kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 18395:2026

• Abstract:

  This document defines requirements for the evaluation process for the part of the rigid packaging unit which comprises the main body and the integrated components and is predominantly made of biodegradable plastics and for separate components predominantly made of biodegradable plastics with respect to compatibility of the design with the collection, sorting, and recycling processes.

• Status: Not Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 01-Oct-2026
• ICS: 13.030.50 - Recycling
• ICS: 55.020 - Packaging and distribution of goods in general
• ICS: 83.080.20 - Thermoplastic materials
• Technical Committee: EPO - Packaging - sales and grouped
• Current Stage: 5520 - Unique Acceptance Procedure (UAP) (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 04-Aug-2026
• Due Date: 22-Dec-2026
• Ref Project: FprCEN/TS 18395 - Packaging - Design for recycling for plastic packaging products - Recyclability evaluation process for rigid packaging made of biodegradable plastics

Overview

kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 18395:2026:2026 is a draft technical specification developed by CEN, the European Committee for Standardization. This standard focuses on the design for recycling for plastic packaging products, specifically providing a framework for the recyclability evaluation process of rigid packaging made of biodegradable plastics. The document sets out clear requirements and evaluation methods for both the main body and integrated components of rigid biodegradable plastic packaging, ensuring compatibility with collection, sorting, and recycling processes within the European recycling infrastructure.

With the growth of packaging made from polymers such as PLA, PHA, and PBS, the standard aims to promote sustainable packaging solutions by aligning product design with recycling requirements. Its adoption can improve material recovery, support the transition to a circular economy, and enhance overall plastic packaging sustainability.

Key Topics

• Scope of the Standard
  Defines requirements for evaluating the recyclability of rigid packaging units predominantly manufactured from biodegradable plastics, including the main body and integrated/separate components.

• Evaluation Methodology
  Provides a systematic, step-wise approach simulating industrial recycling operations at a laboratory or pilot scale. Includes procedures for pre-treatment (such as grinding, washing, and drying), treatment (pellet production), and conversion (moulding or sheet extrusion into articles).

• Material-Specific Annexes
  Detailed testing and evaluation protocols for three key biodegradable polymers:

  • PLA (Polylactic Acid)
  • PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates)
  • PBS (Polybutylene Succinate)
    Each annex covers practical steps for material selection, sample preparation, testing procedures, and reporting.

• Compatibility Categories
  Introduces compatibility categories ("green," "yellow," and "red") for packaging components, based on their demonstrated compatibility with collection, sorting, and recycling processes.

• Guidance for the Future
  Acknowledges that biodegradable plastic recycling technologies are still developing and encourages regular updates to guidelines as technical progress is made.

Applications

kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 18395:2026 has practical value in a range of applications:

• Packaging Design and Innovation
  Helps designers and manufacturers of rigid biodegradable packaging create products that are proactively compatible with existing and future recycling systems, ensuring more material is recoverable and reducing environmental impact.

• Waste Management and Recycling Processors
  Offers standardized evaluation methods for assessing whether a given product will successfully navigate collection, sorting, and recycling, aiding waste management operators in identifying recyclable streams and improving process efficiency.

• Sustainability Reporting and Compliance
  Aligns with EU goals for increased recyclability and supports companies in meeting regulatory requirements, consumer demand for sustainable packaging, and internal circular economy targets.

• Quality Assurance
  Offers clear testing and reporting protocols, enabling reliable assessment of recyclability and supporting continuous improvement in packaging sustainability.

Related Standards

Adoption and interpretation of kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 18395:2026 can be complemented by referencing relevant standards, including:

• EN 18120 – General guidelines and protocols for the design for recycling of household, industrial, and commercial plastic packaging.
• EN ISO 178 / EN ISO 527 (Parts 1-5) – Plastics testing standards covering flexural and tensile properties.
• EN ISO 1133 – Determination of melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and melt volume-flow rate (MVR) for thermoplastics.
• EN 13432 – Compostability requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation.
• EN 18120-3 – Evaluation of sorting operations at material recovery facilities.

