SIST EN 18120-13:2026

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-junij-2026
Embalaža - Načrtovanje za recikliranje plastične embalaže - 13. del: Postopek za
ocenjevanje zmožnosti recikliranja plastične embalaže - Protokoli za fleksibilno
embalažo iz polietilena (PE) in polipropilena (PP)
Packaging - Design for recycling of plastic packaging - Part 13: Recyclability evaluation
process for plastic packaging - Protocols for PE and PP flexible packaging
Verpackung - Recyclingorientierte Gestaltung von Kunststoffverpackungsprodukten - Teil
13 - Verfahren zur Bewertung der Recyclingfähigkeit von Kunststoffverpackungen -
Protokolle für flexible Verpackungen aus PE und PP
Emballages - Conception des emballages plastiques en vue de leur recyclage - Partie 13
: Processus d’évaluation de la recyclabilité des emballages plastiques - Protocoles pour
les emballages souples en PE et PP
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 18120-13:2026
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.

EN 18120-13
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
April 2026
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 55.020; 83.080.20
English Version
Packaging - Design for recycling of plastic packaging - Part
13: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging -
Protocols for PE and PP flexible packaging
Emballages - Conception des emballages plastiques en Verpackung - Recyclingorientierte Gestaltung von
vue de leur recyclage - Partie 13 : Processus Kunststoffverpackungsprodukten - Teil 13 - Verfahren
d'évaluation de la recyclabilité des emballages zur Bewertung der Recyclingfähigkeit von
plastiques - Protocoles pour les emballages souples en Kunststoffverpackungen - Protokolle für flexible
PE et PP Verpackungen aus PE und PP
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 9 February 2026.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

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.
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. EN 18120-13:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Technical recyclability evaluation process . 8
4.1 Principle . 8
4.2 Sampling . 10
4.2.1 Test material requirements . 10
4.2.2 Control sample selection . 10
4.2.3 Virgin polymer selection . 11
4.3 Test method . 11
4.4 Test report . 11
4.5 Evaluation . 11
Annex A (normative) Experimental determination of the technical recyclability of PE and PP
flexible packaging samples . 12
Annex B (informative) Recommendations for virgin plastic materials and control materials . 27
Annex C (informative) Benchmark recommendations for the assessment of technical recyclability
............................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Annex D (informative) Overview of the protocol . 32
Bibliography . 33
European foreword
This document (EN 18120-13:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 261
“Packaging”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2026, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by October 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: 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 the United
Kingdom.
Introduction
The EN 18120 series, under the general title Packaging — Design for recycling of plastic packaging, which
aims via a series of guidelines and protocols to establish consistency and improvement for the design for
recycling of household, industrial and commercial plastic packaging, consists of the following parts:
— Part 1: Definitions and principles for design-for-recycling of plastic packaging
— Part 3: Evaluation processes for the sortability of plastic packaging
— Part 4: Guideline for PET bottles
— Part 5: Guideline for PET rigid packaging (except bottles)
— Part 6: Guideline for PE and PP rigid packaging
— Part 7: Guideline for PE and PP flexible packaging
— Part 8: Guideline for PS and XPS rigid packaging
— Part 9: Guideline for EPS packaging
— Part 10: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging — Protocols for PET bottles
— Part 11: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging — Protocols for PET rigid packaging
(except bottles)
— Part 12: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging — Protocols for PE and PP rigid
packaging
— Part 13: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging — Protocols for PE and PP flexible
packaging
— Part 14: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging — Protocols for PS and XPS rigid
packaging
— Part 15: Recyclability evaluation process for plastic packaging — Protocols for EPS packaging
Design for recycling guidelines are a common way of evaluating the compatibility with plastic-packaging
collection, sorting and recycling which enables the use of secondary raw materials that are of sufficient
quality when compared to the original material, in state-of-the-art facilities.
They provide guidance on the level of compatibility, defined as:
— green: packaging constituents and components with full compatibility with state-of-the-art
collection, sorting and recycling;
— yellow: packaging constituents and components with limited compatibility with state-of-the-art
collection, sorting and recycling;
— red: packaging constituents and components which are not compatible with state-of-the-art
collection, sorting and recycling.
