Composite Packaging Materials - TX
Composite Packaging Materials
Composite Packaging Materials are packaging materials made of two or more different material types that are permanently combined and cannot be separated manually without damaging the structure. Composites typically serve a technical purpose such as barrier protection, sealing, or rigidity, but they complicate sorting and recycling.
Definition
According to the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC, Art. 3), composite packaging consists of different materials of which one forms an outer layer and one or more form inner layers. In the IMDE interpretation, this definition applies at the level of a Packaging Material or Packaging Element, not at the level of the complete packaging unit or system.
> In IMDE terms: > *A composite packaging material is a single Packaging Material record representing a permanently bonded structure of two or more materials.*
Relation to IMDE Hierarchy
| Level | Role in composite definition |
|---|---|
| Packaging System | May contain several Packaging Elements (not necessarily composites) |
| Packaging Element | Can be composite (e.g. bottle wall with multilayer barrier) |
| Packaging Material | Represents the actual composite material (e.g. PET/PE, Paper/Alu/PE) |
EPR Classification
Composite materials are **not a separate EPR fee class**. Each composite must be reported under the **dominant material type** or, when this cannot be determined, under **Other Materials**.
| Type of Composite | Dominant Layer | Typical EPR Fee Category | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper / Plastic / Aluminium laminate | Paper | Drink Cartons (Composite) | Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc |
| Plastic / Plastic multilayer (different polymers) | Plastic | Plastic – Rigid or Plastic – Flexible | PET/PE tray, PE/PP film |
| Paper / Plastic laminate (no aluminium) | Paper or Plastic (depending on weight) | Paper & Cardboard or Plastic | Paper bag with plastic window |
| Plastic / Metal laminate | Plastic | Plastic – Flexible | Metallized coffee pouch |
| Mixed / Non-dominant (unclear main layer) | – | Other Materials | Textile-polymer mailer bag |
Recyclability Impact
- Composite materials often hinder recyclability because they cannot be separated into pure streams.
- Plastic composites with mixed polymer families (e.g. PET/PE) or barrier layers (e.g. EVOH, PA, Al) are classified as **non-compliant** for recyclability discounts.
- Paper-based composites (Drink Cartons) have dedicated collection and recycling in some EU markets.
Examples
- PET bottle with PE sealing layer and EVOH barrier (plastic composite)
- Coffee pouch (PET/Alu/PE)
- Paperboard carton with plastic window
- Paper/Alu/PE laminated drink carton (classified as *Drink Carton*)
Relation to Other IMDE Terms
- Packaging_Element_-_TX – a packaging component that may be composite.
- Packaging_Material_Classification_-_TXl – for identifying the dominant material type used for EPR reporting.
- Polymers_-_TX – for polymer-based composites.