Conclusion

kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 18395:2026 provides an essential foundation for the recycling of rigid biodegradable plastic packaging, establishing thorough recyclability evaluation procedures. By integrating these standardized methods, packaging producers, recyclers, and related stakeholders can drive sustainable innovation and help achieve higher recycling rates for biodegradable plastics across Europe. The ongoing review and alignment with industry developments ensures the standard remains relevant as biodegradable plastics move from niche to mainstream packaging solutions.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2026
Embalaža - Načrtovanje za recikliranje plastične embalaže - Postopek za
ocenjevanje zmožnosti recikliranja toge embalaže iz biorazgradljive plastike
Packaging - Design for recycling for plastic packaging products - Recyclability evaluation
process for rigid packaging made of biodegradable plastics
Verpackung - Recyclingorientierte Gestaltung von Kunststoffverpackungsprodukten -
Verfahren zur Bewertung der Recyclingfähigkeit von starren Verpackungen aus
biologisch abbaubaren Kunststoffen
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: FprCEN/TS 18395
ICS:
13.030.50 Recikliranje Recycling
55.020 Pakiranje in distribucija blaga Packaging and distribution of
na splošno goods in general
83.080.20 Plastomeri Thermoplastic materials
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

FINAL DRAFT
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
July 2026
ICS 13.030.50; 55.020; 83.080.20
English Version
Packaging - Design for recycling for plastic packaging
products - Recyclability evaluation process for rigid
packaging made of biodegradable plastics
Verpackung - Recyclingorientierte Gestaltung von
Kunststoffverpackungsprodukten - Verfahren zur
Bewertung der Recyclingfähigkeit von starren
Verpackungen aus biologisch abbaubaren Kunststoffen

This draft Technical Specification is submitted to CEN members for Vote. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 261.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a Technical Specification. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change
without notice and shall not be referred to as a Technical Specification.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. FprCEN/TS 18395:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Recyclability evaluation process . 8
4.1 Principle . 8
4.2 Applicable unit operations for packaging type . 9
Annex A (normative) Detailed Recyclability evaluation process for PLA predominant rigid
packaging . 13
A.1 Test procedures . 13
A.1.1 General. 13
A.1.2 Testing procedures for pre-treatment . 13
A.1.3 Testing procedures for treatment – Pellet extrusion . 15
A.1.4 Testing procedures for conversion . 18
A.1.5 Test report . 19
Annex B (normative) Detailed recyclability evaluation process for PHA predominant rigid
packaging . 20
B.1 Test procedures . 20
B.1.1 Testing procedures for pre-treatment . 20
B.1.2 Extrusion . 22
B.1.3 Test report . 26
Annex C (normative) Detailed recyclability evaluation process for PBS predominant rigid
packaging . 27
C.1 Test procedures . 27
C.1.1 General. 27
C.1.2 Testing procedures for pre-treatment . 27
C.1.3 Testing procedures for treatment – Pellet extrusion . 29
C.1.4 Testing procedures for conversion . 31
C.1.5 Test report . 32
Annex D (informative) Virgin material and control samples selection. 33
Annex E (informative) Dilution and naming of samples . 34
Bibliography . 35

European foreword
This document (FprCEN/TS 18395:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 261
“Packaging”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This document is currently submitted to the Vote on TS.