The design for recycling guidelines provided in the EN 18120 series cover the design for recycling based
on the knowledge available at the time of the development of this document and are representative of the
state-of-the-art. They consider packaging waste collection, sorting and recycling, so that the recycled
plastic can substitute primary raw materials in packaging application or other applications. Compliance
with the design guidelines in the EN 18120 series 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 of recycling, proven collection, sorting and recycling
in practice.
1 Scope
This document provides requirements for the evaluation process of any flexible packaging with the main
body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PE or PP and for the evaluation process of separate
components predominantly made of flexible PE or flexible PP, with respect to compatibility of the design
with state-of-the-art collecting, sorting and recycling processes, and the characterization of the output(s)
compared to a reference material.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PE and PP are also
covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PE or PP polymer recycling.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that 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 14477, Packaging — Flexible packaging material — Determination of puncture resistance — Test
methods
EN 18120-1, Packaging — Design for recycling of plastic packaging — Part 1: Definitions and principles for
design-for-recycling of plastic packaging
EN 18120-7, Packaging — Design for recycling of plastic packaging — Part 7: Guideline for PE and PP
flexible packaging
EN ISO 294-3, Plastics — Injection moulding of test specimens of thermoplastic materials — Part 3: Small
plates (ISO 294-3)
EN ISO 527-1:2019, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 1: General principles
(ISO 527-1:2019)
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 178, Plastics — Determination of flexural properties (ISO 178)
EN ISO 179-2, Plastics — Determination of Charpy impact properties — Part 2: Instrumented impact test
(ISO 179-2)
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 1183-1, Plastics — Methods for determining the density of non-cellular plastics — Part 1: Immersion
method, liquid pycnometer method and titration method (ISO 1183-1)
EN ISO 3451-1, Plastics — Determination of ash — Part 1: General methods (ISO 3451-1)
EN ISO 6383-2, Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of tear resistance — Part 2: Elmendorf
method (ISO 6383-2)
EN ISO 7765-1, Plastics film and sheeting — Determination of impact resistance by the free-falling dart
method — Part 1: Staircase methods (ISO 7765-1)
EN ISO 8295, Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of the coefficients of friction (ISO 8295)
EN ISO 11357-1, Plastics — Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) — Part 1: General principles
(ISO 11357-1)
EN ISO 11357-3, Plastics — Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) — Part 3: Determination of
temperature and enthalpy of melting and crystallization (ISO 11357-3)
EN ISO 11358-1, Plastics — Thermogravimetry (TG) of polymers — Part 1: General principles (ISO 11358-
1)
EN ISO 13468-1, Plastics — Determination of the total luminous transmittance of transparent materials —
Part 1: Single-beam instrument (ISO 13468-1)
EN ISO 13468-2, Plastics — Determination of the total luminous transmittance of transparent materials —
Part 2: Double-beam instrument (ISO 13468-2)
EN ISO 15512, Plastics — Determination of water content (ISO 15512)
EN ISO 18314-1, Analytical colourimetry — Part 1: Practical colour measurement (ISO 18314-1)
EN ISO/CIE 11664-4, Colorimetry — Part 4: CIE 1976 L*a*b* colour space (ISO/CIE 11664-4)
ISO 4593, Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of thickness by mechanical scanning
ISO 14782, Plastics — Determination of haze for transparent materials
ASTM E1164, Standard Practice for Obtaining Spectrometric Data for Object-Color Evaluation
ASTM D2457, Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss of Plastic Films and Solid Plastics
ASTM D882, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting
CIE 015:2018, Colorimetry, 4th Edition
DIN 55529, Packaging — Determining the sealed-seam strength of sealings made of flexible packaging
material
NF T54-115, Plastics — Sheets — Determination of dimensional variations after heating — Immersion
method
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 18120-1 and the following apply.
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
machine direction
MD
direction along the surface of a plastic film which is parallel to the direction of the blow or cast film
production line
3.2
transversal direction
TD
direction along the surface of a plastic film which is perpendicular to the direction of the blow or cast film
production line
3.3
thermogravimetry
thermal gravimetric analysis
TGA
technique in which the mass of a substance is measured as a function of temperature or time while the
substance is subjected to a controlled temperature programme
Note 1 to entry: Recorded is the thermogravimetric, or TG, curve. The mass should be plotted as the ordinate,
decreasing downwards, and temperature or time as the abscissa, increasing from left to right.
