A major step towards EU-harmonised packaging design
CEFLEX welcomes the publication of the European Design for Recycling standard series EN18120, developed by the European Committee for Standardisation, CEN. These standards represent an important milestone in building a consistent, credible framework for plastic packaging design for recycling across Europe.
The work reflects a demanding and robust standardisation process, involving many thousands of hours of technical discussions, internal and public consultations and review by subject-matter experts from all parts of the packaging value chain. It provides a common European reference point, built upon the CEN consensus principle, that will support alignment, comparability and implementation of recycling at scale.
“CEFLEX welcomes and supports the CEN process as a credible, necessary way to create European standards for design for recyclability. We see CEN deliverables and CEFLEX design guidance as complementary: CEN provides the formal framework and minimum design requirements, while CEFLEX brings practical, clear and educational guidance, explaining not only what design elements are compatible with recycling, but also why.
Looking ahead, CEFLEX will continue to lead the way with open-access insights available transparently and testing through our ‘Designing for a Circular Economy’ (D4ACE) programme. It is a living resource, which updates as new data, technologies and recycling infrastructure develop, and reflects ongoing progress and collaboration across industry”.
Arne Jost, External Affairs Director, CEFLEX
CEFLEX’s contribution to the CEN process
CEFLEX has actively contributed to the development of the Design for Recyclability (DfR) standard series EN18120; providing the project leadership for the polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) flexible packaging standards EN18120-7 and EN18120-13 and providing insights and data from its Designing for a Circular Economy (D4ACE) testing programme, conducted with independent laboratories and academia across Europe.
This contribution continues CEFLEX’s long-standing role as an evidence-led platform, bringing together subject matter experts from across the value chain to address recyclability challenges in a transparent and practical way. The aim has been to deliver clear and strong standards and ensure they reflect how packaging should be designed to be sorted and recycled in practice.
How CEN standards fit into EU packaging legislation
CEN standards provide a structured European reference, based on a consensus process, with defined scope and technical boundaries.
Its work on Design for Recycling standards (EN 18120) sit within a clear legislative framework. Under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adopted in 2024, the European Commission is required to establish harmonised EU criteria for recyclable packaging and a recyclability assessment method.
These requirements will be delivered through secondary legislation, in delegated acts, currently expected to be adopted in 2027 and 2028. By 2030, or two years after the secondary legislation being adopted, packaging placed on the EU market will need to meet defined recyclability performance requirements, with stricter thresholds phased in over time.
The PPWR explicitly requires the Commission to take account of European standards developed by CEN when defining these criteria. As a result, the EN18120 series of standards is expected to play a central role in shaping the technical basis for PPWR implementation.
CEN standards and D4ACE: complementary roles
CEFLEX sees the relationship between CEN standards and its own Designing for a Circular Economy guidance for flexible packaging as complementary and mutually reinforcing.
CEN standards and technical specifications will provide terminology and minimum requirements for the design-for-recycling of packaging. These are essential for shaping legislation, compliance and market enforcement, but are necessarily focused on definitions, thresholds and performance criteria.
CEFLEX design guidance builds on this foundation by being practical, clear and educational – while also showing how to move beyond minimum technical requirements towards increased circularity. D4ACE also not only gives clear thresholds and criteria but also explains why and how.
The guidance translates technical criteria into actionable design recommendations that can be applied across real packaging portfolios, supporting designers, converters, brands and recyclers in day-to-day decision-making. D4ACE also provides system-level context. This helps companies understand trade-offs, anticipate constraints and align design decisions with existing and emerging infrastructure.
Evidence to support application in practice
The practical design guidance is underpinned by open-access evidence. CEFLEX’s Phase 2 testing programme assessed more than 600 representative flexible packaging samples across multiple independent laboratories, generating over 1,700 data points on sortability and mechanical recyclability.
These insights have already informed CEN standardisation work and help reduce uncertainty as companies prepare for PPWR implementation. By making data, methods and results publicly available, CEFLEX aims to support consistent interpretation and application across markets and materials.
Supporting delivery as Europe moves from ambition to implementation
In summary, CEN is providing much-needed European standards and technical specifications to support legislation. CEFLEX helps the value chain apply them in practice, using shared evidence, tested guidance and open tools.
Together, they provide a stronger, more coherent foundation for designing recyclable packaging in Europe and for supporting the transition from ambition to delivery under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.