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 preparation for the release of a new and improved APR Design® Guide format anticipated in 2023, this guidance table is no longer being updated. In the interim, new design guidance is provided per the addendum below.
New guidance impacting HDPE packaging has been recently approved for inclusion in the APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recycling. This new guidance is shown below and is available for immediate use. As of May 22, 2023 there are four sections presented: HDPE base resin; Closures, fitments, liners, and safety seals; Labels for mixed color HDPE bottles; and Additives.
Design Feature | Recyclability Category | APR Test Methods | APR Recognized Commercially Available Options | Additional Resources |
---|---|---|---|---|
BASE POLYMER |
||||
Postconsumer Polyolefin Content | APR Lifecycle Inventory for Recycled Resins |
|||
Blends of HDPE and other resins with unknown effects in future uses of recovered resins | Untested blends may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
HDPE-CG-01 |
||
COLOR |
||||
Unpigmented (Natural) | ||||
Opaque or Translucent | ||||
Optical Brighteners | Why? |
|||
Black and Dark Colors | Untested colors may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-S-01 SORT-B-01 |
NIR Sortation |
|
DIMENSIONS |
||||
Items up to and greater than 7.5 liters (2 gallons) in volume (no large size boundary) | ||||
Items more 3-dimensional (round) than 2-dimensional (flat) | approximate CASS > 20 |
SORT-B-0X (Under Development) | ||
Small size boundary | < 5 cm (2 in) in 2 dimensions |
SORT-B-02 |
Size Sortation |
|
CLOSURES & CLOSURE LINERS; SAFETY SEALS |
||||
Polyethylene Closures | MPG & CG Recognition Letters | Meets Preferred Guidance Recognition Program Resource Document for Dispensers |
||
Closure Systems without Liners, Valves | CG Recognition Letters | |||
EVA and TPE Liners | ||||
Polymers with density > 1.0 that sink in water - specifically PS, silicone, nylon, acetal, thermosets | ||||
Shrink Film Safety Sleeves that are designed to be completely removed before the package can be opened | ||||
Polyethylene or Polypropylene tamper-evident safety sleeves | ||||
PETG or PLA tamper-evident safety sleeves | ||||
Polypropylene closures | Why? |
|||
Liners or safety seals that are composites of AL and paper | Why? |
|||
Closures containing floating silicone polymer | Why? |
|||
PVC Closures and Tamper-evident safety sleeves | completely removed before package can be opened |
|||
Why? |
||||
Closures or lidding with metal components | Untested closures or liddings may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-B-03 |
Metal Sortation |
|
Shrink Film Safety Sleeves, all materials | completely removed before package can be opened |
HDPE-CG-01 |
||
SPRAY DISPENSERS AND PUMPS |
||||
Polymers with density > 1.0 that sink in water, specifically PS, silicone, nylon, acetal, thermosets | Meets Preferred Guidance Recognition Program Resource Document for Dispensers |
|||
Polypropylene dispensers | Why? |
|||
Valves made of silicone (density and floatability will vary) | Untested valves may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
HDPE-CG-01 |
||
Valves or springs made of metal | Untested blends may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-B-03 |
||
BARRIER LAYERS, COATINGS, ADDITIVES |
||||
EVOH up to 5%, with a minimum of 32 mol% ethylene | CG Recognition Letters | |||
"Workhorse" additives | CG Recognition Letters | |||
Non-HDPE layers and barrier materials other than EVOH | Untested barrier materials may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-S-01 |
CG Recognition Letters | Squeeze Tubes |
Additive concentration causing blend to sink due to density > 1.0 | Untested additives may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
O-S-01 |
||
Degradable Additives | Untested additives may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
APR Position Statement |
||
LABELS & INKS |
||||
Polypropylene or polyethylene labels, adhered and removeable (pressure sensitive, PS) | CG Recognition Letters | Squeeze Tubes |
||
In-mold labels of a compatible polymer | CG Recognition Letters | |||
Full bottle sleeve labels designed for sorting | CG Recognition Letters | Squeeze Tubes |
||
Paper Labels | Why? |
|||
Label Inks | Untested inks may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
HDPE-S-01 HDPE-CG-01 |
||
Metal foil, metalized, and metallic printed labels | Untested labels may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-B-03 SORT-S-01 |
||
Full bottle sleeve labels | Untested labels may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-S-01 SORT-B-01 HDPE-CG-01 |
Squeeze Tubes |
|
Direct Printing other than Date Coding | Untested labels may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
HDPE-S-01 HDPE-CG-01 |
CG Recognition Letters | |
LABEL/ADHESIVE COMBINATIONS |
||||
Metal Foil Labels that pass Metal Sorting Potential Test | adhesive releases in wash |
|||
adhesive does not release in wash Why? |
||||
Polystyrene Labels | adhesive releases in wash |
|||
adhesive does not release in wash Why? |
||||
PLA Labels | adhesive releases in wash |
|||
adhesive does not release in wash |
||||
PVC Labels | adhesive does not release in wash Why? |
|||
Label/Adhesive Combinations where adhesive release and substrate float/sink behavior are not known | Untested label/adhesive combinations may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
O-S-01 HDPE-CG-01 |
CG Recognition Letters | |
ATTACHMENTS |
||||
Plastic Attachments with Density > 1.0 except PVC | ||||
Paper Attachments | Why? |
|||
PVC Attachments | Why? |
|||
Polypropylene Attachments | Why? |
|||
