CEN/TC 261 - Packaging

This document provides testing procedures and requirements on the evaluation processes for the sortability of plastic packaging with regard to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collecting and sorting processes for the plastic used.
This document covers any packaging predominantly made of plastic and separate packaging components predominantly made of plastic, both in case they undergo sorting processes.

This document provides a framework and principles for design for recycling documents for assessing the identification of the level of compatibility of plastic-packaging feature with the applicable collection, sorting and recycling processes, describing the level of compatibility.
This document covers any packaging predominantly made of plastic and separate components predominantly made of plastic. It aims to provide a consistent approach for the guidelines and protocols for each polymer and format.

This document covers the design of any rigid packaging with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PE or PP and the design of separate components predominantly made of rigid PE or rigid PP, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collection, sorting and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates in an application.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PE and PP are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PE or PP polymer recycling.

This document provides requirements for the evaluation process of any rigid packaging with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PS or XPS and the design of separate components predominantly made of rigid PS or XPS, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collecting, sorting and recycling processes, and the characterization of the output(s) compared to a reference material.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PS and XPS are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PS or XPS polymer recycling.

This document covers the design of any rigid PET packaging that does not fall within the definition of a PET bottle as outlined in Part 4 of this document, with respect to compatibility of the design with the state-of-the-art collection, sorting and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates in an application.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of materials other than PET are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PET polymer recycling.

This document covers the design of any rigid packaging which has its main component, in weight, predominantly made of EPS, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collecting, sorting, and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates in an application.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than EPS are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with polymer recycling.
Unless otherwise stated, in the interests of better readability, ‘EPS packaging’ always includes ‘EPS white goods packaging and fish boxes’.

This document covers the design of any bottle with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PET and the design of separate components predominantly made of PET, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collecting, sorting and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates in an application.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PET are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PET polymer recycling.

This document covers the design of any rigid packaging with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PE or PP and the design of separate components predominantly made of rigid PE or rigid PP, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collection, sorting and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates in an application.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PE and PP are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PE or PP polymer recycling.

This document provides requirements for the evaluation process of any flexible packaging with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PE or PP and for the evaluation process of separate components predominantly made of flexible PE or flexible PP, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collecting, sorting and recycling processes, and the characterization of the output(s) compared to a reference material.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PE and PP are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PE or PP polymer recycling.

This document provides requirements for the evaluation process for bottles predominantly made of PET with respect to compatibility of the design with recycling processes.
Packaging components and ancillary elements made of other materials than PET are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated for compatibility with the recycling processes.

This document provides requirements for the evaluation process of any rigid PET packaging that does not fall within the definition of a PET bottle as outlined in Part 4 of this document, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collection, sorting and recycling processes, and the characterization of the output(s) compared to a reference material.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PET are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PET polymer recycling.

This document covers the design of any flexible packaging with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PE or PP and the design of separate components predominantly made of flexible PE or flexible PP, with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collection, sorting and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PE and PP are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PE or PP polymer recycling.

This document covers the design of any rigid packaging with the main body of the packaging unit predominantly made of PS or XPS and the design of separate components predominantly made of rigid PS or XPS with respect to compatibility of the design with state-of-the-art collecting, sorting and recycling processes and useability of the recyclates in an application.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than PS and XPS are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with PS or XPS polymer recycling.

This document provides requirements for the evaluation process of any rigid packaging which has its main component, in weight, predominantly made of EPS, with respect to compatibility of the design with recycling processes.
Packaging constituents and packaging components made of other materials than EPS are also covered by this document as they need to be evaluated on compatibility with polymer recycling.
Unless otherwise stated, in the interests of better readability, ‘EPS packaging’ always includes ‘EPS white goods packaging and fish boxes’.

