim can be substantiated by analyzing the impacts of the source reduction without a full life-cycle assessment](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260), unless manufacturing the new package significantly alters environmental attributes elsewhere in the life cycle. ISO 14021:2026 is the relevant reference for self-declared environmental claims of this type, including its new chain-of-custody guidance for recycled content and documented-program requirement.

**Where the evidence stops being sufficient:** A reduction claim requires a stated baseline and comparable scope. Walmart’s own reporting illustrates this distinction, because the retailer separates absolute plastic reduction from intensity-based reduction, such as plastic weight per net sales dollar. A supplier should mirror that distinction when framing a plastic-reduced claim. A percentage reduction without a defined baseline and scope does not function as a substantiated claim in a buyer’s review.

### Plastic-Free Claims

**What the retailer is asking:** Does this product or package contain no plastic?

**What evidence satisfies it:** Full material composition documentation. Under [16 CFR 260.9](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260)’s free-of framework, [a free-of claim may still be deceptive if the product contains substances posing similar risks](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260). [Trace presence is permitted only where the level is no more than an acknowledged trace contaminant or background level, the presence causes no material harm, and the substance was not intentionally added](https://ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-260). In practice, that means a plastic-free claim must address both composition and risk.

**Where the evidence stops being sufficient:** No standard currently exists that can support an absolute plastic-free claim. No laboratory today can confirm complete absence of plastic across every particle size, polymer type, and production lot. This is a hard technical limit, explained in detail below, and it marks the bottom of the evidence matrix.

![Colorful plastic fragments in water inside a laboratory petri dish.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829410323-fb401fc7b1e4.webp)**Microplastics are particles smaller than five millimeters. Current methods can count and identify them at the upper end of that range, but reliable measurement falls away as particles get smaller — a limit that shapes every honest claim.**

[See what a plastic-free pathway verification can and cannot claim](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## What Each Document Type Actually Proves

Buyers weight evidence differently, and the document types below form a ladder from weakest to strongest.

1. **Supplier declaration** is a signed statement from a supplier about material content or end-of-life attributes. It is the starting point for chain-of-custody documentation, not a substitute for it. A supplier declaration is an assertion that must be backed by records.
2. **Specification sheet** documents material composition and component weights. It is necessary but not sufficient, because it describes what a package is designed to be rather than what has been independently verified.
3. **Chain of custody** consists of traceable records from resin producer through converter to brand, documenting that recycled or other claimed material actually moved through the supply chain in the quantities claimed. This is the document set that converts a supplier declaration into a substantiated claim.
4. **Third-party certification** is an independent body’s confirmation that a product or process meets a defined standard. It is stronger than chain of custody alone but scope-limited. A recycled-content certification does not substantiate a recyclability claim, and a recyclability label does not substantiate a plastic-content claim.
5. **Independent laboratory data reviewed by an independent body** is the strongest evidence type. A raw laboratory report carries a number. An independent review of that report against a published standard carries a finding that a third party is willing to stand behind.

The Wellness Quality Institute enters at the top of that ranking. The Wellness Quality Institute (WQI) is the independent review step that converts a brand’s existing laboratory data and supplier declarations into a scope-locked, checkable claim. WQI reviews a company’s existing third-party laboratory dataset against WQI-CS-01, a published standard aligned with the California State Water Board’s drinking-water microplastics reference framework. It then issues approved claim language tied to the specific evidence reviewed. Every Standard Met product receives a public registry listing with a registry ID a buyer can check. The verification period is 24 months from the sampling date of the most recent accepted dataset. A single assessment fee covers review, verification decision, and registry listing, with independent laboratory testing arranged and billed separately. Why that review step matters becomes clearer once you see what a laboratory report can and cannot prove, which is the subject of the next section.

