PREFERRED

Polypropylene (PP) or Polypropylene Blends that are consistent with ASTM D4101

The use of postconsumer PP in all packages is encouraged to the maximum amount technically and economically feasible.

Click below for commercially available Base Resins that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

DETRIMENTAL

None specified

RENDERS NON-RECYCLABLE

None specified

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Polypropylene (PP) or Polypropylene Blends with unknown material properties

DEFINITIVE TEST

PREFERRED

Unpigmented (Natural) PP

Natural material has the highest value as a recycled stream since it has the widest variety of end-use applications. It can be easily identified for food-grade end use applications.

Translucent and opaque colors

PP is commonly colored so volumes and markets exist for colored material and it is economical to process.

Colors with L value > 40 or average NIR reflectance > 10%

Colored PP is considered preferred if it meets the criteria above which will enable the package to be recognized by NIR (near-infrared) sorting technology used in Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and sorted properly to the colored PP stream.

DETRIMENTAL

None specified

RENDERS NON-RECYCLABLE

None specified

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Colors with an L value ≤ 40 or an average NIR reflectance ≤ to 10%

Sortation testing for dark colors will determine whether a dark colored item will be considered Preferred, Detrimental, or Renders Non-Recyclable.

There is no mechanical property inherent in dark PP that makes it unrecyclable. The problem lies in sorting and the physics behind polymer identification. NIR (near-infrared) sorting technology used in MRFs is not capable of identifying many dark colored polymers since the colorant absorbs NIR energy. There are dark shades that may be detected by NIR, and a PP label of a different color on a package might aid in detection by NIR. It is not feasible to use manual sorting to separate one dark polymer from another since they cannot be distinguished by sight.

Recent innovations in both black colorants and sortation technology have created the possibility of sortable black PP containers. NIR detectable dark/black color concentrates are now available in the marketplace. Companies that are considering such colorants and are unsure of their compatibility with recycling should ask their suppliers to provide APR test results. An item may meet APR Guidance for NIR optical sorting, but may still not be considered recyclable in communities that have chosen in the past to not collect black plastics.

Surveys of reclaimers have indicated that they are willing to purchase bales containing black items. However, it is always advisable to verify markets for new items.

It should be noted that dark colors used in oil bottles and industrial items fall outside the scope of the design guide since they are not typically collected through curbside collection that is the focus of this guidance. Non-NIR sortable PP, if collected in a source separated or postindustrial stream, can be reclaimed.

BENCHMARK TEST

SCREENING TEST

Click below for commercially available Colors that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

• Large Size Boundary:

  This boundary exists due to size limits of recycling machinery, particularly automatic sorting equipment, within a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). MRFs typically employ manual sortation before the automatic sort line to remove larger items.

• Small Size Boundary:

  This boundary exists due to the minimum sieve size within the glass screens at a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The mixed material that enters the MRF to be sorted is first compressed/crushed and then passed over these glass screens. The glass screens have small sieve openings where the crushed glass drops through and is sent to the glass recycling stream. However, small plastic packaging items that are below these sieve openings in the glass screens will also drop through to the glass stream and will be lost to the plastic recycling streams.

• 2D/3D Boundary:

  This boundary exists due to the separation process that happens in a Material Recovery Facility in order to separate out the paper (2D items) from the containers (3D items) within the stream of mixed materials. If plastic packaging is sorted by the machinery as 2D, it will be sent to the paper stream and will be lost to the plastic recycling stream.

PREFERRED

Recycling machinery, particularly automatic sorting equipment, typically cannot process items larger than 7.5 liters (2 gallons).

Small size boundaries are of concern because the industry standard glass screen size for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in North America potentially loses materials less than two inches to the glass stream.

While weight and surface area factor into the likely outcome for 2D/3D separation process, the most critical factor is height of the package when it is laying down. Packages tend to orient themselves so that height is defined as the smallest overall dimension of the package.

Click below for commercially available PP packaging items that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

DETRIMENTAL

Large Size Boundary: Items that are > 7.5 L (2 gal) in volume

Recycling machinery, particularly automatic sorting equipment, typically not able to accept items larger than 7.5 liters (2 gallons). Items over this max size are manual pulled out of the recycling stream before the automatic sort equipment to avoid damage. These items are recovered in a stream of bulky rigid containers that are sold and processed as polyethylene since the vast majority of bulky rigid items are comprised of this polymer. Other polymers including PP either negatively affect or are lost by the polyethylene processing.

