Critical Guidance

APR recognizes that packaging innovation drives the growth of bottles available for recycling and growth of supply of bottles is essential to the well being of the plastic bottle recycling industry. APR also recognizes that some innovations may create bottles that present technical challenges for recycling. APR recognizes that conducting tests is only part of the needed understanding. The results should be critically examined to understand what has been learned. APR recommends innovators discuss their concepts and test results with knowledgeable reclaimers and conduct cooperative testing under the Champions for Change Program. APR provides its CRITICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS, which represent screening tools to help the innovator understand the approximate effect of the innovation on plastic bottle recycling in a “worst case” scenario. The documents strive to accomplish the following:

  1. Define a limited number of critical, testable properties for PET and HDPE bottles. Other issues may also be important. The properties listed are deliberately few and represent key concerns.
  2. Define test samples and test methods.
  3. Provide guidance critical values for interpreting test results.

The test interpretation values given are not specifications, but input to help interpret test results and highlight possible areas for additional investigation. The CRITICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS do not imply in their definitions, procedures, or values fitness for use, market acceptability, or any guarantee or warranty. Inability of an innovative bottle to meet specific critical values does not imply recycling failure, but should be a clear message that a significant issue exists and mitigation of the issue is recommended to avoid degrading the value of the stream of recyclable bottles.

The links to the left provide access to the current critical guidance for bottles.