Tags
Additives
Plastics can contain additives: auxiliaries added to optimize material properties. They can aid production, processing or the properties of the plastic itself. Examples include anti-block, anti-conden ...
Barrier
A barrier can be formed by adding components to packaging materials, such as a coating, laminate, or blended into pulp or granulate. This can create a barrier against external influences, such as mois ...
Beverage carton
The Packaging Management Decree provides the following definition for beverage cartons: Packaging suitable for liquid food products, consisting of at least 70 percent paper and cardboard, with the rem ...
Bio-based packaging material
Bio-based packaging material is made from raw materials that are directly or indirectly of natural origin, or from renewable resources. Examples include paper and wood. Several types of plastics (such ...
Bio-PE
Polyethylene made from renewable feedstocks, unlike PE made from fossil feedstocks (e.g., crude oil). It has the same chemical composition as fossil-based PE and can be processed, sorted and recycled ...
Bio-PET
Polyethylene terephthalate made from renewable feedstocks, unlike PET made from fossil feedstocks (e.g., crude oil). It has the same chemical composition as fossil-based PET and can be processed, sort ...
Biodegradable packaging material
Materials that can be broken down by microorganisms (bacteria or fungi) into water and naturally occurring gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). See also the concept of ‘compostable p ...
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical substance that can be present in plastic products, such as building materials, electronics, plastic bottles, and toys. It is also used in packaging materials, such as h ...
Carbon black
Carbon black is a finely divided black pigment composed of elemental carbon. It is used as a deep black color or to increase the color intensity of a pigment mixture. It provides UV protection in appl ...
Cellophane
Cellophane is highly transparent, relatively stiff, and has been available for many years, though in limited quantities. It can be produced in bright colors and is widely recognized as a candy wrapper ...
Cellulose fiber
Wood fibers that have been mechanically or chemically separated, which can be used to produce paper and cardboard.
Chemical recycling
Chemical recycling involves converting plastic back into its original building blocks through a chemical process, allowing new plastic to be produced from these materials. There are several methods of ...
Circular Economy
A circular economy describes an economic system based on business models that replace the ‘end-of-life’ concept with the reduction, recycling, and recovery of materials throughout production, distribu ...
Circular Economy Package (CEP)
On 2 December 2015, the European Commission launched the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy, *Closing the Loop*, also known as the Circular Economy Package (CEP). The plan sets out objectives and ...
Circularity
Circularity describes a restorative system in which waste and pollution are eliminated, products and materials are kept in an efficient system for as long as possible, maintained at their highest util ...
Clear glass
Transparent, colorless glass. It is also called flint glass.
Co-extrusion
Co-extrusion is a process in which multiple layers of material are produced simultaneously and combined into a single material during the extrusion process, in which the film takes the shape of a flat ...
Coating
A coating is an addition to the surface of a material layer. Characteristics:Usually has a thickness of a few nanometers (nm = 10⁻⁹ m).Does not form an independent material layer.Often used as a ...
Cold‑End Coating (Glass)
This coating is typically applied during the production of glass packaging and makes the glass smoother, reducing the risk of damage. The containers slide more easily past each other and along the gui ...
Colorant
An additive to the material that gives it the desired color. This can be added to the material before, during, or after the production of the packaging.
Commercial waste
Commercial waste: waste materials not classified as household waste or hazardous waste;
Complete (Integral) Package
Complete packaging, including the label, closure, etc. Some examples are: a water bottle with cap and label, an aluminum tray with a seal for a ready-to-eat oven meal, and a cardboard box for frozen v ...
Compostable Packaging Materials
Compostable packaging materials are materials that comply with the European Standard EN-13432. This standard assumes a degradation process for compostable plastics of up to 12 weeks at approximately 6 ...
Contactsensitive (disposable unit)
Contact sensitive refers to materials suitable for direct food contact (humans and animals), for products for skin contact (cosmetics), and for the packaging of hazardous substances.