This document specifies test methods for the determination of the chemical compatibility of packaging/ IBC made from polyethylene (PE), fluorinated polyethylene and co-extruded plastics. It covers the determination of adequate plastics compatibility against the following processes of deterioration:
—     softening due to absorption (swelling);
—     stress cracking;
—     combinations thereof.
This document is applicable to:
—     drums and jerricans made from plastics;
—     composite packaging (plastics) with inner receptacle made from plastics;
—     rigid plastics IBCs (types 31H1 and 31H2);
—     composite IBCs with rigid plastics inner receptacles (type 31HZ1);
used for the transport of liquid dangerous goods.
Proof of adequate plastics compatibility obtained using the test procedures specified in this document is only applicable to the above packaging and IBC types of the following materials and material specifications:
—     packaging and IBCs made from PE;
—     packaging and IBCs made from PE, whose internal surfaces are fluorinated; and
—     packaging and IBCs which are coextrusion blow moulded and have walls with the following multilayer structure (from inside to outside):
—    polyamide (PA), bonding agents, PE, or
—    ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), bonding agents, PE.
Note              Packaging and IBCs made from PE and packaging and IBCs made from PE with fluorinated internal surfaces, deteriorate additionally due to molecular degradation reactions with the corresponding packaged substances. For this, the chemical compatibility can also be verified by the type tests described in ISO 13274:2013, Annex B, B.2.3, using the standard liquid nitric acid (55 %) or appropriate original packaged substances. Packaging made from Coex PE/PA and Coex PE/EVOH is not resistant to polar acid molecularly degrading substances such as nitric acid, with the result that a corresponding method is not considered for this process of deterioration in this document.

This document defines terms commonly used in paper sacks manufacture. It refers to single- and multi-ply sacks made of paper or combination of paper and other materials where the paper is the main part.
It does not refer to bags for retail trade.

This document specifies the test methods available for evaluating new flat pallets for materials handling.
The test methods are split into groups for
—     nominal load testing,
—     maximum working load testing, and
—     durability comparison testing.
This document does not apply to pallets with a fixed superstructure or a rigid, self-supporting container that can be mechanically attached to the pallet and which contributes to the strength of the pallet.
NOTE   Specific tests for determining load capacity do not replace the value of conducting field tests on specific pallet designs.

This document specifies the performance requirements to establish nominal loads for new flat pallets.
It also specifies the tests required for new flat pallets in various handling environments and the performance requirements for tests with payloads. This document does not apply to pallets with a fixed superstructure or a rigid, self-supporting container that can be mechanically attached to the pallet and which contributes to the strength of the pallet.

This document specifies materials, construction and design requirements, type test and marking requirements for flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs) intended to contain non-dangerous solid materials in powder, granular or paste form, and designed to be lifted from above by integral or detachable devices.
This document also provides guidance on the selection and safe usage of FIBCs.

This document specifies a method of vertical impact testing on a filled paper sack by dropping. It is performed either as a single test to investigate the effects of vertical impact or as part of a sequence of tests designed to measure the ability of a sack to withstand a distribution system that includes a vertical impact hazard.
This document specifies the testing procedure and how the results of tests are presented. It is based on ISO 2248 but is specifically related to paper sacks.

This document gives dimensions and specifications of the glass finishes for bottles intended for sparkling wine produced by the "traditional method", with a diameter of 26 mm, 29 mm or 36 mm.
NOTE 1   The finish is to receive a crown cap and a cork stopper.
NOTE 2   The dimensions of the 26 mm and 29 mm finish come from the French standard NF H 35-029.

This document specifies the dimensions of the various 28 mm screw finishes for glass containers designated MCA.

This document specifies performance requirements and methods of test for non-reclosable packaging that has been designated child-resistant and which is intended to contain non-pharmaceutical products. This document is intended for type approval only (see 2.5) and is not intended for quality assurance purposes.
This document applies to non-reclosable packages of the single-use type consisting of one or more individual units.
Non-reclosable packages for pharmaceutical products are excluded from the scope of this document. These are the subject of a separate standard, ISO 14375, Child-resistant non-reclosable packaging for pharmaceutical products — Requirements and testing.

This document specifies performance requirements and methods of test for non-reclosable packaging that have been designated child-resistant. This document is intended for type approval only (see 3.5) and is not intended for quality assurance purposes.

This document specifies the requirements and test methods to demonstrate that plastic caps and lids of single-use beverage containers with a capacity of up to three litres remain attached to the container during the product’s intended use stage. This document also addresses the need to ensure the necessary strength, reliability and safety of beverage container closures, including those for carbonated drinks.
This document applies to the strength, reliability and safety impacted by the attachment features and does not apply to the overall closure system.