Introduction
Biodegradable plastics are polymeric materials with the special intrinsic property that is determined by
the composition and structure of a material allowing them to biodegrade under specific environmental
conditions. Biodegradability of polymeric materials is determined by the chemical structure responsible
for functional group stability, reactivity, hydrophilicity and swelling behaviour. The rate and extent of
biodegradation depend on the polymer’s chemical composition, crystallinity, molecular weight, and
environmental parameters such as temperature, moisture, pH, and microbial community composition.
From this perspective, biodegradable plastics are very different from other plastics in that they have
several end-of-life options and should not be treated together with the general group. While
compostability was in the focus for many years, biodegradable plastics are also recyclable as was proven
in numerous studies.
This is especially true for the biodegradable polyesters like PLA, PBAT, PHA, PBS and the like, which
behave similar to PET. However, separate sorting and recycling at scale is still to be built up and recycling
technologies are not mature yet. Therefore, this document is based on the best available knowledge and
expertise at the time of drafting, including experience from companies currently engaged in
biodegradable plastics recycling and from ongoing European projects related to the scale up of sorting
and recycling procedures for these materials and from other plastics. As technical developments progress
and further consensus is achieved the content of this document may be subject to modification, review
and revision.
The objective of this document is to facilitate consistent design for recycling criteria for rigid packaging
made from biodegradable plastics, ensuring that when technologies mature and/or are brought to a
larger scale, these specifications can be smoothly incorporated into the broader standard framework.
This document intends to follow the philosophy of EN 18120. Given the early market implementation in
Europe of packaging made from biodegradable plastics and the low volumes of such packaging currently
in the waste streams, existing material recycling technologies for packaging waste made from
biodegradable plastics (with levels of maturity varying depending on the polymer type) do not currently
fit into the “state-of-the-art” definition as set in EN 18120. Therefore, these TS are proposed outside the
scope of EN 18120 at this stage, while maintaining its philosophy and structure as closely as possible.
EN 18120 aims via series of guidelines and protocols to establish consistency and improvement for the
Design for recycling for household, industrial and commercial plastic packaging products.
Design for recycling guidelines are a common way of describing compatibility with plastic packaging
collection, sorting and recycling into recycled plastic. They provide guidance on the level compatibility,
defined as:
— Green: Packaging constituents with full compatibility with collection, sorting and recycling;
— Yellow: Packaging constituents with limited compatibility with collection, sorting and recycling;
— Red: Packaging constituents which are not compatible with collection, sorting and recycling.
These categories reflect compatibility under current technological conditions and do not represent state-
of-the-art recycling performance as defined in EN 18120. Recyclability guidelines will require regular
review and improvement to reflect innovations in design, collection, sorting and recycling.
The Design for Recycling Guidelines provided in this series of documents are representative of the
European market and cover all steps from design for recycling, packaging waste collection, sorting,
recycling into recycled plastic and to use in a new application. Compliance with the design guidelines
does not guarantee that the recycled plastic quality will be fit for purpose for a specific targeted end
application or compliant with applicable regulations.
Packaging recyclability is the combination of design for recycling, proven collection, sorting, and
recycling.
1 Scope
This document defines requirements for the evaluation process for the part of the rigid packaging unit
which comprises the main body and the integrated components and is predominantly made of
biodegradable plastics and for separate components predominantly made of biodegradable plastics with
respect to compatibility of the design with the collection, sorting, and recycling processes.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way their content constitutes requirements
of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest
edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN ISO 178, Plastics — Determination of flexural properties (ISO 178)
EN ISO 179-1, Plastics — Determination of Charpy impact properties — Part 1: Non-instrumented impact
test (ISO 179-1)
EN ISO 179-2, Plastics — Determination of Charpy impact properties — Part 2: Instrumented impact test
(ISO 179-2)
EN ISO 527-1, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 1: General principles (ISO 527-1)
EN ISO 527-2, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 2: Test conditions for moulding and
extrusion plastics (ISO 527-2)
EN ISO 527-3, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 3: Test conditions for films and sheets
(ISO 527-3)
EN ISO 527-4, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 4: Test conditions for isotropic and
orthotropic fibre-reinforced plastic composites (ISO 527-4)
EN ISO 527-5, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 5: Test conditions for unidirectional
fibre-reinforced plastic composites (ISO 527-5)
EN ISO 1133-1, Plastics — Determination of the melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and melt volume-flow rate
(MVR) of thermoplastics — Part 1: Standard method (ISO 1133-1)
EN ISO 1133-2, Plastics — Determination of the melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and melt volume-flow rate
(MVR) of thermoplastics — Part 2: Method for materials sensitive to time-temperature history and/or
moisture (ISO 1133-2)
EN ISO 11357-3, Plastics — Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) — Part 3: Determination of
temperature and enthalpy of melting and crystallization (ISO 11357-3)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply. For all other terms that are
not defined below, please refer to the definitions in the EN 18120-1.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters
thermoplastic copolyester made by the polycondensation of an aliphatic diol with aliphatic and aromatic
diacids
3.2
biodegradable plastic
plastic capable of undergoing biological decomposition, such that it ultimately decomposes into carbon
dioxide (CO ), biomass and water, and meets the inherent biodegradability requirements of the relevant
composting standards
Note 1 to entry: Biodegradable plastic in the context of this document is characterized only by its
inherent biodegradability as per EN 13432:2000 (and not by other requirements of EN 13432:2000).
3.3
depolymerisation
reversion of a polymer to its monomer(s) or to a polymer of lower relative molecular mass
3.4
green category
category for identifying components or constituents of a plastic packaging that is in the scope of the
design for recycling guidelines of a given packaging type and are recognised as compatible with
collection, sorting and recycling processes or are demonstrated as suitable for recycling through technical
evaluation and can fully meet the quality requirements of secondary raw material in the recycling process
3.5
oxo(bio)degradable additive, oxo(bio)degradation additive
additive which, through oxidation, lead to the fragmentation of the plastic material into micro-fragments
or to chemical decomposition
Note 1 to entry: Definition is based on definition EN 18120-1:2026, 3.92.
Note 2 to entry: Oxo(bio)degradable additive and oxo(bio)degradation additive are used synonymously.
3.6
polybutylene adipate terephthalate
PBAT
thermoplastic copolyester made by the polycondensation of 1,4 butandiol with terephthalic acid and
adipic acid
3.7
polybutylene succinate
PBS
thermoplastic polyester made by the polycondensation of succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol
3.8
polycaprolactone
PCL
thermoplastic polyester made by the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone
3.9
polyethylene glycol
PEG
thermoplastic polyether made by polymerization of ethylene glycol
3.10
polyethylene wax
low-molecular-weight synthetic polymer of ethylene, characterized by wax-like properties such as low