[SOURCE: ISO 472:2013, 2.1173, modified – The admitted term has been added]
3.4
differential scanning calorimetry
DSC
technique in which the difference between the heat flow rate into a test specimen and that into a reference
specimen is measured as a function of temperature and/or time while the test specimen and the reference
specimen are being subjected to the same controlled temperature programme under a specified
atmosphere
Note 1 to entry: Distinction is made between two modes, power-compensation differential scanning calorimetry
(power-compensation DSC) and heat-flux differential scanning calorimetry (heat-flux DSC), depending on the
principle of measurement used.
[SOURCE: ISO 472:2013, 2.278, modified – A duplication of ‘the’ has been remove and the spelling of
‘temperature’ has been corrected]
4 Technical recyclability evaluation process
4.1 Principle
This document provides a protocol of evaluating the technical recyclability of a flexible PE or PP
packaging material sample into a plastic film in state-of-the-art mechanical recycling processes as they
are implemented in Europe. The results characterize both the processability of the sample as well as the
quality of the recycled plastic.
Depending on the choice of the sample, the protocol can either provide a technical recyclability
determination for a full packaging design, or it can be employed to selectively study the impact of
individual constituents or integrated components of flexible PE and PP plastic packaging materials on the
technical recyclability. The latter approach may be employed to generate data for the updating of design-
for-recycling guidelines.
The protocol follows the steps (unit operations) that occur in a mechanical recycling process for flexible
PE or PP packaging waste into blown films, cast films or injection moulded pieces and seeks to simulate
each operation on a laboratory scale. The relevant unit operations are shown in Table 1. Steps 1 and 2
describe the plastic recycling process itself whereas step 3 represents the conversion of the recycled
plastic into products, either flexible films or rigid products. As such, steps 1 and 2 provide information on
the processability of the sample whereas step 3 provides information on the quality of the recycled plastic
that can be obtained from a given flexible packaging design.
a
Table 1 — List of unit operations in mechanical recycling of PE or PP flexible packaging waste
Step # Unit operation Description of operation
1 Pretreatment
1.1 Grinding PE or PP based flexible packaging waste is ground into
flakes.
1.2 Washing The flakes are washed to remove product residue and
optionally integrated components such as labels. Most
European PE and PP flexible packaging recycling lines use
cold water washing conditions, with no detergents nor
added chemicals.
1.3 Flotation (Washed) flakes are separated from higher density
materials in a float/sink tank or other density separation
technology. Flakes and other objects that sink are
removed; flakes that float together with the PE or PP

flakes are recycled with the floating PE or PP flakes.
1.4 Drying The flakes are dried to reduce their moisture to less than
1 wt%.
2 Extrusion The dried flakes are extruded into pellets, employing melt
filtration and vacuum degassing in the process.
Pellet production
2.2 Pellet blend preparation (dry The recycled pellets are blended with virgin pellets.
blending or compounding)
3 Converting
3.1a Blown film extrusion Pellet blends are converted into film products by blown

film extrusion.
3.1b Cast film extrusion Pellet blends are converted into film products by cast film

extrusion.
3.1c Injection moulding Pellets or pellet blends are converted into injection
moulded pieces.
a
This table describes the unit operations in a commercial recycling process. For an overview of the protocol
described in this document, refer to Annex C.
NOTE 1 This document does not describe sorting steps that occur at material recovery facilities (MRF) or plastics
recovery facilities (PRF). For the evaluation of sortability, see EN 18120-3.
The flow of the protocol (shown in Annex D, Figure D.1) that is specified in this document simulates the
three main steps described above in the form of:
1) Pre-treatment of test material and characterization of its behaviour in these processes
2) Extrusion of pre-treated test material flakes, together with control material flakes, to obtain pellet
samples and characterization of those pellets
3) Conversion of pellet samples into film samples and, depending on the packaging type, into injection
moulded specimens and characterization of those samples
The choice of control and virgin resin needs be motivated to ensure an assessment close to the industrial
reality.