![Scientists in white coats working with samples and microscopes in a laboratory.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829434095-0fc8fbcf29fa.webp)**Only a small number of laboratories can genuinely test for microplastics, and capability varies by instrument and method. WQI reviews a company’s existing third-party laboratory data against a defined standard — it does not run the tests itself.**

APR’s PCR Certification is a legitimate, widely recognized recycled-content certification addressing post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging. It is the right tool for a recycled-content claim. A retailer questionnaire that spans multiple plastic claim types, including plastic-reduced and plastic-free-adjacent claims, requires evidence that goes beyond recycled-content traceability. WQI reviews a brand’s existing laboratory dataset on plastic and microplastic content, not only recycled content. That broader scope is what lets it issue approved claim language plus a public registry entry with a registry ID. The review is anchored to the California State Water Board’s drinking-water microplastics reference framework, the most stringent public reference reasonably applicable to testing today. The contrast rests on documented scope differences within each program’s domain.

For more on assembling a complete plastic claim evidence file, see [Plastic Claim Substantiation: The Evidence Checklist](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-substantiation-checklist/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) and [Microplastics Claim Verification: A Claim-By-Claim Guide](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-claim-verification-data/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent).

*WQI Plastic-Free Pathway Verification does not certify that a product contains zero plastic, microplastics or nanoplastics. It shows that the company is on a verified pathway toward plastic-free standards. Verification applies only to the reviewed products, submitted datasets, tested ranges, polymer panels, production or sampling periods, and supporting controls. WQI verification is not a California approval, government certification, or health or safety certification.*

## Where The Evidence Runs Out

Every document type above has a ceiling, and a sophisticated buyer will probe that ceiling first. Most evidence files omit this part entirely.

A laboratory report saying “none detected” means none found above that instrument’s detection floor, for the polymers it screened, in the lot it tested. It does not mean none present. The FDA makes this explicit in its own food-testing program: [the agency attributes “not detected” results to several possible factors, including lack of uptake, lack of contamination in the environment, or limitations in current tests and methods](https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/questions-and-answers-pfas-food). That acknowledgment shows that a non-detect cannot distinguish between true absence and method limitation. The same logic applies to microplastic testing.

![A single water droplet creating concentric ripples on a blue surface.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829453151-0debb98043a6.webp)**A credible conversation about plastics in water depends on measurement and standards that don’t yet exist for the category. WQI’s role is to bridge the gap between real laboratory data and a claim a company can actually stand behind.**

The detection-floor problem is structural. California defines microplastics in drinking water as solid polymeric material with particles having at least three dimensions greater than 1 nanometer and less than 5,000 micrometers. That is a very wide size range, and the two published California analytical methods cover only part of it. [SWB-MP1-rev1 (infrared spectroscopy) applies to particles greater than 50 µm; SWB-MP2-rev1 (Raman spectroscopy) applies to particles greater than 20 µm](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/water-quality-month-microplastics/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent). The 1–20 µm fraction is not validated under either method. Everything below 1 µm, the nanoplastic range, is currently beyond reliable commercial measurement. [A 2026 review published in Microplastics (MDPI) confirmed that no single detection technique currently provides comprehensive qualitative and quantitative information across all microplastic size ranges and sample types](https://mdpi.com/2673-8929/5/4/204).

![Fragments of plastic suspended in blue water below the surface.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829388732-c6255482b477.webp)**Plastic doesn’t disappear — it fragments. These secondary microplastics are the breakdown products of everyday objects, and independent research now detects them across the water supply. Detection, though, establishes presence, not absence.**

Three reasons combine to make an absolute plastic-free claim unsupportable:

- **Particle-size limits.** No method detects every particle size, and none reach reliably into the nanoplastic range.
- **Polymer diversity.** No single test screens every polymer type across every product format.
- **Lot-to-lot variability.** A clean result on one production lot does not guarantee the next.

WQI does not certify that any product is free of plastic, and the three limits above explain why no laboratory can. For a deeper treatment of testing limits and how to read laboratory evidence, see [Microplastics Testing Limits and How to Judge the Evidence](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/water-quality-month-microplastics/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) and [Microplastics Packaging Claims: A US Brand Compliance Guide](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/retail-packaging-microplastics-claim-requirements/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent).

