N Mark for reusable polyethylene bags

Certification is performed by an independent company, which demonstrates that an organisation, product, process or service, meets the requirements set forth in certain standards or technical specifications. AENOR's Marks serve as proof of certification and constitute a distinguishing factor in the market, improving the image of the products and services and generating confidence between customers and consumers:

• Trust in the organisation itself and in the clients, shareholders, employees, public administrations and social environment of the company.
  
• Trust in the quality and safety of its products and services.
  

The AENOR N certified product mark demonstrates compliance with certain standards. It is a symbol of product quality and safety, and is backed by an independent third party, AENOR, a leader in certification. The AENOR N Mark logo is recognised by public and private users, facilitating the sales of thousands of certified products around the world.

The AENOR certified product N Mark is not mandatory; manufacturers can voluntarily submit their products to be fully assessed by independent agencies and specialists in order to objectively ensure that they comply with the quality and safety requirements set forth in the corresponding regulations. The AENOR N mark therefore supplements the CE mark for products covered by harmonised directives and regulations. AENOR N marks are of particular value to customers when the product at issue is not covered by a CE mark.

To certify each product, AENOR develops a specific certification system where the standards, technical specifications, certification procedures and applicable features are identified.​​​​

The N Mark covers reusable polyethylene (PE) bags (t-shirt-style bag with die-cut handles) for transporting retail products, in accordance with the Standard UNE 53942:2014

As a compliance assessor, AENOR is a leading product certification entity. With more than 100,000 certified references, the AENOR​​ N Mark is present in over 40 countries and is among the top 5 product quality markings in the world. 

The AENOR N Mark is a voluntary marking that allows a company to demonstrate that its product complies with specific provisions compiled in a UNE, EN or ISO standard or in a technical specification. This demonstration of compliance during the manufacturing and testing of the final products, based on a rigorous control performed by AENOR, will allow licensees of the Mark to put their products on the market with a high standard of quality, instilling confidence in the users of these certified products.

APPLICATION

The AENOR Mark is voluntary. Companies that want AENOR to certify their product must submit their application in accordance with the formats established by AENOR. This application must include information about the company and the characteristics of the products for which certification is sought.

Once AENOR technical staff have analysed the documents, compliance assessment activities will be performed in order to verify that the products comply with the applicable standards:

AUDIT/INSPECTION

A visit is made to the production centre to carry out the following procedures:

• a) the quality management system is audited in accordance with the requirements that are set out in UNE-EN ISO 9001 and are directly related to the production process.
  
• b) the manufacturer's production process and controls are inspected to ensure that the product meets the standard's requirements.
  
• c) samples are taken and sent to an accredited laboratory that handles the testing included in the standards. The manufacturer sends samples identified by the auditor to the laboratory.
  

TESTING

The laboratory performs the tests established by the standard and sends its report to AENOR.

GRANTING PROCEDURE

Using all the information on the activities performed, the Plastics Certification Technical Committee (an independent body established by all the interested parties: manufacturers, the Administration, users, monitoring entities and AENOR) will either propose to AENOR that the Mark be granted, or request that one of the activities be repeated due to non-compliance.

Once the Certificate has been granted, the process will continue as the monitoring activities required to keep it must be performed. Samples will be taken, and audits, inspections and tests will be performed on an annual basis. The results are assessed each year by the Certification Technical Committee for Plastics, which decides whether a company retains their certification.

Once an organisation passes the certification process, it obtains: ​

• The AENOR product certificate
  
• A licence to use AENOR's Mark of a certified product, in accordance with the provisions of AENOR regulations
  

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• A licence for use of theto AENOR Environment, in accordance with the provisions of AENOR regulations
  

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