NOTE 2 This document describes two dilution steps for the flexible-to-film testing pathway. The first dilution
step (creation of flake mixes from test material flakes and control material flakes at 25 wt% and 50 wt% of test
material) intends to simulate a dilution of individual packaging structures in the overall PE/PP flexible packaging
recycling stream and therefore in the sorted bales of waste that recyclers receive. The second dilution step applied
only for the production of film samples (the creation of pellet mixes from pellet samples and virgin polymer pellets at
50 wt% of virgin polymer content) intends to simulate the commercial practice of using less than 100 wt% of
recycled plastic in the production of films for packaging applications. In the protocol described in this document,
instead of creating a blend of pellets (compounding), the pellet sample and the virgin polymer pellets are dry
blended. Optionally, 100 wt% of the pellet samples can be tested, without mixing with virgin polymer pellets, in case
the test sample is connected to evaluating the compatibility with a packaging waste stream that originates from a
separate collection of industrial or commercial packaging. The conversion into injection moulded specimens is
performed without dilution with virgin polymer.
4.2 Sampling
4.2.1 Test material requirements
For the purposes of this document, around 15 kg of the packaging material to be evaluated (‘test
material’) will be required. The test material may be provided in form of finished flexible packaging or in
form of a film or other flexible packaging material (e.g. nonwoven, net). Packaging structures that contain
additional integrated components such as spouts, caps, zips, valves shall be tested only in 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.
To fulfil the intended purpose of this document, i.e. to provide the basis for updates to design-for-
recycling guidelines by studying the impacts of individual packaging constituents or integrated
components, detailed information on the structure and composition of the test material is required. For
such testing, the test material shall be based on PE or PP and include, aside from PE or PP, only the
constituent or integrated component that is to be studied or the minimum of other constituents or
integrated components other than PE or PP that are required to include the constituent or integrated
component of interest in the test material.
For the testing of finished packaging designs, the test material shall not be reduced to a PE or PP flexible
substrate itself; it shall contain all parts found in the final packaging at the stage of disposal that is to be
evaluated (e.g. labels, adhesives, attachments, printing, seals).
4.2.2 Control sample selection
For the purposes of this document, around 25 kg of a suitable control sample, i.e. control material in form
of a film or other flexible packaging material (e.g. nonwoven, net). The control sample may be selected
from:
Option 1: A flexible substrate made from a PE or PP polymer, or a polymer blend, according to Annex B.
The chosen polymer or polymer blend shall be extruded into a film or other flexible packaging material

In the case of conversion into films: together with virgin polymer.
(e.g. nonwoven, net) at conditions resembling commercial practices (refer to the technical data sheets of
the chosen polymer(s)) to obtain the control sample.
Option 2: A PE or PP flexible substrate which is known to be recyclable and consisting of the same base
PE or PP polymer, or the same PE or PP polymer blend, as the test sample, apart from the constituents or
integrated components that are to be tested such as labels, print, etc.
4.2.3 Virgin polymer selection
For the conversion tests into films, around 25 kg of a suitable virgin polymer in form of pellets can be
required. This virgin polymer is used for creating pellet mixes (i.e. mixes of pellet samples with virgin
polymer pellets). It may be selected from the virgin polymers listed in Annex B. To reduce the number of
variables, it is recommended to select a virgin polymer as similar to the control material as possible.
If the control sample was produced from a single polymer, the virgin polymer shall be the same single
polymer.
4.3 Test method
Testing shall be conducted according to the test method described in Annex A.
If recycling of flexible materials into injection moulded applications is described in EN 18120-7 for the
type of packaging (material) being investigated, the steps in A.5.3.5 shall be performed. If only a film
outlet is described for the packaging (material) being investigated in EN 18120-7, A.5.3.5 shall be
skipped.
4.4 Test report
The test report shall be created according to the requirements described in Annex A.
If recycling of flexible materials into injection moulded applications is described in EN 18120-7 for the
type of packaging (material) being investigated, the results of the tests described in A.5.3.5 shall be
reported. If only a film outlet is described for the packaging (material) being investigated in EN 18120-7,
this part of the report shall be skipped.
The test report shall include sufficient information to confirm the statistical significance of all results
contained and shall be clear as to which deviations from the blank can be considered as statistically
significant and which ones cannot.
4.5 Evaluation
To aid in the evaluation of the technical recyclability, benchmark recommended values are provided in
Annex C.
If recycling of flexible materials into injection moulded applications is described in EN 18120-7 for the
type of packaging (material) being investigated, the benchmark recommendations for the
characterization of the injection moulded specimens shall be considered. If only a film outlet is described
for the packaging (material) being investigated in EN 18120-7, these benchmarks shall not be considered.

Based on a review of the packaging design according to EN 18120-7 (all constituents and integrated components
in the fully compatible column) or based on prior testing according to the protocol described in this document.
