With recyclability being a major topic for packaging design, Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsrecyclers.eu) has updated its plastic packaging recycling guidelines. The amended guidelines differentiate between coloured and non-coloured packaging. There are now eight new guidelines for coloured and natural HDPE containers, coloured and natural PP containers, coloured and transparent PE films as well as coloured and transparent PP films. The guidelines are categorised according to RecyClass (www.recyclass.eu), an online tool launched in 2014 to help gauge a product's recyclability (see Plasteurope.com of 15.05.2014).

Ton Emans, PRE president, says good design for recycling will raise the quality of recycled plastics, and in turn increase the use of recyclates as well as extend their applications. This is more important than ever as a consequence of China's restrictions on waste imports – see Plasteurope.com of 21.09.2017. The EU now has a plastics waste surplus, and Emans has previously emphasised that enhanced product design is one key factor to alleviating the problem – see Plasteurope.com of 27.09.2017.

PRE is also collaborating with the Association of Plastic Recyclers (Washington, D.C. / USA; www.plasticsrecycling.org) within the "Global Plastics Outreach Alliance". The collaboration aims to produce standardised design guidelines and testing protocols for recycled plastics – see Plasteurope.com of 06.11.2017.