CPS (ceramics, porcelain, stone)
A collection of contaminants in glass recycling.
Crystal glass (lead glass)
Glass with a high concentration of lead, such as decanters, wine glasses or TV glass. Adding Pb2O3 (lead oxide) lowers the melting point and increases refractive index, luster and hardness (crystal). ...
Degree of coverage
The percentage of the main component covered by a label or sleeve, which determines whether the NIR scanner can still correctly identify the main component's material.The degree of coverage is determi ...
Diftar (Pay‑as‑you‑throw)
Waste levy based on a fixed basic rate plus a variable rate for the disposal of residual waste. Diftar provides a financial incentive for separating residual waste.
Disposable unit
Most packaging is discarded in its entirety after use and is, therefore, considered a single disposable unit. Packaging that is not discarded in its entirety but as several separate componen ...
Disposal logo - Disposal Guide
Logos on the packaging can be used to indicate the categories of waste that the various components of a packaging belong to. Consumers can see at a glance how to dispose of each component.To stimulate ...
Disruptive Substance
A substance that disrupts the sorting and recycling process and/or the quality of recycled materials. These substances negatively impact more than just their own packaging. Some examples of disruptive ...
DKR standard
Plastic packaging waste is sorted according to the DKR standards. These standards vary by type of plastic. For each type of plastic, one or more product specifications have been established. The mater ...
Eddy Current
Eddy currents, also known as electrical eddy currents, are used to separate non-ferrous metals (such as aluminum) from a mixed stream of waste materials. Non-ferrous metals only exhibit magnetic behav ...
EPP (Expanded polypropylene)
Expanded PP (EPP), used among other things as cushioning or insulation material. Pocketbook Packaging, p. 337.
Essential requirements
Packaging requirements that must be met, as specified in Article 11 and Annex II of the Packaging Directive.
Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)
A polymer used as an oxygen barrier layer, applied between other plastics.
Expanded polystyrene (EPS)
Also known as foam or Styrofoam. Used for many purposes, including cushioning and insulation (e.g., fish on ice in EPS boxes, or transporting organs in liquid nitrogen in shipping containers). Pocketb ...
Extrusion
A shaping technique in which a deformable material is heated in a mold and then pressed. This method is commonly used in the production of plastic granules and packaging.
Filler
A filler is a type of additive that is added to a material during the manufacturing process to improve its properties or to make the final product cheaper. It is not a definable layer. Examples includ ...
Flakes
Flakes, shreds, pieces. In the context of plastic recycling, this term is used for coarsely ground plastic.
Flat glass
Flat glass, such as window panes, wired and insulation glass, car windows, and mirrors, comes from, among other sources, greenhouses, buildings, and vehicles. Flat glass is supplied through recycling ...
Flexible Packaging (plastic)
Unlike rigid plastic packaging, flexible plastic packaging can be easily formed into a plug without much force. The material of the main component is usually thinner than 100 µm. This type of packagin ...
Flotation (de-inking)
Chemicals are used to create air bubbles in the pulp suspension. The ink particles attach to the rising air bubbles, bringing them to the surface where they can be removed. Additional methods, such as ...
Fossil-based
Raw materials or packaging materials can be referred to as fossil-based if they are derived from fossil oils. Fossil oils are considered a finite resource.
Framework Agreement
The Packaging Framework Agreement 2013–2022 outlines the commitments made by municipalities, the packaging industry, and the national government, each from their own area of responsibility. The goal o ...
Glass bath
The glass bath is the term for the part of the furnace where the glass is melted.
Good recyclable packaging
Packaging that has been assessed using the Recycle Check, and where all details of the packaging are optimally suited for recycling. This makes it "good recyclable" according to the definition of recy ...
Heat-resistant glass
Heat-resistant (safety) glass, including heat-resistant laboratory glass, oven dishes, cooktops, glass doors from washing machines and microwaves, and glass pan lids. Made with borosilicate.