RFID | Why? |
|||
Non-HDPE Attachments | Untested attachments may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
O-S-01 |
||
Metal, Metalized, and Metal Containing Attachments | Untested attachments may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
SORT-B-03 |
||
Welded Attachments | Untested attachments may yield Preferred, Detrimental, or Non-Recyclable results |
O-S-01 HDPE-CG-01 |
Eco Vision direct printed PE tube with 5% and less EVOH and HDPE closure
Kim Pai Go Green HD-PBL 220/11 HDPE/LLDPE laminated non-metallized tube, direct decorated with UV flexo inks and gloss varnish on white HDPE and with 3.7% or less ethylene vinyl alcohol barrier layer and tie layer and with an HDPE shoulder and a PET shoulder insert and without closure
Kim Pai Go Green HD-PBL EV15-350 HDPE/LLDPE extruded non-metallized tube, direct decorated with UV dry-offset inks and gloss varnish on white HDPE and with 3.4% or less ethylene vinyl alcohol barrier layer and tie layer and with an HDPE shoulder and without closure
Greenleaf Generation 2
Samson Tube
Samson Tube
HDPE bottle with EVOH barrier layer and tie layer
Kim Pai Go Green 300, 350, and 380 HDPE non-metallized and decorated tubes with 3.9% or less EVOH barrier layer and an HDPE shoulder and PP closure and also Kim Pai Go Green 250 HDPE metallized and decorated tube with 4.4% or less EVOH barrier layer and an HDPE shoulder, with and without a PET shoulder insert, and PP closure
Kim Pai Go Green 250 HDPE white sleeve and transparent sleeve direct decorated tube with 5% or less ethylene vinyl alcohol barrier layer and tie layer and with and without a PET shoulder insert
HDPE and LLDPE, 7.6% or less ethylene vinyl alcohol barrier layer and tie layer, direct printed
TUPACK Decorated HDPE blend tube, without and with less than 5% ethylene vinyl alcohol co-extruded barrier layer and maleated polyolefin tie layer, and low-melt flow index HDPE shoulder and HDPE closure
Platina 2515 HDPE tubes with 5% or less EVOH barrier addition, without closure, and with UV-cured printed decoration
Platina 250 HDPE tubes with 5% or less barrier addition decorated with UV-cured printing and with an HDPE closure for Platina tubes
Platina PRO 220 series and Platina PRO 250 series
Platina 400 and GML 300 HDPE tubes
Platina 250 and Green GML 300 HDPE tubes
Polyfoil® MMB Tubes with and without thin film metallization
Albea’s printed extruded HDPE tube with low melt flow HDPE flip-top cap
Greenleaf Gen2 tubes with 5.5% EVOH barrier addition, low melt 1661 shoulder, without closure, and decorated with UV-cured printing
San Ying Packaging's Ever Green 01 decorated HDPE tube with less than 1% vinyl alcohol-based coating barrier layer, no closure
REGO ECO ERA MONO PBL undecorated HDPE Industrial Co., Ltd. tube with less than 5% vinyl alcohol-based barrier layer
High gloss HDPE container with 20% cyclic olefin copolymer (TOPAS® 8007F-600 COC) outer-layer
Enkase™ fluorination coating
FluoroSeal® fluorination coating
HDPE bottle with 10% or less clear ethylene/propylene thermoplastic polyolefin outer layer
Eco Vision monolayered PE tube and a decorated PE pressure sensitive label with acrylic adhesive and HDPE closure
GreenCycle™ 1.85 mil clear top-coated BOPP pressure sensitive label substrate; 2.6 mil cavitated white top-coated BOPP pressure sensitive label substrate; 2.3 mil solid core white top-coated BOPP pressure sensitive label substrate; and 2.4 mil cavitated white top-coated BOPP pressure sensitive label substrate, all with 102 acrylic emulsion adhesive, for HDPE bottles
Undecorated optiFLEX® ecoFOCUS™ clear and white polyethylene pressure sensitive labels with V-127RE emulsion acrylic adhesive for HDPE bottles
Undecorated PE and PP pressure sensitive labels with general purpose acrylic adhesive for HDPE bottles
Undecorated clear and white PE substrate, clear and white PE/PP polyolefin blend substrate, and white BOPP substrate pressure sensitive labels with general purpose permanent acrylic adhesive for HDPE bottles
BOPP Film with Pressure Sensitive Acrylic Emulsion Adhesive for HDPE bottles, unprinted
Polypropylene labels: gravure printed, wax coated substrate, heat transfer label; flexo printed, wax coated substrate, heat transfer label; gravure printed white in-mold label with EVA adhesive; flexo printed, clear pressure sensitive label with 10126 or 13733 acrylic adhesive; and flexo printed, white pressure sensitive label with 104495 acrylic adhesive plus a gravure printed, polyolefin shrink film label
Taghleef Industries’ undecorated Shape360® TDS shrink sleeve film substrate for HDPE bottles
YMR PETG or YBRS hybrid films (PETG/OPS co-extruded and bi-axially oriented) shrink sleeve substrates for HDPE bottles
Samson Tube
Two color Direct Object Printing™ technology with 0.6% and less surface coverage on a pigmented copolymer high density polyethylene bottle
Four color (white, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) Direct Object Printing™ technology with up to and including 70% surface coverage on a pigmented high density polyethylene copolymer bottle
Polypropylene labels: gravure printed, wax coated substrate, heat transfer label; flexo printed, wax coated substrate, heat transfer label; gravure printed white in-mold label with EVA adhesive; flexo printed, clear pressure sensitive label with 10126 or 13733 acrylic adhesive; and flexo printed, white pressure sensitive label with 104495 acrylic adhesive plus a gravure printed, polyolefin shrink film label
Aptar’s Future all-PE pump for HDPE and PET bottles
APackaging Group’s Infinity Pump Series™ all-polyolefin lotion pumps for HDPE and PET bottles
Critical Guidance Recognition (CGR)
Aptar’s Future all-PE pump for HDPE and PET bottles