ANNEX II

Category No | Predominant packaging material | Packaging type | Format (illustrative and non-exhaustive) | Colour / Optical transmittance 1 | Glass | Glass and composite packaging, of which the majority is glass | Bottles, jars, flacons, cosmetics pots, tubs, ampoules, vials made of glass (soda lime silica), aerosol cans | — 2 | Paper/cardboard | Paper/cardboard packaging | Boxes, trays, grouped packaging, flexible paper packaging (e.g. films, sheets, pouches, lidding, cones, wrappers) | — 3 | Paper/cardboard | Composite packaging of which the majority is paper/cardboard | Liquid packaging board, and paper cups (i.e. laminated with polyolefin and with or without aluminium), trays, plates and cups, metallised or plastic laminated paper/cardboard, paper/cardboard with plastic liners/ windows | — 4 | Metal | Steel and composite packaging of which the majority is steel | Rigid formats (aerosols cans, cans, paint tins, boxes, trays, drums, tubes) made of steel, including tinplate and stainless steel | — 5 | Metal | Aluminium and composite packaging of which the majority is aluminium – rigid | Rigid formats (food and beverage cans, bottles, aerosols, drums, tubes, cans, boxes, trays) made of aluminium | — 6 | Metal | Aluminium and composite packaging of which the majority is aluminium – semi-rigid and flexible | Semi rigid and flexible formats (containers and trays, tubes, foils, flexible foil) made of aluminium | — 7 | Plastic | PET – rigid | Bottles and flasks | Transparent clear / coloured, opaque 8 | Plastic | PET – rigid | Rigid formats other than bottles and flasks (including pots, tubs, jars, cups, mono- and multilayer trays and containers, aerosol cans) | Transparent clear / coloured, opaque 9 | Plastic | PET – flexible | Films | Natural / coloured 10 | Plastic | PE – rigid | Containers, bottles, trays, pots and tubes | Natural / coloured 11 | Plastic | PE – flexible | Films, including multilayer and multi-material packaging | Natural / coloured 12 | Plastic | PP – rigid | Containers, bottles, trays, pots and tubes | Natural / coloured 13 | Plastic | PP – flexible | Films, including multilayer and multi-material packaging | Natural / coloured 14 | Plastic | HDPE and PP – rigid | Crates and pallets, corrugated board plastic | Natural / coloured 15 | Plastic | PS and XPS – rigid | Rigid formats (including dairy packaging, trays, cups and other food containers) | Natural / coloured 16 | Plastic | EPS – rigid | Rigid formats (including fish boxes / white goods and trays) | Natural / coloured 17 | Plastic | Other rigid plastics (e.g. PVC, PC) including multi-materials – rigid | Rigid formats, including. intermediate bulk containers, drums | — 18 | Plastic | Other flexible plastics including multi-materials – flexible | Pouches, blisters, thermoformed packaging, vacuum packaging, modified atmosphere/modified humidity packaging, including flexible intermediate bulk containers, bags, stretch films | — 19 | Plastic | Biodegradable plastics (1) – rigid (e.g. PLA, PHB) and flexible (e.g. PLA) | Rigid and flexible formats | — 20 | Wood, cork | Wooden packaging, including cork | Pallets, boxes, crates | — 21 | Textile | Natural and synthetic textile fibres | Bags | — 22 | Ceramics or porcelain stoneware | Clay, stone | Pots, containers, bottles, jars | — Materials | Categories | Link to Table 1, Annex II Plastic | PET rigid | categories 7, 8 PE rigid, PP rigid, HDPE and PP rigid | categories 10, 12, 14 Films/flexible | categories 9, 11, 13, 18 PS, XPS, EPS | categories 15, 16 Other rigid plastics | category 17 Biodegradable (rigid and flexible) | category 19 Paper/cardboard | Paper/cardboard (except liquid packaging board) | categories 2, 3 Liquid packaging board | category 3 Metal | Aluminium | categories 5, 6 Steel | category 4 Glass | Glass | category 1 Wood | Wood, cork | category 20 Others | Textile, ceramics/porcelain and others | categories 21, 22 Packaging recyclability shall be expressed in the performance grades A, B or C. From 2030, recyclability performance is based on design for recycling criteria. The design for recycling criteria shall ensure the circularity of the use of the resulting secondary raw materials of sufficient quality to substitute the primary raw materials. The assessment based on design for recycling criteria shall be carried out for each packaging category listed in Table 1, taking into account the methodology established under Article 6(4) and the related delegated acts, as well as the parameters established in Table 4. After weighing the criteria per packaging unit, it will be classified into categories A, B or C. When a packaging unit’s recyclability performance grade is below 70 %, it is considered to be non-compliant with the recyclability performance grades and therefore the packaging will be considered technically non-recyclable and its placing on the market shall be restricted. From 2035, a new factor shall be added to the assessment of the packaging recyclability, which is the recycled-at-scale assessment. Consequently, a new assessment shall be carried out based on the quantity (weight) of the material effectively recycled from each of the packaging categories in accordance with the methodology established in the implementing acts adopted under Article 6(5). The thresholds related to the annual recycled packaging materials for compliance with the recycled-at-scale assessment shall be defined taking into account the targets set in Article 3(1), point (39). 