Innovation in plastics and packaging is necessary to maintain a healthy and competitive industry. To support innovators, the APR has developed a variety of laboratory test method documents that can be used to assess the impact of a plastic design feature or component on recycling. APR test methods combine laboratory practices and measurements developed specifically by and for plastic recyclers with standard ASTM tests. The objective of testing is to determine the impact of a design feature on the processability of a package item as well as the ability of post-consumer resin (PCR) derived from such feedstocks to meet quality specifications for end-use applications. To view APR’s test method definitions, click here.

In addition, APR recommends adherence to the product stewardship considerations outlined in the PET Design Guidance. A longer-term goal at APR may be to include adherence to the product stewardship guidance when evaluating package features that meet the APR Preferred category.

Design Feature	Recyclability Category	APR Design for Recyclability Test Methods	APR Recognized Commercially Available Options	Additional Resources
BASE RESIN
Crystalline Melt Point	Preferred if 225-255°C as determined by ASTM D3418-15 test method		APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Non-Recyclable if <225°C or > 255°C, or non-crystallizable
Intrinsic Viscosity	Preferred if between 0.72- 0.90 dL/g as determined by ASTM D4603 test method		APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Detrimental if <0.72 dL/g or > 0.90 dL/g Why?
Monomer Composition	Preferred if > 90% PTA or DMT reacted with MEG		APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Detrimental < 90% PTA or DMT reacted with MEG Why?
Blends of PET and other resins designed to enhance properties in the intended first use with unknown residual effects on future uses of the recovered resin.	Needs Testing Untested blends may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-01	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
COLOR
Transparent Clear	Preferred
Transparent Light Green	Preferred
Transparent Light Blue	Preferred
Other Transparent Colors	Detrimental Why?
Opaque and White	Detrimental Why?
Black and Dark Colors	Detrimental if Passes APR SORT-B-01 testing criteria Why?	SORT-B-01		External reviews of these technologies
	Non-Recyclable if Does Not Pass APR SORT-B-01 testing criteria
DIMENSIONS
Large size boundary	Preferred if ≤ 7.5 liters (2 gal.) in volume
	Detrimental if > 7.5 liters (2 gal.) in volume Why?
Small size boundary	Preferred if > 2 in (5 cm.) in any two dimensions			Size Sortation
	Needs Testing if ≤ 2 in (5 cm) in any two dimensions Untested size boundary may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-recyclable results	SORT-B-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
2D/3D Boundary	Preferred if Smallest uncompressed packaging dimension ≥ minimum dimensions per APR-RES-SORT-05	RES-SORT-05	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing if Smallest uncompressed packaging dimension < minimum dimensions per APR-RES-SORT-05 Use SORT-B-05 test method to determine if packaging is Preferred or Detrimental	RES-SORT-05 SORT-B-05
CLOSURES, CLOSURE LINERS & SAFETY SEALS
Closures, Liners or Safety Seals made of PP, HDPE, LDPE, PE copolymers including TPO’s and EVA, TPE elastomers that float in water after granulation	Preferred if Density is ≤ 1.0 g/cm3 or floats in water per PET-S-05	PET-S-05	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Safety Seals made of any materials that are designed to be removed and discarded before the package can be opened	Preferred
Closures, Liners or Safety Seals that are composites of AL and paper	Detrimental Why?
