is an initiative of Valipac
Rigid plastic packaging is usually made of HDPE, PP or PET.
The use of certain types of polymers, such as PVC and PLA, is not recommended as packaging material, either because they emit harmful gases (PVC) during the recycling or recovery process or because they are considered as undesirable material in the recycling process (PLA).
Most rigid plastic packaging has parts/accessories such as caps, handles, closures, liners, etc.
It is important that these parts/accessories:
| Material | PE, HDPE, and PP. Packaging, >90% of which consists of these polyolefins. | PA, EVA. | Multi-layer packaging consisting of various polymers. |
| Barrier/coating | No barriers are used. If this is unavoidable, SiOx/AlOx coatings should be used. | EVOH >6% of the total weight. | PVDC, PVC, PVOH, aluminium foil and nonpolymeric barriers. |
| Printing/ink | Use as little ink as possible (10% maximum of the total surface) | Dark colours. Printing on >10% of the total surface. | Inks containing elements excluded by the EuPIA list. |
| Additives | Process additives (Heat stabilisers, UV stabilisers, antistatic agents, lubricants) are generally compatible. Pigments: avoid the use of dyes, if unavoidable then use light colours. | Carbon Black pigments (industrial films are sorted manually. The problem of detecting carbon black by Near Infrared (NIR) technology does therefore not arise). Dark coloured pigments. | EVA >5% of the packaging weight. Fillers (e.g. talc, CaCO3 and TiO2) which increase the density >1 g/cm³. |
| Binding layers | For multi-layer packaging, the binding layers are generally compatible. | Eviter les acrylates et PU. | |
| Labels | PE or PP labels are suitable for recycling. | Self-adhesive paper labels and plastic labels (d > 1 g/cm³) with water-soluble glue. Avoid using paper labels that lose fibre during the recycling process. | Labels of metal foil. |
| Closures | Use closures of the same material as the main packaging. | Closures of a polyolefin other than the main packaging. | Metal closures can impede plastic shredders. |
| Material | PET packaging, >90% of which consists of this polyester. | Multi-layer packaging which consists of different polymers. | |
| Barrier/coating | No barriers are used. If this is unavoidable, SiOx/plasma coatings should be used. | < 3% EVOH of the total packaging weight. | PVDC, PVC, PVOH, aluminium foil and nonpolymeric barriers. |
| Printing/ink | Use as little ink as possible (10% maximum of the total surface). | Printing on >10% of the total surface. | Inks containing elements excluded by the EuPIA list. |
| Additives | Pigments: avoid the use of dyes. If unavoidable, use transparent (blue) pigments. | UV stabilisers, acetaldehyde blockers, optical brighteners and oxygen traps. Avoid the use of pigments with carbon black or other dark opaque pigments. | Nanocomposites. |
| Binding layers | PE; PE + EVA; PP; foamed PET (with density < 1 g/cm³). | ||
| Labels | PE, PP and oPP labels are suitable for recycling. | Self-adhesive paper labels and plastic labels (d > 1 g/cm³) with water-soluble glue. Avoid using paper labels that lose fibre during the recycling process. | Labels of metal foil. |
| Closures | Use closures of a polyolefin with a density of < 1 g/cm3. | Metal closures can impede plastic shredders. Other closures with a density of > 1 g/cm3. |
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