## What Retailers Actually Publish

Those limits matter because the buyers asking the questions are working from published supplier requirements. Three retailers have documented theirs publicly, which shows what the requests look like in practice.

[Walmart](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity) collects packaging data from suppliers through surveys or a web-based packaging compliance system, with suppliers expected to provide current packaging information using the most recent 12 months of available data. [Walmart tracks post-consumer recycled content as a percentage of plastic packaging weight](https://packagingdive.com/news/walmart-2026-esg-report-packaging-sustainability-principles/827178), [distinguishes packaging designed for recycling from packaging that is actually recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity), and [requires that recyclability outcomes reflect whether collection and reprocessing operate at scale in the markets where packaging is sold](https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport/waste-and-circularity). The FY2026 gap between Walmart’s designed-for-recycling share and its actually recyclable share, cited earlier, is the clearest illustration of why design-intent documentation is not sufficient evidence for an unqualified recyclability claim.

Kingfisher operates a supplier packaging sustainability portal through which suppliers report packaging attributes and sustainability performance.

[Tesco’s 2024 Packaging Targets and Requirements document requires kerbside recyclability](https://scribd.com/document/1046908787/Tesco-Packaging-Requirements-2024), compliance with its [Preferred Materials list (which designates compostable/PLA, oxo-degradable plastics, polystyrene, PVC, and PVdC as prohibited “Red” materials)](https://scribd.com/document/1046908787/Tesco-Packaging-Requirements-2024), [CMA Green Claims Code compliance for all packaging claims](https://scribd.com/document/1046908787/Tesco-Packaging-Requirements-2024), and [accurate packaging data shared with Valpak for EPR reporting purposes](https://scribd.com/document/1046908787/Tesco-Packaging-Requirements-2024).

These are documented public examples of what buyers ask for. No relationship, partnership, endorsement, or existing engagement between WQI and any retailer or chain is implied.

For context on where requirements are heading, California SB 54 establishes producer responsibility requirements for plastic packaging in California. The [EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) began applying across the EU on 12 August 2026](https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/new-eu-rules-packaging-enter-application-2026-08-11_en), with [mandatory recycled plastic content in new plastic packaging and the requirement that all packaging be recyclable applying from 2030](https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/new-eu-rules-packaging-enter-application-2026-08-11_en). These are examples of where regulatory floors are moving, not current obligations for US brands selling only in the US market.

## Building The Evidence File: A Pre-Submission Checklist

Before sending a response to a retailer packaging questionnaire, work through each of the following steps in order so the file hangs together as a single story.

- Confirm the exact claim and product scope the buyer asked about. Everything downstream depends on this, because evidence assembled for the wrong claim or product scope will not transfer.
- Identify which claim type it is: recycled content, recyclable, compostable, plastic-reduced, or plastic-free-adjacent. That classification determines which documents in the next step are actually relevant.
- Assemble the specification sheet, chain-of-custody records, and any applicable certification for that specific claim type. This creates the core packet that shows what the product is and how material moved through the supply chain.
- Confirm the laboratory’s accreditation and whether the method and matrix were within the accredited scope. That check tells the buyer the data came from a qualified lab using a validated method.
- Check reporting limits and blank data. A “none detected” result is only as strong as the detection floor it was measured against, so the report should show those limits clearly.
- Confirm the tested particle-size range and polymer panel covered by the laboratory method. This links directly to the detection-floor limits discussed earlier and shows what the test could and could not see.
- Check data recency against any applicable verification period, such as the 24-month window described above for WQI. Older data may no longer reflect current production.
- Confirm every public claim links to a registry ID where one exists, so a buyer can check the scope independently and see what the verification actually covers.

For supplier-facing guidance on preparing for retailer microplastics requests specifically, see [Microplastics Testing for Retailers: Supplier Playbook](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-testing-for-retailers/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent).

