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Films Technical Committee

  • APR Committee Work

    • The Films Technical Committee works to boost film recovery and markets, spreading the message that plastic film is recyclable regardless of the specific collection scheme. We do this by:

    • Verifying and expanding APR’s Design® Guidance for flexible film packaging by publishing guidance test protocols, encouraging APR members to test and verify design guidance, and urging film packaging designers and manufacturers to use these tests to determine recycling compatibility
    • Ensuring that APR’s existing technical tools, such as the APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability and bale specifications, are current with regard to film recycling, adaptable to changes in collection schemes and end markets, and easily accessible
    • Participating in partnerships that expand retail PE film collection
    • Leveraging partnerships with the US Plastics Pact, The Recycling Partnership, and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) to advance message of film recyclability

    This committee has:

    • Created the first category for film (clear stretch wrap) in the Preferred APR Design® Recognition Path
    • Quantified the residue of common products that could potentially be collected in future retail drop-off programs
    • We are also developing the first APR Design® Guidance for polypropylene-based flexible packaging

    Current Working Groups

    PP Flexible Packaging Design Guidance for the Canadian Market

    Under Canada’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) rollout, polypropylene (PP) film will be collected starting in January 2025 in Quebec. This working group is developing APR Design® Guidance for PP flexible packaging and subsequently will develop testing protocols to determine the suitability of future film designs.

    Clean & Dry Working Group

    More flexible consumer packaging is being designed for recycling! However, most consumers with access to film recycling are currently limited to collection via store drop-off, with instructions to “recycle if clean and dry.” Consumers exclude certain products from store drop-off recycling due to perceived residue, but there are no industry standards defining what “clean and dry” means.

    This working group creates a forum for industry interaction in gathering and housing data on potential food and beverage residues in film from store drop-off programs and testing the impacts of product residue on the film recycling process. Other groups, such as How2Recycle®, can then use this data to formulate their own guidance for consumers.

    Inks Working Group

    The Inks Working Group is studying how various inks and varnishes behave in a film recycling process stream in order to expand APR Design® Guidance on inks in recyclable film packaging.

    Laminating Adhesives Working Group

    This working group seeks to provide additional guidance on laminating adhesives in the APR Design® Guide by testing various laminating adhesives and analyzing results with recyclers, adhesive manufacturers, and others across the industry.

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