Annex A
(normative)
Experimental determination of the technical recyclability of
PE and PP flexible packaging samples
A.1 Principle
The test method described in this annex provides a way of evaluating the technical recyclability of a
flexible PE or PP packaging sample in mechanical recycling processes as they are implemented in Europe.
The test method follows the steps (unit operations) that occur in a mechanical recycling process for
flexible PE or PP packaging and seeks to simulate each operation on a laboratory scale. The results
characterize both the processability (A.5.2) of the sample as well as the quality of the recycled plastic
(A.5.3).
WARNING – The use of this document can involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. It
does not address all the safety or environmental risks associated with its use.
A.2 Apparatus
Aside from common laboratory equipment and tools, and the equipment required by the normative
references, the following is required to conduct the testing described in this document.
Recognizing the variation in available equipment across testing sites, the apparatus specifications below
are recommendations. If the operator deviates from these recommendations, the actual equipment and
its parameters/properties shall be recorded in the report, including the reason for deviation.
A.2.1 Shredder, suitable for grinding/cutting sample and control into flakes of 5 mm to 20 mm
edge length. The implementation of a dedusting step is recommended.
A.2.2 Stirred vessel for the washing and flotation of flakes, with a capacity of 150 l to 200 l, and
a paddle stirrer, capable of reaching 1 000 rpm.
A.2.3 Sieve, 30 cm to 60 cm diameter, with 500 μm to 1 000 μm holes, for removing floating flakes
from water.
A.2.4 Trays, ca. 50 cm × 90 cm for drying flakes.
A.2.5 Forced convection oven, capable of reaching 100 °C.
A.2.6 (Optional) Dryer hopper or climate-controlled room at 60 °C for quickly drying large
quantities of flakes.
A.2.7 Rigid or flexible container for mixing flakes, with a volume of 20 l to 30l, suitable for the
mixing of 5 kg of flakes.
A.2.8 Co-rotating twin-screw extruder, with a screw diameter in the range of 18 mm to 30 mm,
a minimum L/D value of 36, a melt filter with around 110 μm hole size, a throughput of at least 1 kg/h, a
vacuum degassing unit and a strand or underwater pelletisation unit. The extruder should be preferably
equipped with a thermocouple in the barrel to measure the melt temperature or alternatively allow for
manual measurement of the melt temperature at the exit. The extruder shall be fitted with a data recorder
to continuously monitor processing parameters, especially temperature torque and pressure.
A.2.9 (For testing blown film extrusion) Single screw blown film extruder with a screw
diameter in the range of 25 mm to 45 mm, a fixed head die diameter of 30 mm to 100 mm, a throughput
−1 −1 −1 −1 −1
of above 2,5 kg h , aiming for a ratio of output to die diameter of 0,8 kg h mm to 1,2 kg h mm and
a take-off unit and winder of > 200 mm width. The extruder should be preferably equipped with a
thermocouple in the barrel to measure the melt temperature or alternatively allow for manual
measurement of the melt temperature at the exit. To ensure good mixing, it is recommended to use a
screw with low compression ratio and preferably a barrier screw and Maddock mixing element and with
an L/D value greater than 24. The extruder shall be fitted with a data recorder to continuously monitor
processing parameters, especially temperature torque and pressure.
A.2.10 (For testing cast film extrusion) Single screw cast film extruder with a screw diameter of
−1 −1
25 mm to 45 mm, a L/D value greater than 24, a throughput of about 2 kg h to 5 kg h and a cast sheet
die of 250 mm to 300 mm width. The extruder should be preferably equipped with a thermocouple in the
barrel to measure the melt temperature or alternatively allow for manual measurement of the melt
temperature at the exit. The extruder shall be fitted with a data recorder to continuously monitor
processing parameters, especially temperature torque and pressure.
A.2.11 (For testing injection moulded specimens) Injection moulding machine with a screw
diameter in the range of 30 mm, L/D ratio in the range of 20, melt temperature of up to 350 °C, mould
temperature of up to 120 °C, injection speed of up to 441 mm/s, injection pressure of up to 2 000 bar and
a clamping force of up to 600 kN.
A.2.12 Brass brushes, for cleaning the extruder barrel and screws.
A.2.13 Light table, at least A4 size, with a colour temperature of 5600 K.
