RecyClass is coming

Today plastic packaging design threatens new EU recycling targets. Careless design often leads to incomplete emptying of a package and what about different combinations of polymers/materials which are incompatible for an efficient recycling process?
The new challenge should be that recyclability becomes a requirement fully equal to the other performance criteria. This will help to divert substantial quantities of plastics away from landfill and incineration into recycling hence moving them to a higher category according to the EU waste hierarchy.
Plastics Recyclers Europe believe that the introduction of an EU classification system will assist designers in evaluating their creations from a recyclability point of view, in the addition it will help them in choosing the best options to improve their class.
RecyClass is the name of a new project launched by Plastics Recyclers Europe which will offer an easy method to determine the recyclability class of any plastic package, based on a scale from A to G (seven classes comparable to EU energy efficiency classes).
"Many months ago we started working on this project. At this stage a first draft of our model is being tested in several technical institutes in different European Countries." says Paolo Glerean who heads PRE's packaging design task force. "Our goal is to present the RecyClass tool during a special event at Interpack in Düsseldorf in May 2014".