2030 | 2035 | 2038 Recyclability performance grade | Design for recycling (DfR) Assessment of recyclability per unit, in terms of weighting | Recyclability performance grade (for DfR) | Design for recycling (DfR) Assessment of recyclability per unit, in terms of weighting | Recyclability performance grade (for recycled-at-scale assessment) | Recyclability performance grade | Design for recycling (DfR) Assessment of recyclability per unit, in terms of weighting | Recyclability performance grade (for recycled-at-scale assessment) Grade A | higher or equal to 95 % | Grade A | higher or equal to 95 % | Grade A RaS | Grade A | higher or equal to 95 % | Grade A RaS Grade B | higher or equal to 80 % | Grade B | higher or equal to 80 % | Grade B RaS | Grade B | higher or equal to 80 % | Grade B RaS Grade C | higher or equal to 70 % | Grade C | higher or equal to 70 % | Grade C RaS | Grade C CANNOT BE PLACED ON THE MARKET | higher or equal to 70 % | Grade C RaS TECHNICALLY NON-RECYCLABLE | lower than 70 % | TECHNICALLY NON-RECYCLABLE | lower than 70 % | NOT RECYCLED AT SCALE (below thresholds of Article 3(1), point (39). | TECHNICALLY NON-RECYCLABLE | lower than 70 % | NOT RECYCLED AT SCALE (below thresholds of Article 3(1), point (39). The list in this Table shall be used as a basis when defining design for recycling criteria, as set out in Article 6(4). The design for recycling criteria shall then be used in order to set the calculations leading to the performance grades listed in Table 3. In addition, the assessment of the parameters set out in that list shall consider: separability of any component of packaging, either manually by end users or in processing plants, efficiency of sorting and recycling processes, for example yield, evolution of sorting and recycling technologies (to address the aspect if the packaging cannot be sorted today, but it might be sortable in 2 years), and preservation of functionality of secondary raw materials enabling the substitution of primary raw materials. The packaging functionality that the following parameters provide to the packaging shall be factored-in in the setting of design for recycling criteria. Parameters for design for recycling criteria | Parameter’s relevance Additives | Additives refer often to substances added to materials to confer specific properties. The presence of additives in the packaging containers can result in incorrect sorting of the packaging materials during the sorting process and can contaminate the obtained secondary raw materials. Labels | Coverage rate of labels can affect the efficiency of the sorting process. Material from which the label is made and type of glue or adhesive also affect the quality of the secondary raw material. Sleeves | Coverage rate of the sleeve on the main packaging body affects the possibilities for sorting. In addition, the use of sleeves can affect the ability to separate them from the main packaging body. The material from which the sleeve is made can affect both the sortability and the recyclability of the packaging. Closures and other small packaging components | Closures refer to components used to close or seal the packaging. There may be different types of closures, rigid or flexible, such as tamper-evident shrink wrap, linings, caps, lids, seals, valves, etc. The material from which the closures is made can affect both the sortability and the recyclability of the packaging. Closures that are not firmly attached to the packaging can increase litter. Small packaging components attached to the main packaging body can affect the separability and the recyclability of the packaging. In addition, the components can be lost in the sorting and recycling process. Adhesives | Adhesives can be used in such a way that they can be easily separated in the recycling process or by the end user or in a way that they do not affect the efficiency of the sorting and recycling processes. The presence of adhesive residues on the packaging can downgrade the quality (purity) of the secondary raw materials. Washable adhesives can ensure the separation from the main packaging body and that no adhesive residue remains in the secondary raw material. Colours | Colours are substances that impart colour to the packaging material. Heavily dyed materials in paper or plastics can cause problems with regard to sorting and can downgrade the quality of secondary raw materials. Material composition | Use of mono-materials or material combinations that permit easy separation and ensure high yield of secondary raw materials is preferable. Barriers / coatings | The material or substance added to confer barrier properties (barrier), or a variety of materials applied on the surface to impart other properties (coating). The presence of barriers or coatings within the packaging can make recycling more difficult. Combinations that ensure high yield of secondary raw materials are preferable. Inks and lacquers / printing/ coding | Inks and lacquers are mixtures of colorants with other substances applied onto the material by a printing or coating process (ink) or a protective coating made of resin or cellulose ester, or both, dissolved in a volatile solvent (lacquer). Coding refers to printing applied directly to sales packaging for the purpose of batch coding and other information and branding. The use of inks with substances of concern hinders recycling, as those packaging units cannot be recycled. Printing inks when released can contaminate the recycling stream through the washing water. Likewise, printing inks which are not released can impair the transparency of the recycling stream. Product residues / ease of emptying | Residues of the content of the packaging can affect the sortability and the recyclability of the packaging. The design of the packaging should enable the easy emptying of its content and when disposed of should be in a fully drained condition. Ease of dismantling | Components that are firmly attached to each other can affect the sortability and the recyclability of the packaging. Packaging design can facilitate the possibility of separating different components into different material streams.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.