A.3 Materials
A.3.1 Tap water
A.3.2 25 kg of control material (PE or PP), in form of film, with a similar thickness to the test
material (maximum difference in thickness: 25 %).
A.3.3 25 kg of virgin polymer (PE or PP), in form of pellets.
A.3.4 25 kg (typically) of high drag power cleaning polymer (PE or PP), in form of pellets.
A.3.5 PE plastic bags for storing flakes and pellets
A.4 Sampling
Sampling shall be conducted in accordance with 4.2.
A.5 Procedure
A.5.1 Preparation of test sample and control sample
Take a photo of the test material sample.
Grind around 15 kg of the packaging material sample (‘test sample’) in a granulator to obtain test sample
flakes sized between 5 mm and 20 mm. The mass of the obtained test sample flakes shall be recorded.
Take a photo of the test sample flakes after grinding.
Any anomalies during grinding, such as build-up, dust formation, agglomerate formation, or slow-down,
stop or damage of the machinery shall be recorded. If anomalies occur, they shall also be recorded in form
of photos. Such anomalies shall not automatically be considered a sign of poor technical recyclability.
If a dedusting step is performed, it shall reflect in the test report.
Repeat above steps with around 25 kg of control sample to obtain control sample flakes.
Test sample flakes and control sample flakes shall be kept separate.
A.5.2 Evaluation of processability
A.5.2.1 Pretreatment: washing
Charge the wash vessel at a 20:1 weight ratio with tap water and test sample flakes. A water temperature
between 15 °C and 25 °C shall be ensured. Detergents or caustic soda shall not be added to the water. Stir
the contents of the wash vessel for 10 min at 1000 rpm. Drain the vessel through a sieve and record a
photo of the wash water. The presence of suspended particles or fibres in the wash water as well as any
water colouration shall be noted in the report.
Take a photo of the test sample flakes after the water has been drained.
The presence of surface tack on the flakes, if present, as well as the presence of label residues on the
surface of the flakes shall be noted in the report.
A.5.2.2 Pretreatment: flotation
Charge the flotation vessel at a 24:1 mass ratio of tap water to (washed) test sample flakes. A water
temperature between 20 °C and 25 °C shall be ensured. Stir the contents of the vessel for 10 min at 500
rpm. Two minutes after the end of the stirring, collect all test sample flakes that float on the surface with
a sieve. Collect the flakes that sink separately.
Alternatively, a continuous flotation vessel may be used.
Take photos of the separated floating and sinking flakes and the water.
The presence of suspended particles or fibres in the water as well as any water colouration shall be noted
in the report.
A.5.2.3 Pretreatment: drying
Reduce the moisture of the both the floating and the sinking test sample flakes to below 1 wt% according
to EN ISO 15512 or equivalent according to one of the following options:
— Option A: Reduce the flake moisture by evenly dividing the flakes onto trays and storing them for
24 h in a forced convention oven set to 60 °C.
— Option B (for large flake amounts): Reduce the flake moisture by evenly dividing the flakes onto trays
and storing them for 24 h in a climate-controlled room set to 60 °C.
— Option C (for large flake amounts): Reduce the flake moisture by using a dryer hopper set to 80 °C
for 6 h. If flakes stick together during drying at 80 °C, one of the drying methods at 60 °C (Option A
or B) shall be applied instead.
The masses of both the floating and the sinking test sample flakes after drying shall be recorded.
Any substantial changes to the appearance of the flakes after drying shall be noted in the report.
Discard the sinking fraction and continue with the floating flakes only as test sample flakes.
A.5.2.4 Extrusion: pellet production
Mix the test sample flakes in different ratios with control sample flakes by manually mixing them in a large
capacity container. Perform the mixing by introducing appropriate masses of test sample flakes and
control sample flakes into the mixing container, closing it, and shaking the container for 2 min in multiple
directions, simulating the movement of a tumble mixer. It shall be ensured that the container is filled to
less than 60 % of its volume and that the mixing provides suitable homogeneity of the flake mix. If not all
material can be mixed at once, multiple mixing operations with smaller quantities rather than mixing all
material at once shall be performed. After mixing, confirm that a homogenous mixing has been achieved.
If this is not the case, repeat the mixing until homogeneity is achieved.
Any issues with the flowability of the test material flakes and/or the feeding into the extruder shall be
noted in the report.
