The Association of Plastic Recyclers
  • Country EVOH % in Resin Barrier Layers or Fillers (other than EVOH) Label or Sleeve Material and Surface Area Caps/Closures Adhesives Liners, Seals, Inserts and Valves Colors and Inks Size Metalized layers or Metals
    Denmark: Forum and Network for Circular Plastic Packaging Not provided No barrier layer
    Mono-material for the main component in accordance with the de facto standard: Copolymer PET with an IPA content of 1.7%. (IPA = Iso Phthalic Acid); IV value in the range of 0.67-0.75 (IV = Intrinsic Viscosity); Overall migration compliance corresponding to OM2 (10d/40°C) for all types of food products; Specific migration compliance (SML) at 10d/40°C for all types of food products.
    Easily removable by consumers;
    Removable in the pre-wash (Fresh water <60°C) and wash process (sodium hydroxide max 85°C)
    <= 60 % surface area that do not block NIR sorting before rough shredding
    Ideally, avoid using print on closures;
    Easily removable by consumers
    No adhesives or
    Adhere to the label and do not dissolve in water during pre-wash and washing
    Must be fully removable without leaving a trace and not resulting in NIAS. "Other" items must not compromise the de facto standard For colored PET: Colors that can pass OM7 testing and do not result in NIAS during OM7 Colors that can be recognized by NIR technology
    For clear PET: Once a container has processed through the entire circular economy, the Delta B value from the 1st to the 2nd cycle must not be higher than 0.4
    Not provided Subcomponents that can't be separated do not contain metal
    EU: PRE Recyclass Not Provided Clear Bottles: SiOx plasma coating
    Colored Transparent Bottles: SiOx coating; Carbon plasma-coating; PA multilayer with <5wt% PA and no tie layers; PTN alloy.
    Clear thermoforms: PET based oxygen scavenger without yellowing effect after EPBP oven test.
    Labels and sleeves in PE; PP; OPP; EPS; foamed PET; LDPET(only for sleeves) (all with density <1 g/cm³), which do not hinder the recognition of the underlaying PET-polymer.
    Clear trays: PE; PP; OPP (all with density <1 g/cm³)
    Coverage for Bottles:
    Indication label size on containers > 500 ml: < 70% coverage
    Indication label size on containers ≤ 500 ml: < 50% coverage Coverage for Clear thermoforms:
    < 30% coverage
    Bottles: PE ; PP (with density <1 g/cm³);
    Clear Thermoforms (trays):
    Unprinted PET; Floating plastics with density < 1 g/cm³ and easily removal from the tray and without glue residuals; foamed PET based films where foamed structure is not getting destroyed at 90°C
    SiOx and AluOx plasma for barrier of caps/closures
    "Alkali/water soluble and alkali/water releasable adhesive at 60-80°C without reactivation
    Clear thermoforms (trays): adhesive for labels must be 100% removable leaving no adhesive residuals on flakes at 70°C."
    Bottles:
    PE; PE + EVA; PP; foamed PET (all with a density < 1 g/cm³)
    Clear Thermoforms (trays): Inserts in HDPE / LDPE / PP like Soaker pads, bubble pads (all inserts should be completely removable, leave no traces and have a density of <1 g/cm³)
    Clear Bottles and Clear Thermoforms: Transparent clear; Transparent light blue
    Transparent Colored Bottles: Transparent light colors Inks: Non toxic following the EuPIA Guidelines
    Direct printing: laser marking print
    Provided for bottles: > 4 cm (compacted); < 5 liter content No metallic colors;
    No metallized labels
    France: CITEO/COTREP Not Provided Clear PET: Coating (SiOx, COx, AlOx) ; Three-layer PA (PET/PA/PET combination with PA < 5% mass); PTN and PGA barriers;
    Colored PET: Coating (SiOx, COx, AlOx); PA multi-layer; PTN and PGA barriers; Oxygen scavengers
    PE, PP, OPP, PET (d < 1g/cm3) (ideal)
    Paper
    Coverage limit
    Volumes >500ml: surface area <70%
    Volumes <500ml: surface area <50%
    All caps or lids: Not-printed transparent PET, PE or PP (Ideal);
    Other plastics (density < 1g/cm3);
    EVA
    Sealed/bonded caps or lids: peelable
    Water releasable adhesive at 60-80°C in alkaline conditions and residue-free Seal: Mono or multi density<1g/cm3, metal free; peel-off seal and/or with a water releasable adhesive (ex. plastic, plastic/paper);
    Seal in Ketchup packaging or other condiments
    Clear PET: Colorless; Transparent light blue
    Colored PET:Blue or transparent green (ideal); or any other colors
    Without printing.
    Laser marked.
    Production or expiry date mark
    Inks:Inks: non-washable at 60-80°C in alkaline conditions; EuPIA good practice
    Not provided No aluminum barriers
    No metal closures
    No metallic inks
    *COTREP studying recycling-compatible aluminized inking
    Germany: DSD D4R Not Provided Colorless/light-blue and colored bottles: No barriers; plasma coating (clear) Colorless/light-blue and colored bottles: PP or PE labels and sleeves with a density <1 g/cm³
    Coverage:
    <0% of the packaging surface
    Colorless/light-blue and colored bottles: One-piece caps made of polyolefin plastics with a density < 1 g/cm³ (PP, HDPE, LDPE) Ideal: none
    Soluable adhesive applications recyclable in certain circumstances (in water or alkaline at 80°C)
    Not provided Colorless/light-blue bottles: Clear, transparent, or a light color (e.g., light blue);
    Colored bottles: Transparent, colored (e.g., light green or brown)
    Colorless/light-blue and colored bottles:
    No printing;
    No hazardous ingredients in the ink (in accordance with EuPIA)
    Not provided Not provided
    Netherlands: KIDV Mentioned in multilayer packaging as interferent. No % of acceptability - under study
    Ideally, mono-material with no EVOH.