Hollow glass (container glass)
Bottles, jars, bowls, and drinking glasses are examples of hollow glass, also referred to as container glass. Hollow glass is mostly sourced from municipal collection, recycling centers, the hospitali ...
Hot-end coating
This coating is applied as standard during the production of glass containers, shortly after they come out of the mold while still hot, and helps reduce strength loss that may occur during manufacturi ...
Household Packaging Waste
Household waste: waste from private households, except to the extent that collected fractions are designated as hazardous waste.
Hydrophobic
A material property indicating water‑repellence; the material does not dissolve in water. See also “hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic.”
In-Mould Label (IML)
A label that is applied in the mold and fuses with the packaging, usually used in injection molding, blow molding, or thermoforming of packaging.
Industry Plan for Sustainable Packaging
Under the Packaging Framework Agreement 2013–2022, thirteen industry sectors developed sustainability plans for packaging between 2013 and 2018. These first-round sector plans set concrete and measura ...
Innovative Materials—Evidence Requirements
Producers must show materials can be collected and sorted sufficiently and are compatible with existing industrial recycling—or that new industrial‑scale processes exist. *At least 70% of the package’ ...
Laminate
Laminates are materials composed of multiple layers, used in flexible packaging. The laminates consist of different layers of various flexible materials. These can be laminates of different base mater ...
Lamination
The layers are produced separately and then combined either immediately or at a later stage using an adhesive. In addition to this technique, more and more methods are being developed to add very thin ...
Lansink’s Ladder
Former Member of Parliament Lansink submitted a motion in 1979 regarding the desired management of waste. The Lansink Ladder ranks the most environmentally friendly methods of waste treatment. The hig ...
Laser Coding
Laser coding produces a permanent, high-quality mark without adding any material. The resulting code can be highly visible or subtle, depending on the material.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
LCA stands for Life Cycle Assessment and describes the entire life cycle of a product or activity. From the extraction of raw materials, through production and (re)use of materials, to waste processin ...
Mass Balance
A mass balance describes all inputs and outputs of a system or installation. The total input must correspond to the total output. For packaging waste subjected to chemical recycling, the recycled amou ...
Material layer
A material layer is a separate layer within a plastic package consisting of a single primary material or polymer. This layer:Usually has a thickness of more than 1 micrometer (1µm = 10⁻⁶ m).Is applied ...
Mechanical recycling
Technology in which waste is processed through a mechanical process into a reusable raw material that replaces virgin material. For example, in the case of plastics, this involves separating materials ...
Metallized Packaging Material
Metal-coated packaging material can consist of various base materials, onto which a metal layer is applied on one side. The material may have a thin layer of metal, usually aluminum, applied either by ...
Mineral oils
Various food products are packaged in paper and cardboard, which often contain recycled paper. These packages may contain contaminants, for example from mineral oils in printing inks used in newspaper ...
Miscanthus
Miscanthus, also known as elephant grass, is a plant with versatile uses. In its raw form, this reed-like crop can be used as animal bedding or fuel for stoves, but once processed, it can also be turn ...
Mixed glass
A mixture of colored glass pieces.
Mixed stream (plastics recycling)
A sorted stream of mixed plastic packaging, offered by sorters to recyclers for recycling. Products made from this mixed stream include park benches, marker posts, crates, and pallets.
Mono stream (plastics recycling)
A sorted stream consisting of a single material type, offered by sorters to recyclers according to sorting specifications.
Mono-layer
A single layer of material, and therefore always a monomaterial.
Mono-material
Mono-materials are materials that consist of a single material type.ExampleA mono-material can be a single layer of a particular polymer, or multiple layers of the same polymer (for example, two outer ...
Multi‑Layer
A material made of several layers. Layers may be of the same type (as in mono‑material structures) or different types (as in multimaterial structures).
