Reprinted by Newlife - Flexstone; original copyright belongs to the author. See "Sources" at the end for the original link.

National members of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) have recently approved four technical specifications regarding the "design for recycling of biodegradable plastic packaging." These technical specifications aim to support the implementation of Article 6 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and are expected to be officially published by CEN in December 2026. Meanwhile, they will also provide important references for the relevant PPWR delegated acts currently being advanced by the European Commission.

Developing Specific Guidelines at Record Speed

Following the publication of the PPWR in the Official Journal of the European Union, European Bioplastics recognized the need to address the specific properties of biodegradable plastic packaging and subsequently called for the establishment of a dedicated task group within CEN/TC 261/WG 10 (the working group responsible for the design for recycling of plastic packaging products). This task group brought together the expertise required to develop technical guidelines for both rigid and flexible biodegradable plastic packaging. As a liaison organization to CEN/TC 261, European Bioplastics considers its significant contribution instrumental in driving the development of the four technical specifications, which have now been approved by the CEN national members (representing the standardization bodies of 34 European countries).

The final versions of the technical specifications (not yet officially published) include: - CEN/TS 18382 – Packaging – Design for recycling of plastic packaging products – Guidelines for the design for recycling of rigid biodegradable plastic packaging - CEN/TS 18383 – Packaging – Design for recycling of plastic packaging products – Guidelines for the design for recycling of flexible biodegradable plastic packaging - CEN/TS 18395 – Packaging – Design for recycling of plastic packaging products – Assessment procedure for the recyclability of rigid biodegradable plastic packaging - CEN/TS 18396 – Packaging – Design for recycling of plastic packaging products – Assessment procedure for the recyclability of flexible biodegradable plastic packaging

These documents will be officially published once CEN completes the final formatting procedures.

Supporting the Implementation of the PPWR

The new technical specifications provide specific guidelines for the material recycling design and related assessment procedures of biodegradable plastic packaging. They focus exclusively on material recycling and do not cover organic recycling, which is subject to other separate standards and methods. In this context, these technical specifications provide relevant technical guidance for category 19 ("biodegradable plastic packaging") in Table 1 of Annex II of the PPWR, supporting the implementation of the "design for recycling" framework envisioned in Article 6.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission has closely monitored the development process of these technical specifications. Completed strictly in accordance with the JRC's timeline, these specifications will provide valuable technical input for the development of the PPWR delegated act on "design for recycling," which is expected to be adopted before January 1, 2028.

Sources

- China Chemical Information Weekly (2026-11-08) - Original link: Four Technical Specifications for Recyclable Design of Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Approved by CEN - https://www.chemnews.com.cn/c/2026-11-09/785351.shtml