viscosity, hardness, and high melt point
3.11
polyhydroxyalkanoate
PHA
thermoplastic polyester, predominantly consisting of 3-hydroxybutyrate and/or 4-hydroxybutyrate
(e.g., PHB, PHBV, PHBH, P3,4HB)
3.12
polylactic acid
PLA
thermoplastic polyester made by the polymerisation of lactic acid or lactide
3.13
polytetramethylene glycol
PTMG
synthetic resin made by the polymerisation of tetramethylene glycol
3.14
red category
category for identifying components or constituents of a plastic packaging that is in the scope of the
design for recycling guidelines of a given packaging type and generally leads to rejection of the packaging
item in sorting or recycling processes or are generally recognized as detrimental (disrupting) for
recycling or are demonstrated as disrupting for recycling through technical evaluation or are
demonstrated as unacceptably downgrading the yield or the quality of plastic secondary raw materials
3.15
yellow category
category for identifying components or constituents of a plastic packaging that is in the scope of the
design for recycling guidelines of a given packaging type and are recognized as acceptable with limited
compatibility with collection, sorting and recycling processes, or are demonstrated as having limited
compatibility through technical evaluation or will not meet all the quality requirements for secondary
raw material in the recycling process
4 Recyclability evaluation process
4.1 Principle
This document provides a method of evaluating the technical recyclability of a sample consisting of rigid
packaging made of biodegradable plastics sample. The results characterize both the processability of the
sample as well as the quality of the recycled plastic.
This document does not describe sorting steps that occur at material recovery facilities or plastics
recovery facilities. For the evaluation of such sorting operations, see EN 18120-3.
Depending on the choice of the sample, the method can either provide a technical recyclability
determination for a given packaging design or item, or it can be employed to selectively study the impact
of individual design elements in rigid plastic packaging made of biodegradable plastics on technical
recyclability. The latter approach may be employed to generate data for the updating of design for
recycling guidelines.
The test method follows the steps (unit operations) that occur in a recycling process for rigid packaging
made of biodegradable plastics and seeks to simulate each operation on a laboratory scale. If one or more
unit operations are tested leveraging a pilot line or an industrial line this is also permitted as long as the
operation tested is representative.
The goal of the evaluation process is to identify all foreseeable critical points and establish a testing
strategy that either confirms or excludes a negative impact for each critical point considered.
The final test report shall include all relevant information as described in the corresponding sections of
this document.
4.2 Applicable unit operations for packaging type
For rigid packaging made of biodegradable plastics, the applicable unit operations are material
dependent. Separate tables are therefore provided for each polymer type, listing the key unit operations
relevant for the recyclability evaluation of PLA, PHA and PBS rigid packaging. The relevant unit
operations are shown in Table 1 for PLA, Table 2 for PHA and Table 3 for PBS. In all tables, Step 0
describes material selection, Steps 1 to 2 describe the plastic recycling process itself whereas step 3
represents the conversion to the articles.
Detailed test conditions, material specific parameters and benchmarks are defined in the corresponding
normative Annexes for each material.
Annex E, Figure E.1 provides an overview of the dilution and naming of samples.
Table 1 — List of unit operations in mechanical recycling of PLA predominant rigid packaging
Unit operation Description of the test procedure
Step #
0 Control material and test Before any testing, control material to compare the evaluated
material selection packaging shall be selected. A minimum of 15 kg of the test
packaging and 25 kg of control material shall be tested.
1 Pre-treatment: flakes preparation – this step simulates the preparation of PLA flakes
1.1 Grinding PLA based rigid packaging is ground into flakes.
1.2 Washing The flakes are washed to remove product residue and
optionally components such as labels.
1.3 Flotation (Washed) flakes are separated from lower density materials
in a float/sink tank. Labels and polyolefins that float are
removed; flakes that sink together with the PLA flakes are
recycled with the sinking PLA flakes.
1.4 Drying The flakes are dried to reduce their moisture to less than
0,5 % by mass.
1.5 Air elutriation Control and test PLA flakes are separately elutriated with air
to remove light fraction.
2 Treatment: Pellets preparation – this step simulates the production of PLA pellets
2.1 Flakes blend preparation The flakes of tested samples are mixed with control samples
with different shares.
2.2 Pellet production The dried flakes are extruded into pellets, employing melt
filtration with a mesh size of 150 micron. A temperature
range of the control material as specified in its technical
datasheet supplied by the supplier of the control resin should
be used to prevent polymer degradation.
Step # Unit operation Description of the test procedure
3 Conversion: This step simulates the conversion of the above pellets into articles
3.1 Pellet blend preparation The recycled pellets are blended with other pellets, typically
including virgin grades of the same polymer.
3.2 Injection moulding PLA pellet blends are converted into items by injection
moulding to evaluate tensile properties, colours and defects
in a reliable way.
Refer to Annex D, Table D.1 for PLA.
NOTE The technical recyclability of PLA rigid packaging based on other processes such as chemical recycling
(monomer recovery) cannot be derived from the protocol described in this document. Future versions of this
document can include evaluation processes for these recycling technologies.
The detailed recyclability evaluation protocol for PLA rigid packaging, including test procedures, pellet
characterization, conversion steps, and reporting requirements, is specified in Annex A (normative).
Virgin and control samples selection information is in Annex D.
Table 2 — List of unit operations in mechanical recycling of PHA predominant rigid packaging
Step # Unit operation Description of the test procedure
0 Control material selection Before any testing, control material to compare the evaluated
packaging shall be selected. A minimum of 15 kg of the test
packaging and 25 kg of control material shall be tested.
The control material is an item made from a virgin PHA resin
or resin blend, consisting of the same base PHA or resin blend
as the main body of the test sample. The chosen resin or resin
blend shall be processed into a rigid item at conditions
resembling the technical datasheet supplied by the supplier
of the material.
1 Pre-treatment: flakes preparation – this step simulates the preparation of PHA flakes
1.1 Grinding PHA based rigid packaging and control item is ground into
flakes.
1.2 Washing The flakes are washed to remove product residue and
optionally components such as labels.
1.3 Floatation (Washed) flakes are separated from lower density materials
in a float/sink tank. Flakes or other objects that float are
removed; flakes that sink together with the PHA flakes are
recycled with the sinking PHA flakes.
1.4 Drying The flakes are dried to reduce their moisture to less than
0,1 % by mass.
1.5 Air elutriation Control and test PHA flakes are separately elutriated with air
to remove light fraction.
Step # Unit operation Description of the test procedure
2 Treatment: Pellets preparation – this step simulates the production of PHA pellets
2.1 Flakes blend preparation The flakes of tested samples are mixed with control samples
with different shares.
2.2 Pellet production The dried flakes are extruded into pellets. A temperature
range of the control material as specified in its technical
datasheet supplied by the supplier of the control resin should
be used to prevent polymer degradation.
3 Conversion: This step simulates the conversion of the above pellets into articles
3.1 Pellet blend preparation The recycled pellets are blended with other pellets, typically
including virgin grades of the same polymer.
3.2a Sheet extrusion PHA pellet blends are converted into sheet products by sheet
extrusion.
3.2b Injection moulding PHA pellets are tested for injection moulding to evaluate
tensile properties, colours and defects in a reliable way.