This document specifies a laboratory scale test method for determining the degree of disintegration of test items when exposed to well-managed home composting conditions by the weight evaluation method (WE method) using sieving and evaluation by weighing.
The test method is not applicable for the determination of the biodegradability of test items under home composting conditions. Additional testing is necessary for making claims concerning the suitability for home composting. This document is not appropriate for claims relating to the suitability for home composting.
This test method is carried out at laboratory scale under controlled conditions. Therefore, it does not reproduce any real home composting conditions, but it is devised to gain information on the potential of the test item to disintegrate sufficiently. A test item that passes this test is assumed to be capable of undergoing full disintegration in a 12 months home composting cycle carried out under well managed conditions. For features of well-managed home composting see EN 17427:2022, Annex E.

This document specifies a testing scheme and requirements for the designation of carrier bags of any materials that are considered to be suitable for incorporation into well-managed home composting installations for non-commercial purposes with a home composting cycle of normally at least 12 months. Carrier bags are considered as home compostable in a well-managed system only if all the individual components meet the requirements.
The following four aspects are addressed:
a )characterization;
b) biodegradation in well managed home composting;
c) disintegration in well managed home composting; and
d) home compost quality.
The four aspects, a) to d), are assessing the effects on the biological treatment process and the compost made by it.
This document forms the basis for the labelling of carrier bags that are considered to be suitable for the incorporation into well-managed home composting installations.
NOTE 1 Compliance with the requirements of this document by the carrier bags entering the compost does not necessarily imply that a high-quality compost will be produced.
This document covers the suitability of carrier bags for the incorporation into well managed home composting installations but does not address regulations that may exist regarding the suitability of anything disposed together with the carrier bag to home composting.
This document provides a set of guidance on the parameters, boundaries and processes required to engage in well managed, aerobic, home composting. Alternative composting methods and systems may not provide the conditions necessary for the successful home composting of carrier bags which comply with the requirements of this document.
NOTE 2 Additional general information about home composting is provided in Annex F.
The testing scheme and the requirements specified by this document do not apply to worm composting, industrial composting nor community composting. It also does not provide information on the biodegradability of carrier bags ending up in the environment as litter.
This document includes a reference to features of well-managed home composting (Annex E).
The compost produced via home composting by a private individual is for private use only and not for provision to others, free of charge or in return for payment. Therefore, this document has no value as a marketing authorization or authorization of use of the final compost.
NOTE 3 The testing scheme and evaluation criteria could be the basis for the establishment of suitability to home composting of other products.
NOTE 4 The purpose of testing activity b) is to demonstrate the potential for ultimate biodegradation of the test material when exposed to microbes active under mesophilic conditions (between 15 °C and 45 °C).
NOTE 5 The purpose of testing activity c) is to verify the thickness and/or grammage that allows a full disintegration of the test product in a period consistent with a home composting cycle, under defined environmental conditions. To allow for the potential for variations of local climatic conditions and consumer application of well-managed home composting techniques, lower than optimal temperature profile has been adopted for this test.

This document specifies the information needed for the design type testing of packaging, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and large packaging intended for use in the transport of dangerous goods.
NOTE 1   This document can be used in conjunction with one or more of the international regulations set out in the Bibliography.
NOTE 2   The term “packaging” includes packaging for Class 6.2 infectious substances according to the United Nations.

This document specifies methods for the determination of the thickness of the lacquer film applied inside cylindrical and conical aluminium tubes. The methods are a reference. They can also be used as a reference when calibrating other electronic instruments suitable for determining coating weight thickness. It is applicable to aluminium tubes used for packing pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other domestic products.
NOTE   Although not specified in this document there are available suitable automatic film thickness measurement instruments that provide instantaneous results with good accuracy (<1μm).

This document specifies a test method for airtightness of the closures for flexible tubes.
It is applicable to flexible tubes used for packing pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other domestic and industrial products
It is not applicable to flexible tubes with external applicators added on to the tube by the consumer and pumps.

This document specifies the design and dimensions of the 29 mm screw finish with three (3) thread starts for flat waters and non-carbonated beverages.
This document applies to finishes designated as PET finishes 29/25 (12,6). The dimension (12,6) is the height in millimetres from the top of finish to the bottom of the support ledge.
This finish can be used for aseptic filling and filling which utilizes nitrogen pressure where the internal overpressure does not exceed 1 bar maximum.
This finish is designed to accept only a tamper evident plastic closure, including those with an attachment feature.

This document specifies a method to test the orientation of the flip-top cap on flexible cylindrical tubes [1].
It is applicable to aluminium, plastic and laminated tubes used for packing pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other domestic and industrial products.

