PVC Bottles

PVC bottles are present in the post-consumer collected stream of plastic bottles at such low levels that the bottles are considered a contaminant to the recycling of other bottles. Because of the contamination problem, APR finds the use of PVC bottles undesirable if those bottles are included with bales of PET or HDPE bottles. If a bottle designer or specifier finds that PVC must be the resin of choice for a given application, APR recommends the following:

The basic design for recycling guideline to consider when making material choices for any attachment to the bottle is to consider its general compatibility with the base resin (PVC) or the removal efficiency in conventional water-based separation systems that separate plastics by density. Attachments may include closures, closure liners, base cups, inserts, labels, pour spouts, handles, sleeves, safety seals, coatings, and layers. PVC has a density greater than 1.0 (the density of water) and will sink in these systems. For efficient separation and removal in conventional sink/float separation systems, attachments should be made from materials with a density less than 1.0 or be otherwise compatible with PVC in the reclamation process. Materials with a density less than 1.0 will float in these systems and can be separated easily from the PVC.

PET Attachments

The use of PET attachments of any kind on PVC bottles is undesirable and should be scrupulously avoided. Very small amounts of PET (in the parts-per-million range) can severely contaminate and render large amounts of PVC useless for most recycling applications. In addition, PET is very difficult to separate from PVC in conventional water-based density separation systems, due to similar densities (> 1.0) that cause both to sink in these systems.

Closures / Closure Liners

Plastic closures made from HDPE, LDPE, or PP are preferred to all others. Also preferred, are closure systems that contain no liners and leave no residual rings, or other attachments, on the bottle after the closure is removed. The use of PET for closures or closure liners is undesirable and should be scrupulously avoided. The use of metal closures is undesirable and should be avoided as they are more difficult and more costly to remove in conventional reclamation systems compared to the preferred closure systems (HDPE, LDPE, or PP).

Sleeves & Safety Seals

If tamper resistance is required in specific product applications, it should be an integral design feature of the bottle. The use of tamper resistant or tamper evident sleeves or seals is discouraged as they can act as contaminants if they do not completely detach from the bottle, or are not easily removed in conventional separation systems. If sleeves or safety seals are used, they should be designed to completely detach from the bottle. Shrink sleeves are preferred when sleeves are necessary.

Labels

PP, OPP, HDPE, MDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, or PVC label stock are preferred to all other label materials. The preferred label systems are those that incorporate the label on the closure, followed by shrink sleeve labels that require no adhesive. Metallized labels increase contamination and separation costs and should be avoided. The use of PET labels is undesirable and should be scrupulously avoided. Full bottle sleeves should be so designed that automatic sorting equipment can properly identify the resin used to make the bottle.

Inks & Adhesives

Inks must be chosen that do not bleed color when agitated in hot water, as they can discolor the PVC regrind during the reclamation process, diminishing or eliminating its value for recycling. The use of label inks that bleed should be scrupulously avoided. (The APR has developed a testing protocol to assist label manufacturers in evaluating whether a label ink will bleed in conventional PP reclamation systems).

The use of “hot melt” adhesives is undesirable and should be avoided unless the adhesive readily separates from the plastic and does not cause problems in the reclaiming process. Label adhesives should be water soluble or dispersible at temperatures between 140 °F to 180 °F in order to be removed in conventional washing and separation systems. If adhesives are not removed efficiently, they may disperse on the PVC regrind and embed unwanted contaminants. The use of other adhesive types is discouraged and should be avoided. (The APR has
developed a testing protocol for adhesive manufacturers to evaluate the impact of adhesive products in conventional reclamation systems). Adhesive usage and surface area covered should be minimized to the greatest extent possible to maximize PVC yield and avoid contamination.

Direct Printing/Decoration

Presently, all direct printing other than date coding, either for product labeling or decoration, contaminates recycled PVC in conventional reclamation systems. The inks used in direct printing may bleed ink or otherwise discolor the PVC during processing, or introduce incompatible contaminants. In either case, the value of the PVC for recycling is diminished or eliminated.

Other Attachments

The use of any other attachments is discouraged, as they reduce base resin yield and increase separation costs. If any other attachments to a bottle are used, they should be made from HDPE or clear PVC. If adhesives are used to affix attachments, they should be water soluble or dispersible at 140 oF to 180 oF in order to be removed in conventional washing and separation systems. If adhesives are not removed efficiently, they may disperse on the PVC regrind and embed unwanted contaminants. The use of other adhesive types is discouraged and should be avoided. (The APR has developed a testing protocol for adhesive manufacturers to evaluate the impact of adhesive products in conventional reclamation systems). Adhesive usage and surface area covered should be minimized to the greatest extent possible to maximize PVC yield and avoid contamination.

Post-Consumer Content

The use of postconsumer PVC in bottles is encouraged, whenever possible.