Refer to Annex D, Table D.2 for PHA.
The detailed recyclability evaluation protocol for PHA rigid packaging, including test procedures, pellet
characterization, conversion steps, and reporting requirements, is specified in Annex B (normative).
Table 3 — List of unit operations in mechanical recycling of PBS predominant rigid packaging
Step # Unit operation Description of the test procedure
0 Control material and test Before any testing, control material to compare the evaluated
material selection packaging shall be selected. A minimum of 15 kg of the test

packaging and 25 kg of control material shall be tested.
1 Pre-treatment: flakes preparation – this step simulates the preparation of PBS flakes
1.1 Grinding PBS based rigid packaging is ground into flakes.
1.2 Washing The flakes are washed to remove surface contaminates and
optionally components such as labels.
1.3 Floatation (Washed) flakes are separated from lower density materials
in a float/sink tank. Labels and polyolefins that float are
removed; flakes that sink together with the PBS flakes are
recycled with the sinking PBS flakes.
1.4 Drying The flakes are dried to reduce their moisture as low as
feasible but definitely to less than 0,5 % by mass. Moisture
level of the corresponding control material in Annex D as
specified in its datasheet supplied by the supplier should be
used to prevent polymer degradation.
Step # Unit operation Description of the test procedure
2 Treatment: Pellets preparation – this step simulates the production of PBS pellets
2.1 Flakes blend preparation The flakes of tested samples are mixed with control samples
with different shares.
2.2 Pellet production The dried flakes are extruded into pellets, a temperature
range of the control material as specified in its technical
datasheet supplied by the supplier of the control resin should