The following mix ratios shall be created:
— Flake mix P.0 (blank): 100 wt% control sample flakes
— Flake mix P.25: 75 wt% control sample flakes and 25 wt% test sample flakes
— Flake mix P.50: 50 wt% control sample flakes and 50 wt% test sample flakes
In cases where the investigation of the test sample is connected to evaluating the compatibility with a
packaging waste stream that originates from a separate collection of industrial or commercial packaging,
optionally, a flake mix P.100, comprising 100 wt% test sample flakes may be created and tested.
Dry all obtained flakes mixes with 60 °C air for 4 h before processing them in the extruder. Potential
sticking of flakes when drying at elevated temperatures shall not be automatically considered a sign of
poor technical recyclability. Any deviations from the stated drying temperature needed to allow
processing shall be noted in the report.
Further size reduction of the flakes before extrusion is acceptable if required for good feeding of the
material into the extruder. All samples, including control shall be ground to the same size before
extrusion. In case of low bulk density flake mixes, feeding force may be used. If needed (e.g. for low bulk
density materials), a densification step may be employed prior to extrusion. The densification
temperature shall not exceed 150 °C. If a densification is performed, record the details of this step.
Clean the extruder by removing the screws and mechanically cleaning them with brass brushes until they
reach a glossy finish. Clean the barrel with a brass brush from the mandrel to the run-out zone. A fresh
melt filter shall be fitted to the extruder before each run.
Extrude all flake mixes, starting with P.0, with an extrusion set temperature of (230 ± 5) °C for both PE
and PP test materials. It shall be ensured that the runtime is not less than 30 min after the extrusion has
reached steady conditions. A torque load of > 60 % if recommended. The residence time shall be below
6 min. The pelletiser shall be set to produce pellets with a diameter of 1 mm to 5 mm. If a strand pelletiser
is to be used, confirm the melt strength before performing the testing. Ensure comparable durations for
the extrusion of each flake mix to allow for a comparison of the melt filters after the extrusion.
Any deviations from the stated parameters needed to allow for the processing of a flake mix shall be noted
in the report. In such cases, all flake mixes shall be processed at the same, modified conditions.
While extruding, temperature actuals for every zone, the rotational speed, the torque and/or motor load
(Amperes), residence time, specific energy input, melt temperature and the average melt pressure, the
pressure increase during extrusion (calculate the difference between the average pressure of the first 5
min of extrusion, counting from steady extrusion conditions, and the average pressure between 25 min

Stable temperature, pressure and torque can serve as an indication of process stability.
and 30 min into the run), the melt temperature and its stability and record any issues such as sticking,
fumes, odour, die build-up or strand breakage as well as feed stops and feed irregularities shall be
recorded and noted in the report. The processing parameters of the extruder shall be continuously
recorded.
Collect at least 0,5 kg of pellets from each extrusion in three fractions (right after stabilization of the
extrusion process, and from the middle and from the end of the extrusion process).
Record a photo of the melt filter after the extrusion. The filter shall be removed and evaluated consistently
after comparable amounts of material have been extruded in each run. Filters shall be prepared for
photography by scraping excess resin off the filter assembly surface, leaving only the material contained
within the mesh. The melt filter photo shall be taken as backlit photo (i.e. filter between the light source
and the camera) with defined illumination and light colour (around 5600 K). A light table can provide
good, uniform conditions for this photography. The use of macrophotography is preferred. A colour
calibration chain shall be ensured from photography to final report to provide accurate reproduction for
the reader.
NOTE This form of evaluation of a melt filter cannot be performed when testing on an extruder with a rotating
filter. Future versions of this document can provide an option to assess filter loading for such equipment.
In case of die build-up, a photo of the die shall be recorded.
Store pellets are dry, away from heat and sunlight and in a closed container. Label pellet samples same as
the flake mixes they have been produced from, i.e. P.0, P.25, P.50 and, optionally, P.100.
Pellet photos shall be taken in a lightbox at defined illumination (above 5000 lm) and a defined light
colour (around 5600 K) against a defined blue background (‘Chroma blue’). Pellets shall be placed
directly on the blue background, not on a tray. Pellets shall be sufficiently spread out and separated on
the surface so that individual pellets can clearly be discerned. The use of macrophotography is preferred.
A colour calibration chain shall be ensured from photography to final report to provide accurate
reproduction for the reader.
Perform characterization of the pellets of each extrusion run as follows. If pellet appearance is uniform
across the three fractions collected from t
...