Mass balance is a chain-of-custody method in which recycled and virgin materials are mixed in production, and the recycled share is tracked through bookkeeping and then assigned to specific products.
It works like green electricity: the recycled input entering the system is measured, and an equivalent quantity of output can be sold as recycled, even though the physical product may contain a different proportion. Mass balance is mainly used in chemical recycling, where recycled oil is processed together with fossil feedstock in very large plants. Schemes such as ISCC PLUS certify it. Mechanical recycling normally uses segregation or controlled blending instead, where the recycled material is physically present in the product, which makes claims simpler to explain.
CII Sustainable Plastic Packaging Awards 2026
Lucro took home the Excellence award for Incorporation of Recycled Content in both rigid and flexible packaging at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Sustainable Plastic Packaging Awards 2026:
Post-consumer plastic, back on the shelf as bottles and pouches. The jury noticed.
