CAM certifications: which ones manufacturers of materials and products need

There is no single “CAM certification”: the building CAM decree of 24 November 2025 expressly excludes products declared “CAM certified” and declarations of conformity issued by the manufacturer. Each requirement needs specific means of proof, such as an EPD stating the recycled content percentage, a ReMade, Plastica Seconda Vita or UNI/PdR 88 certification, FSC or PEFC chain of custody for timber, or test reports from accredited laboratories for indoor emissions. Here you will find which to choose depending on what you produce.

Why “CAM certification” does not exist

The minimum environmental criteria are requirements that contracting authorities include in public tenders. For construction products, two decrees mainly apply today: the 2025 building CAM, in force since 2 February 2026, and the roads CAM, in force since 21 December 2024 and corrected in 2025.

The text of the building CAM is clear: designers, works supervisors and contractors cannot refer to products declared “CAM certified” or holding “certificates of conformity with the CAM”. Declarations of conformity issued by suppliers or manufacturers are not sufficient proof either. A product is compliant only if it demonstrates the requirements that concern it with the documents listed under “verification” for each criterion.

For a manufacturer this changes the commercial approach. A data sheet saying “CAM product” does not help the client and, if the claim is generic, also exposes you to greenwashing risks. What you need instead is to know which criteria affect your product and which proof covers them.

Recycled content: the accepted means of proof

The most frequent requirement is the minimum content of recycled or recovered material or by-products, expressed as a percentage by weight. The building CAM and the roads CAM accept these proofs, as alternatives to one another:

Some rules apply to all options:

• the certification must be issued by a body accredited for the specific scheme;
• the percentage must be given as the sum of the fractions, with the contribution of each (recycled, recovered, by-product);
• self-declared environmental claims under ISO 14021 are not accepted;
• means of proof issued under the 2022 building CAM remain valid until they expire.

For concrete, precast concrete products and clay bricks, the building CAM accept certificates with only the total percentage for 36 months. If an EPD is your preferred route, you will find the full process in the guide to the environmental product declaration.

Which to choose if you are starting from scratch

The choice depends on what your clients ask for beyond the CAM. If architects, contractors or private clients already ask you for life cycle data, an EPD with the recycled content percentage covers both needs with a single document. If what you mainly need is quick, targeted proof of recycled content, a product certification such as ReMade or UNI/PdR 88 is usually leaner. In both cases the starting point is the same: knowing the material flows into and out of the plant, with documents that trace them.

Timber and wood-based products: FSC and PEFC

For virgin timber you need a chain of custody certification, such as FSC or PEFC, proving that it comes from sustainably managed forests. For recycled timber you need a certification attesting at least 70% recycled material, for example FSC Recycled, FSC Mix with the recycled percentage stated, or the PEFC Recycled label.

The practical detail matters: on delivery, the sales or transport document must state the certification claim and the certificate code. If the product is offered by a distributor or contractor that is not chain of custody certified, the manufacturer’s certificates and its offer referencing the tender’s CIG code must be submitted. Panels containing recycled timber must also meet the pollutant limits of UNI 11951:2024, verified with test reports.

Indoor emissions: test reports or labels

Paints, varnishes, adhesives, sealants, flooring, interior finishes, suspended ceilings and similar products must meet 28-day emission limits for substances such as formaldehyde, benzene and total volatile organic compounds. The proof can be:

• a test report from a laboratory accredited to UNI EN 16516 or UNI EN ISO 16000, with a document that explicitly refers to the CAM criterion;
• one of the labels listed by the decree, for example EMICODE EC1 or EC1+, Blue Angel in the specified variants, M1, Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort, AgBB, Biosafe, CATAS quality award CAM edilizia or Cosmob Qualitas Praemium.

Insulation, steel and CE marking

Some product families have dedicated proofs:

• insulation: in addition to recycled content, you need a declaration from the legal representative, backed by safety data sheets or test reports, on SVHC substances, blowing agents and catalysts. For mineral wool what counts is compliance with Note Q or Note R of the CLP Regulation, which can be verified for example with an EUCEB certification;
• steel: each base material must have the minimum certified percentage. The manufacturer of the finished product can attach the certificates for the source materials, which for structural steel must match the traceability list;
• products covered by a harmonised standard: the declaration of performance and CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation remain mandatory, and the new CPR is updating them.

Certifications that earn points

Beyond the minimum requirements, the award criteria reward the contractor that chooses products with better characteristics. For a manufacturer these are concrete commercial levers:

How to organise your CAM dossier

1. list your products and, for each one, the CAM criteria that concern them in the building and roads decrees;
2. match each criterion with the means of proof you already have, with certificate number, issuing body and expiry date;
3. identify the gaps and choose the certification that covers the most products with a single process;
4. prepare a sheet for each product with percentages, certificates and sample transport documents, ready for contractors and works supervisors;
5. keep the plant data on energy, waste and emissions up to date, as it is needed for EPDs, Made Green in Italy and client questionnaires.

The last point is often the slowest. With Envify you can collect the plant’s utility bills, waste forms (FIR) and invoices and get organised consumption and emissions data, to reuse for EPDs, reports and client requests.

Frequently asked questions