PVC	Non-Recyclable
Closures, Liners or Safety Seals made of polymers with density > 1.0 g/cm3 that sink in water after granulation	Needs Testing Untested Closures, Liners or Safety Seals may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-02
Closures with metal components	Needs Testing Untested closures may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	SORT-B-03		Metal Sortation
Other Closures, Liners or Safety Seals not Covered in this section	Needs Testing Untested Closures, Liners or Safety Seals may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-02
SPRAY DISPENSERS & PUMPS
Dispensers/Pumps made of PP, HDPE, LDPE, PE copolymers including TPO’s and EVA, TPE elastomers that float in water after granulation	Preferred if Density is ≤ 1.0 g/cm3 or floats in water per PET-S-05	PET-S-05	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Any amount of PVC	Non-Recyclable
Dispensers/Pumps made of polymers with density > 1.0 g/cm3 that sink in water after granulation	Needs Testing Untested Dispensers/Pumps may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-02
Valves containing silicone (density and floatability will vary)	Needs Testing Untested valves may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-S-05 PET-CG-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Valves or springs made of metal	Needs Testing Untested valves/springs may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	SORT-B-03		Metal Sortation
LABELS
Surface Area Coverage for Any Labels used on PET Packaging	Preferred if Surface Area ≤ 55% for Volumes ≤ 550mL Surface area ≤ 75% for Volumes > 550mL
	Needs Testing Surface Area > 55% for Volumes ≤ 550mL Surface area > 75% for Volumes > 550mL Higher Surface Area Coverage may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	SORT-B-01 SORT-B-04	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Film labels intended to float in water	Preferred if Density is ≤ 1.0 g/cm3 or floats in water per PET-S-05	PET-S-05	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Polystyrene	Preferred if Floats in water per PET-S-05	PET-S-05
	Needs Testing Untested Polystyrene may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-02
Contains Metalized Material	Preferred if Surface Area is < Preferred Surface Area per APR RES-SORT-4	RES-SORT-04	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing if Surface Area is > Preferred Surface Area per APR RES-SORT-4 Use SORT-B-03 test methods to determine if spherical equivalent threshold yields Detrimental or Non-Recyclable results	SORT-B-03
Contains Paper Materials	Detrimental Why?
Contains PVC or PLA in any amount	Non-Recyclable
Film labels that sink in water	Needs Testing Labels that sink in water may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-S-05 PET-CG-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Laminated substrate	Needs Testing Laminated substrates may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-02
ADHESIVES
No Adhesive	Preferred
Adhesives Designed to Wash Cleanly from PET Package	Needs Testing Adhesives may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	PET-CG-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
INKS AND PIGMENTS
Inks for Film Labels Intended to Float in Water	Preferred Hot Caustic Resistant Inks that meet APR PET-B-02 Criteria	PET-B-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing Untested Inks may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results
Inks for Film Labels that Sink in Water	Preferred Wash off Inks that meets APR PET-B-02 Criteria	PET-B-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing Untested Inks may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results
Inks printed directly on PET package	Preferred Wash off Inks that meets APR PET-B-02 Criteria	PET-B-02	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing Untested Inks may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results
Metallic Inks Used on Any Label or Printed on PET packaging	Preferred if Surface Area is < Preferred Surface Area per APR RES-SORT-4	RES-SORT-04 SORT-B-03	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing if Surface Area is > Preferred Surface Area per APR RES-SORT-4 Use SORT-B-03 test methods to determine if spherical equivalent threshold yields Detrimental or Non-Recyclable results
BARRIER LAYERS, COATINGS & ADDITIVES
Oxygen Scavengers	Preferred if Meets the criteria given in PET-CG-01 when employing the aging conditions given in PET-P-12	PET-S-03 PET-CG-01 PET-P-00	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
	Needs Testing Untested Oxygen Scavengers may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-recyclable results
Optical Brighteners	Detrimental Why?
Silicon Oxides	Needs Testing Silicon Oxides may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-recyclable results	PET-S-03 PET-CG-01	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Toners	Needs Testing Toners may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-recyclable results	PET-S-03	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Reheat Additives	Needs Testing Reheat Additives may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-recyclable results	PET-S-03 PET-CG-01	APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions
Other Barrier Materials and Additives	Needs Testing Other Barrier Materials or Additives may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-recyclable results	PET-S-03 PET-CG-01
Degradable Additives	SEE APR POSITION PAPER			APR Position Paper Degradeable Additives
ATTACHMENTS
Clear PET with compatible parameters to Base Resin Preferred Criteria	Preferred
Paper	Detrimental Why?
Welded, regardless of resin	Detrimental Why?
RFID	Detrimental Why?
PS	Detrimental Why?
PVC or PLA in any amount	Non-Recyclable
Metal, metallized, and metal containing	Needs Testing Untested metals may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results	SORT-B-03		Metal Sortation