FprCEN/TS 18396

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2026
Embalaža - Načrtovanje za recikliranje plastične embalaže - Postopek za
ocenjevanje zmožnosti recikliranja fleksibilne embalaže iz biorazgradljive plastike
Packaging - Design for recycling for plastic packaging products - Recyclability evaluation
process for flexible packaging made of biodegradable plastics
Verpackung - Recyclinggerechte Gestaltung von Kunststoffverpackungen - Verfahren
zur Bewertung der Recyclingfähigkeit von flexiblen Verpackungen aus biologisch
abbaubaren Kunststoffen
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: FprCEN/TS 18396
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 flexible
packaging made of biodegradable plastics
Verpackung - Recyclingorientierte Gestaltung von
Kunststoffverpackungsprodukten - Verfahren zur
Bewertung der Recyclingfähigkeit von flexiblen
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 18396:2026 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 Recyclability evaluation process . 9
4.1 Principle . 9
4.2 Applicable unit operations for packaging type . 9
Annex A (normative) Detailed Recyclability evaluation process for PLA predominant flexible
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 . 14
A.1.4 Testing procedures for conversion . 17
A.2 Test report . 20
Annex B (normative) Detailed Recyclability evaluation process for PHA predominant flexible
packaging . 22
B.1 Test procedures . 22
B.1.1 Testing procedures for pre-treatment . 22
B.1.2 Extrusion . 24
B.1.3 Conversion . 25
B.2 Test report . 26
Annex C (normative) Detailed Recyclability evaluation process for aliphatic aromatic
copolyester predominant flexible packaging . 28
C.1 Test procedures . 28
C.1.1 Testing procedures for pre-treatment . 28
C.1.2 Testing procedures for treatment – Pellet extrusion . 29
C.1.3 Testing procedures for conversion . 31
C.2 Test report . 35
Annex D (informative) Control samples and virgin material selection. 37
Annex E (informative) Dilution and naming of samples . 38
Bibliography . 39

European foreword
This document (FprCEN/TS 18396:2026) 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 able to be broken down by biological processes under
aerobic conditions to carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts of any other elements present
(mineralization) and new biomass.
Biodegradability is an intrinsic property that is determined by the fundamental chemical composition
and structure of a material. Chemical bonds of biodegradable polymers are recognized by naturally
occurring enzymes and the 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.
Recycling is generally defined by the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) as any recovery
operation where waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials, or substances for original or
other purposes. It includes organic material reprocessing, but excludes energy recovery and conversion
into fuels or materials for backfilling.
On the other hand, according to the Regulation (EU) 2025/40 , known as the Packaging and Packaging
Waste Regulation (“PPWR”), material recycling refers specifically to the reprocessing of waste into
materials or substances, excluding biological treatment, organic material reprocessing, energy recovery,
and conversion into fuels or backfilling materials.
Following the PPWR most packaging placed on the market, including packaging made of biodegradable
plastic polymers and other biodegradable materials, shall be recyclable i.e. it is designed for material
recycling, and when it becomes waste, it can be collected separately and sorted into specific waste
streams without affecting the recyclability of other waste streams and recycled at scale. However, certain
compostable packaging is exempt from meeting material recycling requirements due to a derogation (in
line with Article 9.1 and 9.2 of the PPWR).
On this basis, different types of packaging made from biodegradable plastics can be created that need to
be managed appropriately.
— The first type comprises packaging made from biodegradable plastics that falls within packaging
applications that are required by European or national laws to be compatible with the standard for
composting in industrially controlled conditions in bio-waste treatment facilities. This packaging is
marked with labels as compostable and enter the biodegradable waste stream (known as bio-waste).
It is not recycled as material but converted into compost or similar substances. Compostable
packaging generally needs to fulfil a number of requirements, including being made from
biodegradable materials and containing undesirable substances at levels below certain
predetermined thresholds. It also may not negatively impact the final compost end product. The
characteristics of compostable packaging are defined by a relevant European standard (EN 13432).
— The second type also comprises packaging made from biodegradable plastics that however would
need to be recovered by material recycling because the derogation is only applied to some territories.
There is growing interest in certain packaging formats that can be recycled in both the bio-waste
stream and the material recycling stream, depending on local regulations and infrastructure.