be used to prevent polymer degradation.
3 Conversion: This step simulates the conversion of the above pellets into articles
3.1 Pellet blend preparation The recycled pellets are blended with other pellets, typically
including virgin grades of the same polymer.
3.2 Injection moulding PBS based materials pellets are tested for injection moulding
to evaluate tensile properties, colours and defects in a
reliable way.
Refer to Annex D, Table D.3 for PBS.
The detailed recyclability evaluation protocol for PBS rigid packaging, including test procedures, pellet
characterization, conversion steps, and reporting requirements, is specified in Annex C (normative).
Virgin and control samples selection information is in Annex D.

Annex A
(normative)
Detailed Recyclability evaluation process for PLA predominant rigid
packaging
A.1 Test procedures
A.1.1 General
Test material and control material selection:
A minimum of 15 kg of the test packaging to be tested and 25 kg of the control material shall be tested.
Test material selection:
Packaging structures that contain additional integrated components such as spouts, caps, zips, valves
shall be tested only in the form of finished packaging articles. In order to provide comparability of results
between tests, the test material shall be clean and free of filling goods and not obtained from collected
waste but rather taken directly from packaging material production processes.
Control material selection:
The control material is a packaging made from a virgin material (see Annex D, Table D.1 for PLA), without
recycled material.
A.1.2 Testing procedures for pre-treatment
A.1.2.1 Grinding
Control and test samples are separately ground to fit the throat of a standard laboratory extruder.
Procedure:
— report the mass of each sample before grinding;
— grind separately control and test sample to flakes using a 12 mm screen;
— report if high quantities of fines (<1 mm) are obtained;
— store in separate containers;
— take photos of each fraction;
— report the mass of each sample after grinding.
During grinding, ensure that no overheating happens on the material (for example due to dull knives).
A.1.2.2 Washing
— Prepare the washing stainless steel tank for a 1:4 ratio (1 kg flakes vs 4 l solution) at 45 °C to 85 °C
with 1 wt% detergent compatible with high pH conditions and the specified working temperature.
— Wash each sample separately at a 1:4 ratio (1 kg flakes vs 4 L solution) at 500 rpm for 5 to 15 min
until effective adhesive removal.
— Collect and separate flakes from the washing solution over a vibrating table and through a centrifuge.
— Take photos of the washed solution and flakes after washing.
A.1.2.3 Flotation
The density separation will determine if the flakes can be separated by density in the float/sink tank used
in the recycling operation. Density separation will happen at the same time as the cold rinsing step.
The following procedure shall be utilized for both control and test samples separately.
Procedure:
— pour the washed flakes in a tank filled with water at a 1:10 ratio at a room temperature;
— stir at 600 rpm for a minimum of 5 min and a maximum of 30 min;
— stop the stirrer and allow the water to rest for 5 min;
— remove the stirrer from the tank;
— collect all particles that float on the surface with a sieve;
— collect separately the flakes that sunk;
— report the mass of test sample after sink-float separation for floating and sinking fraction
respectively.
The efficiency of the sink/float separation shall be measured using 50 g of washed flakes of test samples
and a graduated beaker filled with tap water, as described by the following procedure.
Procedure:
— fill a 1 l graduated beaker with 700 ml of tap water (pH between 7 and 8);
— boil the water for 10 min and then cool at room temperature;
— transfer 300 ml of water in a graduated beaker;
— put the test sample in the water and stir at 240 rpm for 5 min;
— stop the magnetic stirrer and allow the water to rest for 5 min;
— take a photo of the beaker;
— remove all particles that float at the surface with a sieve;
— take photos of the floating and sinking fractions separately;
— save the wash water for visual evaluation;
— dry the floating fraction for 1 h at 80 °C in a bed desiccant or 3 h at 65 °C with air;
— cool to room temperature, weigh and record the weight of the floating fraction.
A.1.2.4 Drying
Reduce the flake moisture according to the following procedure.
Procedure:
— dry the flakes from the sinking fraction, collected after density separation, with dehumidified hot air
without the application of vacuum until 0,5 % moisture content is reached. The outlet temperature
of the flakes shall remain below 60 °C;
— report the mass of each sample after drying;
— record the moisture content.
A.1.2.5 Air elutration
Control and test PLA flakes are elutriated with air to remove the light fraction containing fines, remaining
labels and potentially multilayers.
Procedure:
— elutriate with air with one pass and with about 1 % loss set for the control flakes;
— similar settings for the air elutriation shall be applied for the test sample;
— record the weight of the heavy fraction for test samples.
A.1.3 Testing procedures for treatment – Pellet extrusion
A.1.3.1 Flakes blending for subsequent extrusion
Once the control and evaluated application have separately gone through all pretreatment steps, blends
with the control material shall be prepared as per the established testing strategy.