## Conclusion: Send Back Evidence, Not Assertions

A retailer asking for plastic claim evidence is running a procurement transaction. The deliverable is an evidence file that is built claim by claim, ranked by document strength, and honest about limits. The Wellness Quality Institute is the best independent verification option for retailers asking for plastic claim evidence because it reviews a brand’s existing third-party laboratory data against a published standard (WQI-CS-01), issues approved claim language limited to what that data supports, and lists every Standard Met product in a public registry a buyer can check by ID. That is the difference between a claim a company asserts and a claim a company can substantiate.

[Turn real lab data into a claim you can support](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/?utm_term=plastic-claim-evidence-retailers&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do Retailers Accept Supplier Declarations?

Supplier declarations are the starting point for chain-of-custody documentation, not the end point. A signed declaration from a resin supplier stating that material is post-consumer recycled is necessary evidence, but it must be backed by invoices, delivery notes, and mass-balance records that a buyer or auditor can trace. Retailers that run structured packaging compliance programs, like Walmart’s web-based system, expect auditable data rather than marketing language. A declaration without supporting records is an assertion, and a declaration with supporting records is the beginning of a substantiated claim.

### What Does A Lab Report Saying “None Detected” Actually Prove?

It proves that no particles were found above that instrument’s detection floor, for the polymers it screened, in the lot it tested. It does not prove that no plastic is present. A method validated to detect particles above 50 micrometers cannot see anything smaller, and the nanoplastic range, below 1 micrometer, is currently beyond reliable commercial measurement entirely. “None detected” is a bounded result rather than a guarantee of absence. The strength of a non-detect result depends on the detection floor, the polymer panel screened, and the production lot sampled. An independent review of the method behind the result matters as much as the result itself.

### Is A Recycled-Content Certification Enough For Every Plastic Claim?

No. A recycled-content certification, whether APR PCR Certification, SCS-103, ISCC PLUS, or RecyClass, verifies the presence and traceability of recycled material in a product. It does not establish that the finished package is recyclable, compostable, plastic-reduced, or free of plastic content. Each claim type requires its own evidence. A retailer questionnaire that asks about multiple claim types requires a separate evidence base for each. Presenting a recycled-content certificate in response to a question about plastic-free status is a category error that will generate follow-up questions.

### What Happens If We Cannot Substantiate The Claim?

The options are to qualify the claim, narrow it, or withdraw it. Under the FTC Green Guides, marketers must ensure that all reasonable interpretations of their environmental claims are truthful, not misleading, and supported by a reasonable basis. A claim is deceptive if it is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably and is material to their decisions, a standard that does not turn on the marketer’s intent. The Guides are non-binding administrative interpretations, however, so in any enforcement action the FTC must still prove the practice is unfair or deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act.

The practical consequences range from retailer follow-up questions and delisting risk to FTC enforcement action and class-action litigation, a growing area of legal exposure for brands whose plastic claims cannot be defended. The safer path is to identify what the existing evidence actually supports, make that narrower claim accurately, and build toward a stronger evidence base over time. A Standard Not Met outcome from WQI’s review process is private. It carries no public claim and no registry listing, and the company may resubmit with updated information. Participating in a review process carries no public downside risk.

### How Long Does Verification Last?

WQI’s verification period is 24 months from the sampling date of the most recent accepted dataset. Continued claim use after expiration requires re-verification using current data. Expired registry entries remain publicly visible and marked “Expired,” so the record is honest over time rather than quietly disappearing. This reflects the reality of lot-to-lot variability: a result reflects the production it was drawn from, and a credential that is never revisited cannot mean much at the moment a buyer actually checks it.

### Does WQI Run The Testing?

No. WQI reviews laboratory data that a company already holds or commissions from a qualified independent laboratory. WQI does not perform laboratory testing and has no commercial interest in the outcome. It qualifies laboratories by accreditation rather than by identity and does not maintain an approved-vendor list or partner relationships with laboratories. That separation is what makes the review independent. WQI prefers California ELAP-accredited laboratories for the applicable method, accepts ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories with the method and matrix explicitly within the accredited scope, and may conditionally accept other qualified independent laboratories through a documented method-equivalence review.