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Small Size Boundary: Items smaller than 5 cm(2 in) in any two dimensions

The industry standard glass screen size for North American MRFs potentially loses materials less than 5 cm (2 in) to the glass stream. Sortation testing below can determine the impact of the size and shape of a container on sortability.

BENCHMARK TEST

2D/3D Boundary: Items where the smallest uncompressed dimension < minimum dimensions per RES-SORT-05

Aside from not being captured in the PP stream, non-conforming items that are more “flat” can cause contamination in the paper stream. If items are not captured and directed into the PP stream, they are not recycled.

Sortation testing below can determine if packaging is Preferred or Detrimental

BENCHMARK TEST

PREFERRED

• Polypropylene (PP) closures

  Since polypropylene is the same polymer as the package body, closures and dispensers made of it will be captured and processed with PP. This increases the reclaimers yield and reduces possible waste. The APR encourages the industry to innovate toward widespread use of same-polymer closures on bottles.

• Polyethylene (PE) closures that are < 10% of the package weight

  PE can be a contaminant in PP stream. When PP and PE are melt mixed in an extruder the PE exists as a second phase which can dramatically reduce the impact toughness that is a valuable property of recycled PP.

  To evaluate the 10% limit, APR guidance is to employ as numerator the sum all the PE employed on a closure, fitment, pour spout, or over-cap employed on a package. Then the denominator is the sum of the PE just mentioned along with the weight of the PP used to make the package. Any PE from labels or attachments is ignored in this evaluation.

  An allowance for up to 10 wt% PE from closures reflects that the PP recycling stream routinely contains PE and reclaimers can manage and accept some PE content in the PP stream.

• Closures made of polymers with density > 1.0 g/cm³ that sink in water per APR-O-S-01 and do not contain PVC

  Polymers with density greater than 1.0 g/cm³ are expected to sink in the float-sink tank, thereby separating from the PP. They also do not damage or wear cutting machinery in the recycling process. Small amounts of these materials that make it through the float-sink process can be melt filtered from the recycled PP in the extrusion step. However, these materials are lost to the waste stream in the recycling process and are considered less preferable than an alternative floating attachment that is compatible with PP.

Click below for commercially available Closures that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

• Any floating olefin-based polymer, or polymer compound, may be employed to make a liner or safety seal on a closure. The following materials are within the scope of floating olefin-based polymers:

  • The finished polymer compound with any additives and color concentrate has a density less than 0.985 g/cm³, or can be shown to float in water using APR O-S-01.

  • Ethylene polymers and copolymers including EVA copolymers and ionomers.

  • Thermoplastic elastomers based on olefinic constituents. The more common elastomers are ethylene and/or propylene based plastomers/elastomers as well as olefin block copolymers including SEBS.

  • Foamed olefin-based materials

• Liners or safety seals/sleeves made of polymers with density >1.0g/cm³ that sink in water per APR-O-S-01 and do not contain PVC

  Polymers with density greater than 1.0 g/cm³ are expected to sink in the float-sink tank, thereby separating from the PP. They also do not damage or wear cutting machinery in the recycling process. Small amounts of these materials that make it through the float-sink process can be melt filtered from the recycled PP in the extrusion step. However, these materials are lost to the waste stream in the recycling process and are considered less preferable than an alternative floating attachment that is compatible with PP.

• Liners or Safety seals/sleeves that are designed to be completely removed before the package can be opened

  Regardless of material, designs that require complete removal by the consumer of the safety sleeve are Preferred, as the material will not be introduced into the recycling stream.

DETRIMENTAL

Polyethylene closures that are ≥ 10% of the package weight

Since polyethylene floats in water like polypropylene it is not separated in the reclaimers float-sink tank. When blended with PP in larger amounts it negatively affects the impact properties and can render the material brittle. Although very small amounts of PE, such as that contributed by labels, are regularly accepted by PP reclaimers, closures and dispensers comprising a larger weight percentage of the package have a greater negative affect.

Closure Liners or Safety Seals that are composites of Aluminum and Paper

These materials will contaminate wash water, will contribute to waste disposal costs, or will stick to the valuable PP and reduce quality and value of the final products.

Closures, Closure Liners and Safety Seals that sink in water per APR-O-S-01 and contain PVC materials

PVC is relatively easy to remove in the float-sink tank since it sinks while the PP floats. However, the float-sink tank is imperfect and even a very small amount of PVC with the recycled PP renders large amounts of it unusable as the PVC degrades at lower temperatures than those at which PP is processed.