Two different sample sets shall be prepared, one containing 100 % control (and 0 % test) and the second
containing 75 % control and 25 % test. Samples shall be tagged P.0 and P.25 respectively.
In some specific cases and depending on the nature of the packaging to be tested, a sample of 50 % control
and 50 % test (to be tagged as P.50) may be required. The relevant information and sufficient test and
control materials ought to be foreseen.
A.1.3.2 Crystallization
The crystallization step shall be performed in a vacuum oven at 80-120°C for 1 h. If a vacuum oven is not
available, nitrogen atmosphere should be used and mentioned in the report. It is important that flakes
are efficiently crystallized and are not discoloured or sticking together during the crystallization process.
A.1.3.3 Extrusion – Pellet production
Both control and test materials can be mixed manually before extrusion for blends preparation. The
flakes shall be dried at the same conditions with dehumidified hot air drying at 65-100°C and extruded
using an extruder at a melting temperature as specified in its technical datasheet supplied by the supplier
of the control resin. The extrudate shall be melt filtered with a 150 µm filter.
Control flake sample P.0 shall be extruded first. Further size reduction before extrusion is acceptable if
needed to allow good feeding of the material into the extruder.
The extruder shall be cleaned before starting the extrusion process. This involves pulling the screws out
of the barrel and then mechanically cleaning them with brass brushes until they reach a glossy finish. The
barrel shall be also mechanically cleaned with round brass brushes from the mandrel to the run-out zone.
Procedure:
— dry samples P.0, and P.25 (optionally P.50) with a bed desiccant at 65-100 °C and a dew point
of < −40°C, to obtain a moisture level inferior to 250 ppm and preferably less than 100. Typical drying
time at 65-100 °C is 4 to 6 h;
— a small amount of the dried samples shall be extracted from the dryer before they enter the extruder.
This will allow to evaluate the impact of the drying process on the agglomeration of the flake samples.
Agglomerated flakes should represent less than 10 % of the collected sample;
— after emptying the dryer, the hopper shall be checked for flakes sticking to the hopper sidewall.
Agglomeration should not lead to problems emptying the hopper by gravity without additional
mechanical action. The cone of the hopper should have an angle of 60 to 70 degrees;
— extrude at a melting temperature of 210 °C with a suggested filtration screen of 150 µm. If the range
is not optimal, record temperature and state reasons for alteration. Melt residence time should be
ideally less than 2 min;
— extrusion run time per variable, no less than 30 min;
— extruded strands are rapidly cooled and fed into the pelletizer to produce amorphous pellets. Pellets
size can vary but should typically be about 5 mm or less of diameter;
— monitor pressure build-up during pelletizing and report significant differences;
— record properties’ results in Table A.1. The processing conditions used for all the samples shall be
identical. If some operating conditions shall be modified for sample P.25 (and optionally P.50)
sample, this information shall be documented in the report. A small amount of each sample (50 g)
shall be retained. The extruded pellets shall be tested for their properties according to Table A.1. The
pellets of the test samples shall be compared with the pellets of the control sample. All pellets should
meet the requirements reported in the Table A.1.
Table A.1 — Extruded pellet characterization
Step Characteristics Standard test Result Benchmark
method
A.1.3.1 (Flakes Report the applied mixing ratio   None
blending for
subsequent
extrusion)
A.1.3.3 (Pellet Flakes from the drying unit Measure the mass  < 10 %
production) % of
Agglomerated
Flakes
Flakes moisture content weight%  < 0,025 %
Surface appearance Visual inspection  N/A, record only
Step Characteristics Standard test Result Benchmark
method
Average pressure (MPa) Average pressure  Record any
after extruding significant
through 150 µm differences
filter for the (e.g. > 30 %)
stable 15 min run
time, compared
to 100 % control
Pressure variation (%) Percentage  No increase higher
variation in than 30 % variation
average melt
pressure
between the first
5 min (P) and
the period from
25 to 30 min
(P – ),
25 30
calculated as:
(P – − P) /
25 30 5
P × 100
Extrusion process Unusual sticking,  N/A, record only
fumes, odour, and
any build-up
Melt flow index (g/10 min) EN ISO 1133-1  No deviation higher
Temperature and than 50 % in
The material shall be dried
load shall be comparison with
before the MFI determination
selected control
according to the technical
according to the
datasheet supplied by the
technical data
supplier of the chosen virgin
sheet of the
material and producer
chosen virgin
recommendations
material (e.g.
190 °C/2,16 kg or
210 °C/2,16 kg)
avoiding
excessive
preheating and
idle times to
minimize the
impact of
measurement on
the sample
a
Density EN ISO 1183-1,  N/A, record only
method A and/or
B
b
Melting point (°C) Melting point via  N/A, record only
differential
scanning
calorimetry
Step Characteristics Standard test Result Benchmark
method
according to
EN ISO 11357-1
and
EN ISO 11357-3
a
Density measurement is required to set converting step conditions.
ᵇ Melting point measurement is required to set converting step conditions.