### Is WQI Verification A Certification?

No. WQI Plastic-Free Pathway Verification is an independent review of a company’s laboratory dataset against a defined standard rather than a certification that a product is free of plastic. WQI deliberately does not use “certified” or “certification” for this program. A certification implies a settled, guaranteed state, and no such guarantee is scientifically available for plastic-free claims. Verification describes what actually happened: an independent review against published criteria, with a scope-locked outcome that a buyer can check by registry ID.

### Does California Endorse WQI Verification?

No. California has not created a consumer-product plastic standard and does not endorse WQI. WQI aligns its review criteria with the California State Water Board’s drinking-water microplastics reference framework because it is the most stringent credible public reference available, not because California authorized, approved, or endorsed the program. California is a technical reference point rather than a geographic boundary. WQI’s verification is available to US companies nationally, not only in California. A WQI verification is not a California approval, a government certification, or a health or safety certification.

## What to Read Next

- [Supplier Verification for Plastic Claims: Read the Evidence](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claims-supplier-verification-requirements/)
- [Plastic Claim Substantiation: The Evidence Checklist](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-substantiation-checklist/)
- [Retail Requirements For Plastic Reduction Claims: A Playbook](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/retail-requirements-plastic-reduction-claims/)
- [Supplier Verification Checklist for Plastic Claims](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/supplier-verification-requirements-plastic-claims/)
- [How to Make a Defensible Plastic-Free Claim in 7 Steps](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/substantiate-plastic-reduction-claims/)

