What the PSV certification means for medical packaging

The Plastica Seconda Vita (PSV) certification was created by the Istituto per la Promozione delle Plastiche da Riciclo (IPPR) — the first scheme of its kind in Italy and Europe — to provide a credible, traceable label for plastics and products made from recycled materials. PSV’s core goals are to verify recycled content, ensure material traceability, and support the visibility of circular products in public and private procurement.

For medical packaging, these attributes are essential. Packaging must not only meet strict safety and hygiene standards but increasingly must also demonstrate lower environmental footprint credentials. PSV certification achieves this by:

• Confirming recycled content and origin, in line with UNI EN ISO 14021 standards on environmental claims;
• Ensuring traceability along the supply chain, so that recycled materials can be tracked from waste collection through reuse; and
• Supporting compliance with public procurement criteria, such as Green Public Procurement (GPP), that many governments and health systems are now embedding in purchasing policies.

By bringing together quality, transparency, and circularity, PSV allows medical device manufacturers and packaging providers to visibly differentiate their products in a market increasingly focused on sustainability.

Why this matters for healthcare systems

Healthcare organisations are major consumers of packaged medical products — from single-use devices to sterile consumables. Traditionally, a large proportion of these packaging materials have been derived from virgin plastics, contributing to waste management challenges and emissions from production and disposal.

PSV certification shifts this model by certifying that plastics contain verified recycled content, helping health systems:

• Reduce embedded carbon footprint by incentivising the use of recycled feedstocks;
• Enhance procurement sustainability by aligning with criteria such as GPP and national circular economy policies; and
• Strengthen supply chain transparency, giving clinicians, administrators, and sustainability officers confidence that materials have been responsibly sourced and certified.

For packaging producers, PSV certification also opens opportunities to participate more fully in regulated markets — particularly where sustainability criteria are linked to tender outcomes. This is especially relevant as governments worldwide tighten environmental standards for medical supply chains.

What this means for industry collaboration

PSV’s emphasis on quality and traceability means that achieving certification involves robust third-party verification and ongoing surveillance by accredited bodies such as Kiwa Cermet Italia S.p.A. and others authorised by IPPR.

Several manufacturers across sectors — including packaging for medical devices — are now pursuing the PSV label, contributing to a growing European database of certified products that buyers can reference with confidence. This trend supports wider circular economy adoption in healthcare and beyond, and encourages collaboration between recyclers, manufacturers, and health procurement professionals.

Conclusion

Plastica Seconda Vita (PSV) certification offers a credible, traceable benchmark for recycled plastic content in medical packaging. By aligning quality, sustainability, and transparency, it supports healthcare systems’ environmental goals while enhancing supply chain confidence. As circular economy principles continue to shape procurement strategy, PSV is poised to play an increasingly influential role in the future of sustainable medical supply chains.