The sentence we start most conversations about our materials with? "traceless® is a new type of material, it is not a plastic and also not a bioplastic!" Most people’s reaction is surprised, and sometimes even a bit skeptical – how can a material that looks like plastic and feels like plastic not actually be plastic? Good question!
It has everything to do with natural polymers, which, in a way, are "nature's plastic". Rather than using synthetic polymers, like conventional plastics, we use the polymers which are already present in the plants as raw material - resulting in a completely plastic-free material. And since we are a science-based company, we are, at all times, aiming at a fact-based and transparent communication. That is why we are proud of the external scientific proof for our claim - the official certificate for our base material: flustix PLASTIC FREE PRODUCT*!
Certified Plastic-Free
The trustmark is the first and only registered European sustainability certificate concerning plastic-use in products. The name “Flustix” is a neologism and a word combination created from the claim “free from plastics”. Certified by DINCERTCO / TÜV Rheinland, it offers a credible, dynamic trustmark for pioneers in plastic reduction, aiming to make sustainability visible towards the end customer and gain trust.
"Our (Plastic-Free) definition represents a milestone within consumer protection and on the market in general: For the first time in history all synthetics are excluded when certified as plastic-free." Quoted from https://flustix.com/en/definition-plastic-free/
The certification process
The Flustix certificates can be applied to all sorts of products, however each product or component must pass their test. It is a multi-layered plastic-testing method undertaken by an independent laboratory: two items need to be sent to Flustix and their partner laboratory WESSLING for testing. The chemical experts at WESSLING test the item thoroughly using the state-of-the-art analytical methods. These results give conclusive grounds for the awarding of the Flustix plastic-free certificate through their licencing partner DIN CERTCO / TÜV Rheinland.
"Within the method of detection, no plastic could be detected." Quoted from the test report on traceless® material
The traceless® test results
While the test scheme would have allowed a minimum tolerance range of 0.2% "unavoidable plastics" in a product, the results of the traceless® test report were pretty clear: "Within the method of detection, no plastic could be detected."
We are beyond happy that with this result, we have officially received the certificate, and can now even more confidently claim that traceless base material is 100% plastic-free! Please find traceless on the list of certified products on the flustix website here.
Certificate Registration No. FFP059
Legally safe plastic free
Flustix does not only aim to build trust within consumers - the programme also states that products carrying their trustmark are legally safe plasticfree. A memorandum on flustix certfication within the scope of the The European Union Directive 2019/904 for single-use plastic can be downloaded here (PDF).
Zero plastics - but what else is inside?
You'd like to learn more about the all-natural, plastic-free traceless ingredients? As indicated above, traceless® materials are based on natural, unmodified polymers that we derive from plant waste. And these substances - we sometimes call them "the plastics of nature" - are true all-rounders! Learn more about the history of their use, their environmental impact potential and all the chemical secrets behind them in our blogpost about natural polymers.
*Updated Info 26.04.2024: Ready for the Green Claims Directive
Following their commitment to transparency and anticipating upcoming legislation like the planned Green Claims Directive, flustix is currently revising their certification schemes. In the course of this revision, the scheme "PLASTIC FREE PRODUCT" got renamed to "LESS PLASTIC PRODUCT". Due to the flustix team, the core of the scheme remains the same, allowing only a very small tolerance of max. 0.75% synthetic polymers. The validity of our label remains untouched, and will be updated to the new label as part of the regular control of our product.
We are happy to answer any questions - just email us at sales@traceless.eu. Alternatively, please reach out directly to the flustix team at contact@flustix.com.