A.1.4 Testing procedures for conversion
A.1.4.1 Pellet blends preparation
An additional dilution with virgin PLA shall be done to replicate the incorporation of recycled content at
industrial scale.
Once PLA pellets have been produced and tested, additional blends shall be produced for converting tests.
Keep separated the pellet samples previously produced and dry them for 10 min at 65-100°C. Then
prepare the different blends based on the P.X samples produced before: blends of 50 % virgin – 50 %
blend “P.X” (X being 0 %, or 25 %). These new blends shall be tagged as samples B.0, and B.12.5
respectively. Potentially, depending on the application, testing with a sample of 50 % virgin and 50 %
P.50 blend, which should be tagged as B.25, can be required.
A.1.4.2 Conversion: Injection moulding and specimen characterization
Production of specimen should be done as follows:
Procedure:
— dry the samples B.0, B.12.5 (and optionally B.25) at 65-100 °C for 4-6 h;
— mould sample B.0 at 210 °C into multipurpose specimens’ type 1A according to EN ISO 527-2;
— the run time is variable but should be not less than 30 min. The specimens should be filled without
any shrinkage and inclusions;
— samples B.12.5 (optionally B.25) shall be moulded following the identical operating conditions of the
control sample B.0;
— small variations in operating conditions could be acceptable but shall be documented in the report;
— tag the specimen produced by B.0, and B.12.5 (optionally B.25) as D.0, and D.12.5 (optionally D.25),
respectively.
Mechanical data shall be analysed according to Table A.2.
Table A.2 — Conversion to specimen
Step Characteristics Standard test Result Benchmark
method
A.1.4.1 Report the applied   None
mixing ratio
Step Characteristics Standard test Result Benchmark
method
A.1.4.2 Tensile modulus (MPa) EN ISO 527-2  No more than 20 % delta decrease
compared to D.0
Tensile strength at EN ISO 527-2  No more than 25 % delta decrease
break (MPa) compared to D.0
Colour Visual  N/A, record only
Inspection
Surface appearance Visual  Limited black specks
Inspection
Fisheyes Visual  N/A, record only
Inspection
A.1.5 Test report
The final reporting shall include all elements related to:
— innovation (or packaging to be tested) description;
— intended use of the innovation (or packaging to be tested);
— testing strategy reasoning and description;
— the technical description of the control material;
— the pellet production characterization and conversion step characterization(s);
— any deviations from the benchmark recommended values and the reasons for these deviations;
— all relevant elements used to support the assessment;
— final conclusion and result of the assessment;
— all recorded values from the test.

Annex B
(normative)
Detailed recyclability evaluation process for PHA predominant rigid
packaging
B.1 Test procedures
B.1.1 Testing procedures for pre-treatment
B.1.1.1 Grinding
Control (25 kg) and test samples (15 kg) are separately ground to fit the throat of a standard laboratory
extruder.
Procedure:
— report the mass of each sample before and after grinding;
— grind separately control and test sample to flakes using a screen within the range of 10 to 20 mm;
— report if high quantities of fines (<1 mm) are obtained;
— store in separate containers;
— take photos of each fraction.
B.1.1.2 Washing
Prepare the washing stainless steel tank for a 1:4 ratio (1 kg flakes vs 4 l solution) at 30 °C – 60 °C with a
solution 1 wt% neutral detergent compatible with the specified working temperature.
— Wash each sample separately at a 1:4 ratio (1 kg flakes vs 4 L solution) at 600 rpm for 15-30 minutes.
— Collect and separate flakes from the pre-washing solution using a desk fi
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