RENDERS NON-RECYCLABLE

None specified

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Closures, Liners and Safety Seals made of polymers with density > 1.0 g/cm³ that float water per APR-O-S-01

This material passes through the float-sink tank along with the PP and is difficult to remove with other methods and can cause contamination if not compatible with PP material.

SCREENING TEST

DEFINITIVE TEST

Dispensers, closures or lidding with metal components

Sortation testing for metal components will result in either a Detrimental or a Renders Non-Recyclable ruling. Metal components cannot be Preferred at this time.

Metal contamination is highly undesirable in recycled PP. Metals create wear in process machinery, increase operation costs and yield loss, and are a primary source of defects in products made with recycled PP. MRFs and PP reclaimers use magnets, eddy current separators and metal detectors to keep packages with metal components out of the process stream. Any metal components, such as pump springs, valves, safety seals, or lidding that trigger the metal detector will cause the entire plastic item to be removed from the stream and not recycled.

Although metal is easily removed in the float-sink process, most reclaimers have metal detection equipment designed to protect their cutting machinery. Therefore, the container never makes it to the float-sink tank. Large metal items attached to PP packages may cause the package to be directed to the metal or waste stream in the recycling process, causing yield loss.

BENCHMARK TEST

PREFERRED

1. Made with PP, HDPE, LDPE, and/or PE copolymers including TPO’s and EVA, TPE elastomers
2. All plastic material floats in water after granulation per APR O-S-01.

All plastic dispensers, pumps, and valves with density > 1.0 g/cm³ that sink in water per APR O-S-01. and do NOT contain PVC materials

Materials with densities greater than 1.0 g/cm³ are expected to sink in the float-sink tank, thereby separating from the PP. They also do not damage or wear cutting machinery in the recycling process. Small amounts of these materials, with the exception of PVC materials, that make it through the float-sink process can be melt filtered from the recycled PP in the extrusion step. However, these materials are lost to the waste stream in the recycling process and are considered less preferable than an alternative floating attachment that is compatible with PP.

Click below for commercially available spray dispensers, pumps, and valves that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

DETRIMENTAL

All plastic dispensers, pumps and valves with density > 1.0 g/cm³ that sink in water per APR O-S-01 and contain PVC materials

PVC is relatively easy to remove in the float-sink tank since it sinks while the PP floats. However, the float-sink tank is imperfect and even a very small amount of PVC with the recycled PP renders large amounts of it unusable as the PVC degrades at lower temperatures than those at which PP is processed.

RENDERS NON-RECYCLABLE

None specified

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

All plastic dispensers, pumps and valves with density > 1.0 g/cm³ that float in water per APR O-S-01.

Spray dispensers, pumps or valves may be made of plastics with densities > 1.0 g/cm³ as an alternative to metals. While polymers are generally preferable to metals, the composition of a the polymers may cause it to be incompatible with PP recycling.

Companies that are considering such components and are unsure of their compatibility with recycling should ask their suppliers to provide APR test results

SCREENING TEST

DEFINITIVE TEST

Valves or Springs made of Metal

Sortation testing for metal components will result in either a Detrimental or a Renders Non-Recyclable ruling.

Metal contamination is highly undesirable in the PP reclaiming process. Metals create wear in process machinery, and increase operation costs and yield loss. While metals sink in the float/sink tank and are therefore easily separable from PP flakes, they contribute wear to size reduction machinery. MRFs and PP reclaimers use magnets, eddy current separators and metal detectors to keep packages with metal components out of the process stream. Any metal components, such as pump springs, valves, safety seals, or lidding that trigger these devices will cause the entire plastic item to be removed from the stream and not recycled.

BENCHMARK TEST

PREFERRED

EVOH ≤ 6.0 wt% + PP-g-MAH tie layers with MAH > 0.1 wt% and EVOH:tie layers ratio ≤ 2

Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is a common layer material used to increase the barrier properties of PP packaging. It is not separable in the recycling process and therefore will become part of the recycled PP. Maleated polyethylene (PE-g-MAH) tie layers are commonly used in combination with EVOH to improve the adhesion between PP and EVOH and have been shown to improve compatibility during the recycling process.

