Reference · biofuel buyer

REDcert vs REDcert² — when do you need which?

A short reference for biofuel buyers, sustainability officers, and HoReCa procurement. By the end you'll know which scheme covers your batch — without the paperwork detour.

REDcert

REDcert — the original scheme

REDcert is the original German certification scheme for waste-based and residue-based feedstocks used to produce biocomponents and biofuels. It audits the full supply chain from source (e.g. restaurant, food-processing plant) through collector and storage to the biodiesel producer — with a key mass-balance mechanism that guarantees the volume entering the system equals the volume of finished product reported.

For typical HoReCa, this is sufficient evidence that the oil reaches biofuels in line with the RED directive. The audit covers BDO records, waste-transfer paperwork, collection and transport logs, and weighbridge protocols. Every entity in the chain (collector, storage, producer) must hold its own REDcert certificate.

Worth knowing: REDcert does not automatically issue a Proof of Sustainability per batch — that document is operational to the biofuel producer, whose input data must be auditable backwards to source.

REDcert²

REDcert² — the RED II / RED III variant

REDcert² is the extended version of the original scheme, aligned with Article 29 of RED II (and its continuation in RED III). The key difference: REDcert² requires stricter, granular sustainability documentation — including per-batch CO₂e calculations, exact sources, waste categorisation, and full mass-balance per accounting period.

In practice, REDcert² is the format required by biofuel producers who want to issue a Proof of Sustainability for their refinery customers or sustainability-certificate traders (UER, GHG quotas). Without REDcert² (or an equivalent scheme like ISCC EU/PLUS), a batch does not enter mass balance under RED II.

The REDcert² audit also imposes an audit trail at every interface point: the collector must document who, when, how much, and from which category — with the waste-transfer (KPO) number, in/out weighbridge readings, and a sample-analysis protocol when required.

When which scheme — short decision map

Restaurant, hotel, canteen, catering: typical HoReCa servicing is fully covered by REDcert. Your oil ends up in a biocomponent — but you, as the producer of waste, do not issue a Proof of Sustainability, so REDcert² imposes no operational burden on you.
Food-processing plant selling fat to biofuels: if your buyer is a biodiesel producer under RED II, they most likely expect REDcert² or ISCC EU. Check the contract — this is your buyer's call, not yours.
Cross-border export within the EU: almost always REDcert² or ISCC PLUS. The original REDcert scheme may not cover the granular emission accounting required by buyers in Germany, the Netherlands, or Austria.
ESG / sustainability officer at a HoReCa chain or corporate: if your sustainability report cites a specific tonnage of CO₂e saved through UCO, you most likely need a partner under REDcert² or equivalent — that's the scheme that produces an auditable number.

What Pol-Med holds

Full information about our certification is available on request. Contact us and you'll receive a current copy of the certificate together with the registry number, expiry date, and audit scope — in a format that fits your procurement process.

We don't publish the scheme scope on the public site, because certificate status is operational information that we verify directly with the customer's procurement — no static document on the site replaces a current confirmation from our quality office on the day of purchase.

Need a specific document?

One email and we'll send back the current certificate copy, audit-scope description, and registry numbers. Standard turnaround: 24 business hours.