    No multiple layers, coating or fillers made of other material Ideally not PET label because of inks that contaminate PET recyclate
    PE, PP or paper label.
    – Volumes > 500 mL: < 70% of surface
    – Volumes < 500 mL: < 50% of surface
    Without elastomers Hot-water or alkali-soluble at temperatures of 60-80°C;
    Alkali-soluble hot-melt adhesives at temperature up to 80°C.
    Non-metal parts; non-silicone Clear, non-opaque, no PETG or CPET (currently some limitations that are expected to change)
    The largest component is any color but black
    Size >5 cm Capacity < = 5 L No metal parts, such as springs and ball bearings, or RFID chips
    No metalized labels and tags
    No metal fillers (flakes) (unless easily removable in the sorting process.)
    South Africa: Packaging SA Not Provided Bottles: SIOx plasma-coating
    Trays: silicone surface coating
    Materials with densities less than 1 g/cm3 like PE, PP, BOPP
    Trays: as above, and adhesives with 100% removing ratio, and no adhesive residuals on flakes at 70 degrees testing temperature.
    Bottles: Materials with densities less than 1 g/cm3 like PP, PEHD, PE-LD
    Trays: Integral with container PET; floating combination of plastics with density < 1g/cm3; in any case with no glue residuals.
    Bottles: Water or alkali soluble in 60-80C, designed to remain on label.
    Trays: No adhesives on body
    Bottles: Use PP/PE-HD/PE-LD or PE-LLD or uncolored PET for trigger sprays
    Trays: plastic lid must be integral part of tray, or same plastic as main body
    Bottles and trays: Transparent
    Good manufacturing practice – excluding heavy metal containing inks. Laser printing. Avoid direct print unless for production and expiry date, in which case use laser printing
    Not provided Avoid metal caps; avoid metallic attachments; no metalized label
    South Korea: current legislation (might add details) Not Provided Single material Bottles: Structures that can be easily separated by customers; Synthetic resin materials with specific gravity < 1;
    No labels or Non-adhesive or equivalent labels; Thermal alkaline adhesive labels.
    *If the labels are attached to caps, they don’t need to be easily separable or meet the specific gravity requirement.
    Trays: Non-use or non-adhesive labels
    Bottles: Synthetic resins with a specific gravity < 1 or (ideally) colorless single PET material
    Trays: None-use or non-adhesive
    Bottles: Thermal alkaline adhesive - sodium hydroxide (2%) and separated at 80°C
    (adhesive applied area < 20% of the entire area of a PET bottle (except the cap) or 60% of the label area.)
    Trays: No adhesives
    Bottles: Synthetic resins with a specific gravity < 1 or (ideally) colorless single PET material
    Trays: None-use or non-adhesive
    Bottles: colorless
    No direct printing
    Not provided Do not use "Materials other than synthetic resin and inseparable from the body
    Sweden: FTI Not provided Avoid using barrier material Labels: PP, OPP or PE labels that cover less than 60% of the external area of the packaging and soluble in an alkaline water solution (under 80°C).
    Sleeves: Shrink sleeve label in PP or PE that covers less than 60% of the external area of packaging.
    (Best option is easily removable by the consumer design)
    PE, PP (not black)
    Not provided (Best option is easily removable by the consumer design)
    PE, PP (not black)
    No color or transparent pale blue;
    Laser marking
    Not provided Not provided -
    Avoid Metal components and metalized layers
    UK: RECOUP Not Provided For bottles: Clear plasma
    For trays: none
    Labels: HDPE/LDPE/PP/OPP
    Coverage:
    <60% of the packaging surface
    Sleeves: PE/PP/OPP/EPS (d<1g/cm3)/Foamed PET/Foamed PET-G
    For bottles: PP
    HDPE, LDPE - Europe only
    For trays: PET or no residue after removal by consumers
    Removable, water soluble at 60-80°C Seals: PE/PP
    Trigger Sprays: PP/HDPE/LDPE
    Clear Bottles and Clear Thermoforms: Transparent clear; Transparent light blue or light tints
    Inks: Non toxic following the EuPIA Guidelines
    Direct printing: None/ Embossed / Laser printing (minimal)
    Not provided No metal parts, such as springs and ball bearings, or RFID chips
    No metalized labels and tags
    (deposition techniques that provide a very thin layer of metal (only atoms deep) are acceptable)
    US: SPC - H2R TBD Ensure any additives or fillers are APR preferred Ensure label substrate, label adhesive, and label ink are APR preferred TBD TBD TBD Clear, transparent blue or transparent green > 3 inches in all dimensions TBD
    US: APR Not specifically provided. See "barrier layers" Non-PET layers and coatings require testing to determine the appropriate APR recyclability category.
    Layers and coatings must either separate and be removed from the PET in the recycling process or have no adverse effects on the RPET in future uses. When used, their content should be minimized to the greatest extent possible
    PP and PE labels with specific gravity <1
    (all other require testing unless already known as detrimental)
    PP and PE closures that float in water
    Closure systems without liners (PE, EVA and TPE liners if needed)
    Adhesives that releases in the wash help reduce negative impact of non-compatible labels Clear PET attachments
    (all other require testing unless already known as detrimental)
    Clear unpigmented PET preferred
    Transparent light blue or green packaging preferred (up to 30% of the bale)
    > 2 inches in 2 dimensions No metal foil, metalized and metallic printed labels

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