This document defines the technical vocabulary in German, French and English, widely in use for flexible tubes.
It is applicable to metal, plastic, multilayer or laminated tubes that are used for packing pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other domestic or industrial products.

This document specifies the characteristics, dimensions and finish of the inserted flange-type closure systems used for steel drums.

This document specifies the diameter, length, wall thickness and shoulder geometry of flexible cylindrical plastic tubes.
It is applicable to tubes used for packing pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other domestic and industrial products.

This document specifies a method to measure the deformation of the aluminium tube body.
It is applicable to cylindrical aluminium tubes used for packing pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other domestic and industrial products.

This document specifies dimensions of neck finishes for aerosol and spray glass containers, in order to guarantee tight sealing of valves or pumps with ferrules defined by EN 14849.
It applies to glass containers with a nominal diameter of the neck finish around 11 mm, 13 mm, 15 mm, 17 mm, 18 mm and 20 mm for both moulded and tubular glass neck finishes.
NOTE   These neck finishes are commonly called FEA 11, 13, 15, 17, 18 and 20.

This document specifies a method for the determination of the adhesion of the internal and external protective lacquer of aluminium tubes.
It is applicable to aluminium tubes that are coated with an internal or external protective lacquer and which are used for packing, e.g. pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food and other household products.

This document specifies requirements and provides guidance for the application, use and check of tamper verification features to the packaging of medicinal products.

This document specifies the relationship between the nominal volume of product and the maximum nominal brimful capacity of the outer container of the compartmented aerosol dispenser.

This document specifies dimensions of a series of deep screw finishes for the closure of wines with a CO2 content below 1,2 g per litre.
NOTE   Carbonation ≥ 1,2 g/l CO2 requires a suitable container and closure agreed between the glass maker, closure maker and packer/filler.

This document specifies the dimensions of the 26 mm-shallow crown finish for glass bottles containing beverages. The shallow crown finish is designed to use a metal crown cap (see Reference [2]).

This document gives guidance on the application of a quality management system in the manufacture, measuring and monitoring of design type approved dangerous goods packaging, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and large packaging.
This document does not include guidance specific to other management systems, such as those for environmental management, occupational health and safety management, or financial management.
It is applicable to an organization that:
a)           needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements; and
b)           aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
All the guidance in this document is generic and intended to be applicable to any organization, regardless of its type or size, or the products and services it provides.
NOTE       In this document, the terms "product" or "service" only apply to products and services intended for, or required by, a customer.
It does not apply to design type testing, for which reference is made to 6.1.5, 6.3.5, 6.5.6 and 6.6.5 of the UN Model Regulations[27].

This document specifies the critical dimensions of valve cups suitable for clinching into 25,4 mm aperture metal aerosol containers.
This document is applicable to aperture metal aerosol containers which are used with the metal aerosol containers in accordance with EN 14847 and EN 15006.
This European Standard does not specify dimples on aperture metal aerosol containers.
NOTE   To provide satisfactory filling in production, dimples are no longer considered essential but might still be used. Their presence could cause damage of the 25,4 mm aperture and their presence on lacquered cups can give rise to coating defects at the dimple feature. Thus, in the interest of simplicity and reduction of difficulties, dimples are excluded from this standard.

This document establishes general rules for the compilation of performance test schedules for complete, filled transport packages intended for use within any distribution system except for the packages used for dangerous goods.

This document specifies the dimensions of the 26 mm tall crown finish for glass bottles containing beverages. The tall crown finish is designed to use a metal crown cap (see e.g. EN 17177).

This document is applicable to flexible aluminum tubes.
This document defines the dimensions of the tube nozzle including orifice and thread.

This document specifies the dimensional requirements for the 26 mm diameter, 6 mm height crown cap, lined with a plastic gasket and designed to seal bottles with neck finishes foreseen for pry-off or twist-crown applications.
It specifies the dimensional requirements that are of direct importance to the customer/bottler and recommendations for cap application.
The gasket material and profile are not specified as a number of different profiles are available depending on the end use and supplier specific technology. The requirement placed on the gasket profile design is that it needs to be fit for purpose used in conjunction with glass finishes in reference.

This document specifies the characteristics and dimensions of plug/bung closure systems for internally threaded openings in plastics drums of nominal capacity 113,6 l to 220 l.

This European Standard specifies the dimensions of a cork mouth finish for corks and capsules for glass bottles, for wine that has a carbonation pressure not exceeding 1,2 g CO2/l, for use with natural corks.