Multimaterial
A structure that uses different material types—various plastics, or plastics combined with paper or aluminum.
NIR Scanner (Near‑Infrared)
In the recycling industry, NIR scanners (Near-Infrared scanners) are widely used for the automated sorting of materials.A NIR scanner is an optical measuring instrument that uses near-infrared light ( ...
Obligation to contribute
The contribution obligation relates to the Waste Management Contribution for Packaging. The following frameworks apply:Are you a producer and/or an importer and do you release in excess of 50,000 kilo ...
Opal glass
White, non-transparent glass. It is produced by adding fluorine to the glass.
Opaque Packaging
Opaque packaging refers to conventional packaging that has been made non-transparent by the addition of certain colorants. Examples include a non-transparent white plastic milk bottle or a perfume bot ...
OPK (Old Paper & Board)
Abbreviation for “Oud Papier & Karton”, one of the Dutch household collection streams.
Oxo-degradable
Means that plastic breaks apart into tiny pieces upon exposure to soil, water and light. Special additives cause the plastic to fragment into microplastics. Such additives can be added to any plastic.
Packaging (definition)
Current definitionPackaging: all products made of any materials of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed ...
Paper and board
“Paper and board” comprises all cellulose-based fibrous materials formed from a suspension into a coherent sheet or web, with or without fillers and auxiliaries. Basis weights up to ~200–250 g/m² are ...
PE (polyethylene)
Polyethylene, a polyolefin consisting only of carbon and hydrogen.
PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
A polyester consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Widely used for rigid packaging such as bottles, jars and trays, and also in films made by blowing or casting. Pocketbook Packaging, p. 345.
PLA (polylactic acid)
Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a polymer made from lactic acid, which is produced by fermenting sugars or starches. These sugars are typically sourced from corn or sugar beets, making PLA a renewable materi ...
PMD (Plastic, Metal, Drink cartons)
A Dutch household collection stream for Plastic, Metal and Drink cartons. Other names include PBD, PD or “Plastic+”.
Polymer
Polymer is a large molecule, synthetic or natural, characterized by the sequence of one or more types of monomer units which are covalently bound to each other. The specific composition of the monomer ...
Polystyrene
Polystyrene is a material made from the styrene monomer. It is a very clear, brittle material that is easy to thermoform.Common variants include:High-impact polystyrene (HIPS)Acrylonitrile butadiene s ...
Post‑Collection Sorting
Separating mixed waste after collection into the purest possible fractions using facilities and/or manual picking.
Post‑Consumer Recyclate (PCR)
Post-consumer recyclate consists of used packaging that has fulfilled its role, been discarded, and processed in standard waste systems. “Consumers” include households and out‑of‑home users (businesse ...
Post‑Industrial Recyclate (PIR)
Post-industrial recyclate comes from the recycling of industrial waste. This material has not yet been applied or put into use. Therefore, it has not yet fulfilled its packaging function. Consider, fo ...
PP (polypropylene)
Polypropylene, a polyolefin consisting only of carbon and hydrogen.
Primary Component
In any package, one component is always the largest, heaviest, or thickest. This is considered the primary component of the overall package and is often the part that holds the product. Examples inclu ...
Printing
There are several printing methods, in which dyes are used to apply an imprint to a material. The choice of printing technique depends on the type of material and the intended application of the packa ...
Private‑Label Packer (definition part)
A party that professionally instructs another to package products with its name, logo, or trademark.
Producer or Importer of Packaged Products
From 1 January 2023 to present:Producer or importer: any natural or legal person established in the Netherlands who:places products in packaging on the market;professionally imports products in packag ...
Pulp
A slurry consisting mainly of water (~99%) with cellulose fibers (~1%). Paper and board are produced from pulp.
Pulping
Collected recovered paper is fed into a pulper: a large tank with warm water (15–65 °C) and a rotor. Water penetrates the paper and breaks the bonds between individual fibers, optionally aided by chem ...
PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
A polymer based on carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine.
PVdC (polyvinylidene chloride)
A polymer composed of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine.
Reactive Polyurethane Hot‑melt
An adhesive bond based on polyurethane that forms first by cooling and then polymerizes via moisture. This hot‑melt is not washable in water at low or high temperature, nor in alkali. Used for very fa ...
Recyclate
The output of a completed recycling process that can be used directly to make intermediates or end products. There are two types of recycled material streams: Post-industrial recyclate Post- ...
Recycling (in accordance with Article 3.7 of the Directive)
The reprocessing of waste materials in a production process for their original purpose or for other purposes, including organic recycling but excluding energy recovery.
Renewable Materials
Materials made from wood fibers (paper, board) or plastics made from sugars from sugarcane or sugar beet. Not all materials from renewable resources are biodegradable.
Renewable Resource
Raw materials are considered renewable when they come from sources that are naturally replenished within a human timescale (an average human lifetime), in contrast to fossil oil, which takes millions ...
Reusable Packaging
Any operation by which a package designed to make a minimum number of trips within its lifetime is refilled or reused for the same purpose for which it was conceived, with or without the aid of market ...
Rigid Packaging
Shape‑retaining packages that are filled as‑is; they keep their shape even when empty.
Shredding
Chopping or grinding plastic into smaller pieces of material suitable for recycling.
Silicone gel
A phase into which silicones or acrylates can transition under heat; may occur during recycling of regranulate.
Silicones
Polymer based on silicone. It is used, among other things, as a flexible seal in packaging, for example a valve in the cap of a squeeze bottle.Silicones are also used to apply flexible seals, for exam ...
Single-Use Plastics (SUP)
Plastic disposables such as cutlery, cups, stirrers, cotton swabs, balloons and balloon sticks, etc.
Sink-float technique
Sorting technique that uses the difference in density of materials relative to the density of a liquid to separate them. Materials with a higher density than the liquid sink, while materials with a lo ...
Sleeve (full-body sleeve)
Printed tubu film that is applied around a rigid packaging, either by stretching or shrinking. In the latter case, the film shrinks when heated and then takes the shape of the rigid packaging. The sle ...
Source‑Separated Collection
Collection in which a waste stream is separated by type and nature of the waste to facilitate specific treatment. The term “source separation” comes from the fact that the initial separation takes pla ...
Sub-components
In addition to a main component, a disposable unit often also consists of sub-components. These are additional parts, such as labels and closures, which are processed together with the main component ...
Target material
The target material is the material that ultimately needs to be recycled into a new raw material. Usually, this is the most common material in the disposable unit, often the material of the main compo ...
Transition Agenda
In line with the European approach, the Netherlands has developed the government-wide Circular Economy program: Netherlands Circular by 2050 (see also the concept of ‘CEP’). This program was published ...
Transparent Packaging
Packages that transmit light (see‑through). Some materials are naturally more or less transparent; PP, for example, can appear milky.
Varnish
Varnish is a thin layer of material applied to a base material. The most common method of applying varnish is by using coating rollers on a coating machine.
Virgin Material
Primary (first‑use) material. Can be fossil‑based or biobased.
Washable inks
Inks that release from the printed material, but do not dissolve in water, allowing them to be filtered from the water.
Washable or alkali-soluble adhesive (for use with plastic packaging)
Adhesive that is washable in water or dissolves in an alkaline bath. Labels with this adhesive can be removed in a washing process. There are cold- and warm-washable variants. Wash water is usually do ...
Waste management fee
Contribution to the costs of waste management. Verpact uses the waste management contribution to cover the costs incurred in the collection and recycling of packaging. The Packaging Waste Management F ...
Waste paper (bin)
A collection method for used paper and cardboard packaging and products from household packaging waste. Non-packaging paper and cardboard items are also collected in this stream. The collected materia ...