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## Structured Data

**@graph:**

  **FAQPage:**

  **MainEntity:**

    **Question:**

    - **Name:** Do Retailers Accept Supplier Declarations?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** Supplier declarations are the starting point for chain-of-custody documentation, not the end point. A signed declaration from a resin supplier stating that material is post-consumer recycled is necessary evidence, but it must be backed by invoices, delivery notes, and mass-balance records that a buyer or auditor can trace. Retailers that run structured packaging compliance programs, like Walmart’s web-based system, expect auditable data rather than marketing language. A declaration without supporting records is an assertion, and a declaration with supporting records is the beginning of a substantiated claim.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** What Does A Lab Report Saying “None Detected” Actually Prove?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** It proves that no particles were found above that instrument’s detection floor, for the polymers it screened, in the lot it tested. It does not prove that no plastic is present. A method validated to detect particles above 50 micrometers cannot see anything smaller, and the nanoplastic range, below 1 micrometer, is currently beyond reliable commercial measurement entirely. “None detected” is a bounded result rather than a guarantee of absence. The strength of a non-detect result depends on the detection floor, the polymer panel screened, and the production lot sampled. An independent review of the method behind the result matters as much as the result itself.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** Is A Recycled-Content Certification Enough For Every Plastic Claim?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** No. A recycled-content certification, whether APR PCR Certification, SCS-103, ISCC PLUS, or RecyClass, verifies the presence and traceability of recycled material in a product. It does not establish that the finished package is recyclable, compostable, plastic-reduced, or free of plastic content. Each claim type requires its own evidence. A retailer questionnaire that asks about multiple claim types requires a separate evidence base for each. Presenting a recycled-content certificate in response to a question about plastic-free status is a category error that will generate follow-up questions.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** What Happens If We Cannot Substantiate The Claim?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** The options are to qualify the claim, narrow it, or withdraw it. Under the FTC Green Guides, marketers must ensure that all reasonable interpretations of their environmental claims are truthful, not misleading, and supported by a reasonable basis. A claim is deceptive if it is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably and is material to their decisions, a standard that does not turn on the marketer’s intent. The Guides are non-binding administrative interpretations, however, so in any enforcement action the FTC must still prove the practice is unfair or deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The practical consequences range from retailer follow-up questions and delisting risk to FTC enforcement action and class-action litigation, a growing area of legal exposure for brands whose plastic claims cannot be defended. The safer path is to identify what the existing evidence actually supports, make that narrower claim accurately, and build toward a stronger evidence base over time. A Standard Not Met outcome from WQI’s review process is private. It carries no public claim and no registry listing, and the company may resubmit with updated information. Participating in a review process carries no public downside risk.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** How Long Does Verification Last?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** WQI’s verification period is 24 months from the sampling date of the most recent accepted dataset. Continued claim use after expiration requires re-verification using current data. Expired registry entries remain publicly visible and marked “Expired,” so the record is honest over time rather than quietly disappearing. This reflects the reality of lot-to-lot variability: a result reflects the production it was drawn from, and a credential that is never revisited cannot mean much at the moment a buyer actually checks it.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** Does WQI Run The Testing?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** No. WQI reviews laboratory data that a company already holds or commissions from a qualified independent laboratory. WQI does not perform laboratory testing and has no commercial interest in the outcome. It qualifies laboratories by accreditation rather than by identity and does not maintain an approved-vendor list or partner relationships with laboratories. That separation is what makes the review independent. WQI prefers California ELAP-accredited laboratories for the applicable method, accepts ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories with the method and matrix explicitly within the accredited scope, and may conditionally accept other qualified independent laboratories through a documented method-equivalence review.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** Is WQI Verification A Certification?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** No. WQI Plastic-Free Pathway Verification is an independent review of a company’s laboratory dataset against a defined standard rather than a certification that a product is free of plastic. WQI deliberately does not use “certified” or “certification” for this program. A certification implies a settled, guaranteed state, and no such guarantee is scientifically available for plastic-free claims. Verification describes what actually happened: an independent review against published criteria, with a scope-locked outcome that a buyer can check by registry ID.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** Does California Endorse WQI Verification?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** No. California has not created a consumer-product plastic standard and does not endorse WQI. WQI aligns its review criteria with the California State Water Board’s drinking-water microplastics reference framework because it is the most stringent credible public reference available, not because California authorized, approved, or endorsed the program. California is a technical reference point rather than a geographic boundary. WQI’s verification is available to US companies nationally, not only in California. A WQI verification is not a California approval, a government certification, or a health or safety certification.

  **BlogPosting:**

  - **Headline:** How to Build a Plastic Claim Evidence File for Retailers
  - **Description:** Retailers demanding plastic claim proof? The Wellness Quality Institute helps you build an evidence file that holds up. Get verified today.
  - **DateModified:** 2026-11-02T11:02:46.817Z
  - **Image:** https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829410323-fb401fc7b1e4.webp, https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829434095-0fc8fbcf29fa.webp, https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829453151-0debb98043a6.webp, https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829388732-c6255482b477.webp
  - **InLanguage:** en-US
    **Person:**

    - **Name:** Scott Steveson
    - **JobTitle:** Specialist
    - **Description:** Scott Stevenson is part of the Wellness Quality Institute team, where he supports WQI’s work to advance product transparency, credible verification, and greater consumer trust. His background spans ethics and compliance, corporate trust, and responsible business, including experience with Ethisphere Institute and global companies navigating evolving standards and stakeholder expectations.
      **Organization:**

      - **Name:** Wellness Quality Institute
      - **Url:** https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/
    **Organization:**

    - **Name:** The Wellness Quality Institute
    - **Url:** https://wellnessqualityinstitute.com


---

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## Citations

- [Plastic Claim Substantiation: Evidence Before You Claim](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-substantiation-evidence-requirements)
- [How To Make Plastic Reduction Claims That Hold Up](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/substantiate-clean-label-plastic-reduction)
- [Plastic Claim Substantiation: A US Compliance Guide](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-substantiation-compliance-guide)
- [Microplastics Verification Standards: A Complete Guide](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-verification-standards-guide)
- [What Microplastic Test Results Actually Mean](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/what-microplastic-testing-actually-proves)

---

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