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Recycle Check Rigid Plastic Packaging (update 2023) now available in English

Publication date: April 6, 2023

If necessary, the KIDV Recycle Checks are updated annually. Last December, KIDV published the 2023-version of the Recycle Check for rigid plastic packaging. As of today, this 2023-version is also available in English. Compared to previous years, the format is redesigned and therefore more user-friendly. Some changes have also been made to the content to better assess the recyclability of rigid plastic materials (good, reasonable, limited or non-recyclable).

Recycle Check Rigid Plastic Packaging (update 2023) now available in English

The KIDV Recycle Check rigid plastic packaging is an important tool for companies. Packaging that have ‘good recyclability’ according to the Recycle Check may be eligible for a lower Packaging Waste Management Contribution, if it is well sortable and has a positive market value after recycling. Read more about the Modulated Fee Plastic on the website of the Dutch Packaging Waste Fund. 

The format of the 2023 edition has been thoroughly changed compared to previous editions. In the new format, the Recycle Check consists of two parts:

  1. The Recycle Check to assess the packaging on its recyclability (good, reasonable, limited, non-recyclable).
  2. A background document with information on collection, sorting and recycling processes. It also contains instructions on how to test certain properties of packaging. The background document can also be used as a reference document, with guidelines on how to improve the recyclability of a packaging. 

In the Recycle Check, users can select the correct answer for each packaging question and add comments. The results are processed automatically, leading to the assessment. The scores and any comments are summarised clearly. This summary can be saved as a pdf and shared with colleagues or other stakeholders. Via the Recycle Check, users can also directly access the other KIDV Recycle Checks when parts of the packaging consist of paper, glass or metal. 

The background document includes information on packaging composition (e.g. main and sub-components and disposable units), material composition and its impact on sorting and recycling. 

Listed below are the main changes to the Recycle Check for rigid plastic packaging, compared to the previous version. Download the updated Recycle Check.

Main changes summarised

  • To be sorted and recycled, packaging used to have a minimum size of 5 cm. This has been changed to 3 cm.
  • When cylindrical and conical plastic containers (<200 ml) are not compressible, an additional test may be required to determine recyclability. This is because if they retain their round shape in the sorting process, there is a high chance that they will end up in the wrong sorting stream and therefore will not be recycled, even though the materials have good recyclability. Companies are responsible for conducting this additional test themselves.
  • To have good recyclability, the weight of the main component must account for at least 70% of the weight of the total disposable unit.
  • Based on test results by the National Test Centre for Circular Plastics and the FieldLab Circular Packaging, full-body sleeves and large labels have been found to have good sortability under specific conditions. However, the recyclability of full-body sleeves and large labels still needs to be demonstrated, looking at the combination with the main component material and any adhesives used.
  • The updated Recycle Check provides tips on what impact inks can have on the recyclability of a packaging.
  • For PP and PE packaging - in addition to cold washable adhesives - hot washable adhesives are now also eligible for the 'good recyclability' assessment. Again, companies are given the opportunity to demonstrate recyclability according to certain protocols in order to obtain the 'good recyclability' rating.

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