Fillers, pigments or additives with densities > 1.0 g/cm³ where density of blend with base resin is ≤ 0.97 g/cm³

Density is an important property and float-sink tanks are critical separation tools used by reclaimers. Many fillers, pigments and additives used with PP have higher densities and when incorporated into PP can increase the density of resulting PP blend causing it to sink in the float-sink tank. When a PP item sinks during reclamation, the item is lost as waste reducing yield, increasing cost, and thus will be categorized as non-recyclable. The density of an item can be calculated or measured via ASTM D792, ASTM D1505 or ISO 1183-1.

Workhorse additives that meet the PP blend density of ≤ 0.97 g/cm³

Most PP in a package contains some form of additives. The "workhorse" additives commonly used have not been shown to cause significant issues with the recycling process or further uses of the recycled PP. Commonly acceptable workhorse additives include:

• Thermal stabilizers - These additives typically enhance the further processing of the polymer and are therefore preferred for recycling.
• UV stabilizers – These additives typically enhance the further processing of the polymer and are therefore preferred for recycling
• Nucleating agents
• Antistatic agents
• Lubricants
• Fillers – note that many fillers are dense, so particular attention should be paid to the overall blend density
• Pigments
• Impact modifiers
• Chemical blowing agents

Additive usage should be minimized to maintain the best performance of recycled PP for future uses.

Click below for commercially available Barriers, Coatings, Additives and Fillers that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

DETRIMENTAL

Optical brighteners

Optical brighteners are not removed in the recycling process and can create an unacceptable fluorescence for next uses of recycled PP. It is difficult to identify material with this negative effect until extremely late in the recycling process where a great deal of added cost has been imparted into a material of low value due to the additive.

EVOH > 6.0 wt% + PP-g-MAH tie layers with MAH > 0.1 wt% and EVOH:tie layers ratio ≤ 2

RENDERS NON -RECYCLABLEL

EVOH > 1% with any other tie layers

Fillers, pigments or additives with densities > 1.0 g/cm³ where density of blend with base resin is > 1.0 g/cm³ or < 51 wt% of the PP blend floats in water per screening test.

SCREENING TEST

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Fillers, pigments or additives with densities > 1.0 g/cm³ where density of blend with base resin is > 0.97 g/cm³ and < 1.0 g/cm³

SCREENING TEST

Workhorse additives where PP blend density is > 0.97 g/cm³

SCREENING TEST

Non-PP barrier materials other than EVOH

Testing must show that layers and coatings will either separate and be removed from the PP in the recycling process or have no adverse effects on the recycled PP in future uses. When used, their content should be minimized to the greatest extent possible. Some layers and coatings have been found compatible with PP or are easily separated in conventional recycling systems. Companies that are considering such barrier materials and are unsure of their compatibility with recycling should ask their suppliers to provide APR test results.

SCREENING TEST

DEFINITIVE TEST

Degradable additives (photo, oxo, or bio)

See APR Position Paper on Degradable Additives

APR Position Paper

LABELS, INKS, AND ADHESIVES

Before PP bottles are granulated, complete packages with labels and closures are likely to be sorted by a NIR optical sorter and run through a sensitive metal detector. These situations create the need for testing to evaluate the impact of a label on NIR optical sortation or metals detection:

1. If a label does not allow the package to be positively identified as PP by NIR sorters, the container will go to the waste stream and not be recycled.
2. If metal decoration used on a label is detected by a metal detector, the package will be ejected and sent to waste. Metal decoration can include: vapor deposited films, metal foils, and metallic flake inks.

During the reclaiming process, mixed color PP packages are most likely washed in water near room temperature and with mild detergents. These wash conditions will have negligible impact on inks and adhesives and in most cases labels, inks and adhesives are expected to become included in the recycled PP product.

PREFERRED

Automated sorting performance criteria:

• For containers with a brimful volume of 550 ml or less, the surface area coverage of the label is no more than 55%, and no metal decoration is employed on the label.

Surface area is defined as the area of the label divided by the area of the side wall and shoulder of the container. The area of the neck ring, threaded finish, and base are not included in the area calculation. Metal decoration includes vapor deposited metal films, metal foils, or inks with metallic pigments.

Containers with no more than 55% surface area coverage by a label are expected to sort accurately in both NIR and color optical sorters. For labels with metal decoration see the section on Labels with metalized materials

• For containers with a brimful volume of over 550 ml, the surface area coverage is no more than 75%, and no metal decoration is employed on the label.

Surface area is defined as the area of the label divided by the area of the side wall and shoulder of the container. The area of the neck ring, threaded finish, and base are not included in the area calculation. Metal decoration includes vapor deposited metal films, metal foils, or inks with metallic pigments.