— The third type concerns packaging made from biodegradable plastics that is not intended to be
recovered by organic recycling, either due to the decision of the person placing it on the market or
current regulations. In this case, the use of biodegradable plastic is not motivated by its
biodegradability, but by other factors. The fact that it is biodegradable is incidental; this

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and
packaging waste (commonly known as the “PPWR”)
characteristic is neither communicated nor used for recovery purposes. It is important to note that
this is already the case with other biodegradable packaging materials, such paper-based packaging,
which, despite being predominantly made of a biodegradable material (i.e. cellulose), are generally
recovered by material recycling and not labelled as compostable. In this case, the packaging needs to
be designed to enable material recycling, but it is not required to show biodegradability according to
the criteria defined in the relevant European standard for compostable packaging.
This document addresses the second and/or the third types of packaging.
Biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters, and
polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), can be used to produce plastic packaging that can be recycled similarly to
PET. However, the adoption of packaging made of biodegradable plastics is currently limited compared
to widely used plastics like PE, PP, PET and separate sorting and recycling systems still need to be built
up at scale. Therefore, this document is based on experiences from other plastics and from ongoing
European projects aimed at scaling up sorting and recycling procedures.
The objective of this document is to facilitate consistent design for recycling criteria for packaging made
from biodegradable plastics, ensuring that when sorting and recycling infrastructure mature, these
specifications can be smoothly incorporated into the broader standard framework. This document
provides guidance based on current technological capabilities and does not represent state-of-
the-art collection, sorting and recycling as defined in EN 18120. As technical developments progress
and further consensus is achieved the content of this document may be subject to modification, review
and revision.
This document intends to follow the philosophy of EN 18120 consisting of 15 parts. 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.
Recyclability guidelines will require regular review and improvement to reflect innovations in design,
collection, sorting and recycling.
The Design for Recycling Guidelines provided 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 flexible 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 527-1, 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 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 178, Plastics — Determination of flexural properties (ISO 178)
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 6383-2, Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of tear resistance — Part 2: Elmendorf
method (ISO 6383-2)
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 15512, Plastics — Determination of water content (ISO 15512)
EN ISO 18314-1, Analytical colorimetry — Part 1: Practical colour measurement (ISO 18314-1)
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 D882, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting
ASTM D7191-18, Standard Test Method for Determination of Moisture in Plastics by Relative Humidity
Sensor
ASTM D5748, Standard Test Method for Protrusion Puncture Resistance of Stretch Wrap Film
EN 14477:2004, Packaging — Flexible packaging material — Determination of puncture resistance — Test
methods
ASTM D1003-21, Standard Test Method for Haze and Luminous Transmittance of Transparent Plastics
ASTM F88/F88M-21, Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible Barrier Materials
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply. For all other terms and
definitions 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 copolyester
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 (and not by other requirements of EN 13432).
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 polymerization 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
flexible packaging made of biodegradable plastics. 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 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 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 protocol follows the steps (unit operations) that occur in a recycling process for flexible 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 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 flexible packaging made of biodegradable plastics, such as household predominant flexible packaging,
industrial and commercial [flexible] packaging, the following unit operations are applicable and are
shown in Table 1 for PLA, Table 2 for PHA and Table 3 for aliphatic aromatic copolyesters. 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.
Evaluation of the technical recyclability of a sample consisting of flexible packaging made of
biodegradable plastics should simulate commercially operating recycling processes at lab scale, based on
benchmarks, considering the following steps:
— evaluation of existing recycling infrastructure and processes;
— pre-treatment;
— extrusion: pellet production and evaluation;
— conversion: various conversion methods as described for each predominant polymer;
— quality and performance evaluation.
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.
Annex E provides an overview of the dilution and naming of samples.
Table 1 — List of unit operations in mechanical recycling of PLA predominant flexible packaging
Unit operation Description of the test procedure
Step #
0 Control material Before any testing, control material to compare the evaluated
selection packaging shall be selected. A minimum of 15 kg of the test
packaging and 25 kg of control material shall be tested.
See Annex D for Virgin and Control Materials.
1 Pre-treatment: pieces preparation – this step simulates the preparation of PLA pieces
1.1 Cutting PLA based flexible packaging is cut into pieces.
1.2 Washing The pieces are washed to remove product residue and
optionally components such as labels.
1.3 Drying The pieces are dried to reduce their moisture to less than 0,5 %
by mass.
2 Treatment: Pellets preparation – this step simulates the production of PLA pellets
2.1 Pieces blend The pieces of tested samples are mixed with control samples
preparation with different shares.
2.2 Pellet production The dried pieces 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 Cast film extrusion PLA pellet blends are converted into products by cast film
extrusion.
NOTE The technical recyclability of PLA 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 predominant flexible packaging, including test
procedures, pellet characterization, conversion steps, and reporting requirements, is specified in Annex A
(normative).
Table 2 — List of unit operations in mechanical recycling of PHA predominant flexible packaging
Step # Unit operation Description of the test procedure
0 Control material Before any testing, control material to compare the evaluated
selection 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 flexible item at conditions
resembling the technical datasheet supplied by the supplier of
the material.
1 Pre-treatment: pieces preparation – this step simulates the preparation of PHA pieces
1.1 Cutting PHA based flexible packaging and control item is cut into pieces
(preferably smaller than 20 mm × 20 mm).
1.2 Washing The pieces are washed to remove product residue and
optionally components such as labels.
1.3 Flotation (Washed) pieces are separated from lower density materials in
a float/sink tank. Pieces or other objects that float are removed;
pieces that sink together with the PHA pieces are recycled with
the sinking PHA pieces.
1.4 Drying The pieces are dried to reduce their moisture to less than 0,1 %
by mass.
1.5 Air elutriation Control and test PHA pieces are separately elutriated with air
to remove light fraction.
2 Treatment: Pellets preparation – this step simulates the production of PHA pellets
2.1 Blend preparation The pieces of tested samples are mixed with control samples
with different shares.
2.2 Pellet production The dried pieces 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.
The detailed recyclability evaluation protocol for PHA predominant flexible 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 aliphatic aromatic copolyester
predominant flexible packaging
Unit operation Description of the test procedure
Step #
0 Control material Before any testing, control material to compare the evaluated
selection packaging shall be selected. A minimum of 15 kg of the test
material (or innovative packaging) and 25 kg of control material
shall be tested.
The control material can be selected from one of the materials
shown in Annex D.
1 Pre-treatment: pieces preparation – this step simulates the preparation of aliphatic aromatic
copolyester pieces
1.1 Cutting aliphatic aromatic copolyester based flexible packaging is cut
into pieces (preferably smaller than 20 mm × 20 mm).
1.2 Washing The pieces are washed to remove surface contaminants.
1.3 Drying The pieces 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.
2 Treatment: Pellets preparation – this step simulates the production of Aliphatic Aromatic
copolyester pellets
2.1 Blend preparation The pieces of tested samples are mixed with control samples
with different shares.
2.2 Pellet production The dried pieces 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 material.
3.2
Processing Select the cast film extrusion method for testing. Optionally, the
blown film method may be chosen if cast film extrusion is not
feasible.
3.2a Cast film extrusion Aliphatic aromatic copolyester pellet blends are converted into
film products by flat film extrusion.
3.2b Blown film (optionally) Aliphatic aromatic copolyesters pellet blends are converted into
film by blow film extrusion.
The detailed recyclability evaluation protocol for packaging predominantly consisting of aliphatic
aromatic copolyester, including test procedures, pellet characterization, conversion steps, and reporting
requirements, is specified in Annex C (normative).

Annex A
(normative)
Detailed Recyclability evaluation process for PLA predominant flexible
packaging
A.1 Test procedures
A.1.1 General
Test material and control material selection:
A minimum of 15 kg of the test packaging (or innovative packaging) and 25 kg of 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 sample should be a flexible substrate made from a biodegradable plastic predominantly
constituted by PLA according to Table D.3 in Annex D. The virgin material shall be chosen in order to be
as similar as possible to the test material. The virgin material shall be extruded into a film at conditions
resembling commercial practices (refer to the technical datasheets supplied by the supplier of the chosen
polymer(s)) to obtain the control sample.
Virgin polymer selection
For the conversion tests into films, 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 Table D.3 in Annex D. To reduce the number of variables, it
is recommended to select a virgin polymer as similar to the control material as possible.
A.1.2 Testing procedures for pre-treatment
A.1.2.1 Cutting
Control and test samples are separately cut to fit the throat of a standard laboratory extruder.
Procedure:
— report the mass of each sample before cutting.
— cut separately control and test sample to pieces preferably below 20 mm × 20 mm;
— store in separate containers;
— take photos of the control and test sample;
— report the mass of each sample after cutting.
A.1.2.2 Washing
— Prepare the washing stainless steel tank for a 1:4 ratio (1 kg pieces 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 pieces vs 4 L solution) under vigorous stirring for 5
to 15 min for adhesive removal.
— Collect and separate pieces from the washing solution by filtration or over a vibrating table and
through a centrifuge.
— Take photos of the washed solution and pieces after washing.
A.1.2.3 Drying
Reduce the moisture of the pieces according to the following procedure.