Containers with no more than 75% surface area coverage by a label are expected to sort accurately in both NIR and color optical sorters. For labels with metal decoration see the section on Labels with metalized materials.

• Labels containing metalized material that meet APR Preferred Design per APR-RES-SORT-04

Metalized material content on labels below the preferred surface area per APR-RES-SORT-04 are considered preferred.

Metalized material includes vapor deposited metal films, metal foils, or inks with metallic pigments.

Polyolefin Film Labels

Polyolefin labels are commonly expected to be PP films or PE films. This includes film labels for each of conforming, adhered, and in-mold style of labels. Some additional considerations:

• If the label is designed to remain with the granulate (an adhered or in-mold label) and adhere to the granulate, or is molded in, the label should not interfere with the ability of the granulate to float in water.
• If the label is designed to separate from the PP container, it is desirable that the label floats so that the label might be recovered for recycle value.
• Those committed to developing a circular economy for PP containers will favor labels with either of these characteristics:

• Labels have been shown to be compatible with PP recycling using the APR Critical Guidance Test for PP containers.

Film labels with density > 1.0 g/cm³designed to release from PP container in wash and sink in water per APR-O-S-01

When used with an adhesive that releases in the wash, film labels with density greater than 1.0 g/cm³detaches from the PP before the float-sink tank where it sinks and is removed. Even though the float-sink process is imperfect, the small amounts of this type of film label entering the extrusion process are not catastrophic.

Click below for commercially available Labels, Inks and Adhesives that have achieved APR Design for Recyclability Recognition

APR Design® for Recyclability Recognitions

DETRIMENTAL

Film labels with density > 1.0 g/cm³designed to stay adhered PP container in wash

When used with an adhesive that does not release in the wash, Film labels with density greater than 1.0 g/cm³ enters the extruder with the PP where they are incompatible.

Paper labels

The PP reclamation process involves water and agitation. The paper that detaches from the container when subjected to these conditions becomes pulp, which does not sink intact but remains suspended in the liquid, adding load to the filtering and water treatment systems. Paper remaining adhered to the PP travels with the PP to the extruder where the material carbonizes and causes color defects. Even after melt filtering, the burned smell and discoloration remain with the recycled PP thereby negatively affecting its potential reuse. Non-pulping paper labels used with non-releasing adhesives compound the problem since the entire label enters the extruder. Non-pulping labels, heavy enough to sink and durable enough to withstand the washing process that are used with releasing adhesives may alleviate this issue.

PVC film labels

PVC, when used with an adhesive that does not release in the wash, enters the extruder with the PP where they are incompatible. PVC degrades at PP extrusion temperatures and renders large amounts of the recycled PP unusable. When used with an adhesive that releases in the wash, these labels sink in the float-sink tank where they are removed. But because the float-sink tank is imperfect, and even a very small amount of PVC entering the extruder causes severe quality and yield problems, this material is detrimental.

RENDERS NON-RECYCLABLE

None Specified

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Labels that exceed the surface area coverage as described in Preferred Guidance section

Labels with high surface area coverage may interfere with detection of the PP container. The label substrate (film or paper), inks, and metal decoration can interfere with NIR detection when the label covers a high surface area of the container. Also, high label surface area coverage may cause an PP container to be sorted for a different resin if resin of label is not PP.

If one’s design is outside of the best practice guidance above, the labeled bottle must be evaluated using the APR test methods below.

DEFINITIVE TEST - NIR

Labels containing metalized materials that are above the maximum surface area coverage per Screening Test below.

Labels that have surface areas above the Preferred Surface Area specified in the Screening Test below would need to be tested using the Benchmark Test below to verify they are under the spherical equivalent thresholds.

Without further testing, metal foils with surface areas above the Preferred Surface Area in the table are categorized as detrimental due to a higher probability of being removed by the metal detector during sortation.

Solid foils will continue to render the package non-recyclable per APR’s definition.

SCREENING TEST

BENCHMARK TEST

Label inks

Some label inks bleed color in the reclamation process, discoloring the PP in contact with them and possibly diminishing its value for recycling. Since most recycled PP is colored, the impact of bleeding inks may not be significant; however, since the end use is not known beforehand, label inks should be chosen that do not bleed color when recycled. If inks redeposit on natural PP flake, this discoloring may diminish its value for recycling. Inks should remain adhered to the label and not bleed into wash water to avoid this potential discoloration.