Procedure:
— dry the pieces, collected after washing, with dehumidified hot air without the application of vacuum
until a moisture content as low as possible and at least below 0,5 % is reached. The outlet
temperature of the pieces shall remain below 60 °C;
— report the mass of each sample after drying;
— record the moisture content.
A.1.3 Testing procedures for treatment – Pellet extrusion
A.1.3.1 Blending for subsequent extrusion
Mix the test sample pieces in different ratios with control sample pieces by manually mixing them in a
large capacity container. Perform the mixing by introducing appropriate masses of test sample pieces and
control sample pieces 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 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 pieces and/or the feeding into the extruder shall be noted in the report.
The following mix ratios shall be created:
— Mix P.0 (blank): 100 wt% control sample pieces
— Mix P.25: 75 wt% control sample pieces and 25 wt% test sample pieces
— Mix P.50: 50 wt% control sample pieces and 50 wt% test sample pieces
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 Mix P.100, comprising 100 wt% test sample pieces may be created and tested.
Dry all obtained mixes to achieve a water content compliant to the technical datasheet supplied by the
supplier of the chosen virgin material before processing them in the extruder.
Potential sticking of pieces 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 pieces 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 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.
A.1.3.2 Extrusion - Pellet production
Clean the extruder thoroughly before starting.
Extrude all mixes, starting with P.0, with an appropriate extrusion temperature (considering the
temperature range of the control material as specified in its technical datasheet supplied by the supplier
of the control resin) set up for the test materials, to prevent polymer degradation. It shall be ensured that
the amount of material produced is sufficient for the steps of the protocol that will follow. The residence
time shall be below 2 min. The pelletiser shall be set to produce pellets with a size suitable for the
transformations and analysis that are to follow. If a strand pelletiser is to be used, confirm the melt
strength before performing the testing. Ensure comparable durations for the extrusion of each mix.
Any deviations from the stated parameters needed to allow for the processing of a mix shall be noted in
the report. In such cases, all 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 shall be recorded. Stable temperature, pressure and torque can serve
as indications of process stability. 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).
In case of die build-up, a photo of the die shall be recorded.
Store pellets dry, away from heat and sunlight and in a closed container. Label pellet samples in the same
way as the mixes that they have been produced from, i.e. P.0, P.25, P.50 and, optionally, P.100.
Perform characterization of the pellets of each extrusion run according to Table A.1. If pellet appearance
is uniform across the three fractions collected from the extruder and if no special observations were made
during extrusion, pellets from the middle fraction shall be used for the characterization. Otherwise,
additional fractions shall be characterized as necessary.
Table A.1 — Characterization pellet extrusion
Step Characteristics Standard test Result Benchmark
method
Blending for Report the applied mixing   N/A, record only
subsequent ratio
extrusion
Pellet Melt flow index (g/10’) EN ISO 1133-1  No deviation > 50 % in
production Temperature and comparison with P.0
The material shall be dried
load shall be
before the MFI
selected according
determination according
to the technical
to the technical datasheet
datasheet
supplied by the supplier
supplied by the
and producer
supplier of the
recommendations of the
chosen virgin
chosen virgin material
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
Extrusion process Unusual sticking,  N/A, record only
fumes, odour, and
any build-up
Flakes moisture content According to  < 0,025 %
moisture analyser
or EN ISO 15512
or
ASTM D7191-18
or equivalent
b
Melting point, (°C)  Melting point via N/A, record only
differential
scanning
calorimetry
according to
EN ISO 11357-1
and
EN ISO 11357-3
a
Density measurement is required to set film converting step conditions.
ᵇ Melting point measurement is required to set film converting step conditions.

A.1.4 Testing procedures for conversion
A.1.4.1 Pellet blends preparation
Dry 3 kg to 5 kg of each pellet sample and a total of 5 kg to 10 kg of virgin polymer pellets using one of the
drying options described below to a residual moisture level as low as possible but at least < 0,5 wt%.
— Option A: Reduce the moisture by evenly dividing the pieces onto trays and storing them for 24 h in
a forced convection oven set to 60 °C.
— Option B (for large amounts of pieces): Reduce the moisture by evenly dividing the pieces onto trays
and storing them for 24 h in a climate-controlled room set to 60 °C.
— Option C (for large amounts of pieces): Reduce the moisture by using a dryer hopper set to 80 °C for
6 h. If pieces stick together during drying at 80 °C, one of the drying methods at 60 °C (Option A or B)
shall be applied instead.
Mix each pellet sample in a 50:50 ratio by mass with virgin
...