The APR test protocol should be consulted to determine if an ink bleeds.

DEFINITIVE TEST

Direct printing on PP containers

Inks used in direct printing may bleed or otherwise discolor the PP during the recycling process or introduce incompatible contaminants that reduce the value of the recycled PP. The specific ink must be tested to determine its effect.

Companies that are considering direct printing technologies and are unsure of their compatibility with recycling should ask their suppliers to provide APR test results.

DEFINITIVE TEST

Label/Adhesive combinations where adhesive release and substrate float/sink behavior are not known.

Testing must show that adhesives will either wash off cleanly from the PP in the recycling process or be compatible with PP. Since typical PP recycling process conditions are not aggressive enough to remove all adhesive material, a certain amount of residual adhesive is to be expected in recycled PP. Such adhesive residue that is not removed from PP during the wash step is a source of contamination and discoloration when PP is recycled. For these reasons, minimal adhesive usage is encouraged.

The APR is developing a screening PP/HDPE Adhesive Test to classify adhesive as either wash friendly, non-wash friendly and compatible with PP, or non-wash friendly and incompatible with PP.

DEFINITIVE TEST

PREFERRED

Plastic attachments with a density > 1.00 g/cm³ except for PVC

These items sink in the sink-float tank where they are removed from the PP and small residual amounts do not severely affect the final product since many of them are melt filtered. PVC is detrimental as discussed elsewhere in this document.

DETRIMENTAL

Paper attachments

The PP reclamation process involves a wash step that removes adhesives and other components. This process renders paper into a pulp which is very difficult to filter from the liquid, adding significant load to the filtering and water treatment systems. Some of the small individual paper fibers will remain with the PP and carbonize when the material is extruded, causing unacceptable quality degradation.

PVC attachments

PVC sinks in the float sink tank where the majority of it is removed from the PP. Because the float sink tank is imperfect and even a very small amount of PVC entering the extruder causes sever quality and yield problems, this material is detrimental. PVC degrades at PP extrusion temperatures and renders large amounts of the recycled PP unusable.

Polyethylene attachments

Because polyethylene floats in water, it is not separated in the reclaimers float-sink tank. When blended with PP it negatively affects stiffness and impact properties. Although very small amounts of PE, such as that contributed by labels, are regularly accepted by PP reclaimers, some attachments comprise a larger weight percentage of the package and therefore a greater negative affect.

RFID’s (radio frequency identification devices) on packages, labels or closures

RFID’s are printed on silver metal, which may create costly waste disposal issues. While RFID’s are small, they may affect PP recycling in the same ways as metal labels or other attachments. The use of RFID’s is discouraged as may limit PP yield, introduce potential contamination, and increase separation and waste disposal costs.

RENDERS NON-RECYCLABLE

None Specified

REQUIRES TEST RESULTS

Non-PP attachments

Testing must show that these attachments are not adhesively bonded to the package and are made from materials that sink in water so they readily separate from the package when ground and put through a float-sink separation. If adhesives are used to affix attachments, their selection should consider the adhesive criteria within this document.

SCREENING TEST

*Under Development - Benchmark Test Protocol: PP Benchmark Test (PP-B-01)

Metal, metalized and metal-containing attachments

Sortation testing for metal components will result in either a Detrimental or a Renders Non-Recyclable ruling. Metal components cannot be Preferred at this time.

Metal or metal-containing attachments may cause NIR sorters in MRFs to misidentify a PP container as metal and direct it to a metal stream, from which it is then discarded. Sorting equipment in the reclaiming process is designed to detect and eliminate metal from PP in order to protect cutting machinery. Large items, or items adhesively bonded to the PP, can damage the machinery and render the entire package non-recyclable. If small, not detected, or allowed to pass, metals, when used with wash friendly or no adhesive quickly sink in the float sink tank where they are removed from the PP.

BENCHMARK TEST

Welded attachments

A certain amount of a welded attachment cannot be separated from the PP in the recycling process. These attachments may cause recycled PP contamination and yield loss issues in both cases: when the ground section containing both polymers sinks and carries the PP with it, or when the ground section floats and carries an incompatible material with the PP into the extrusion process. Testing must show that the blend is of a density less than 1.0 gm/cm³ so that it floats along with the PP in the float-sink tank, and that it is compatible with PP in the extrusion process.

SCREENING TEST

DEFINITIVE TEST