PMD (Plastics – Metals – Drink cartons) - TX
PMD (Plastics, Metals, Drink Cartons)
PMD stands for Plastics, Metals, and Drink Cartons. It is the standard household Collection Stream used in the Netherlands for the separate collection of lightweight packaging waste.
PMD is the entry point of the circularity process for many consumer packaging materials. It combines multiple material types in one bin or bag, which are later separated into individual Sorting Streams such as plastics, metals, and beverage cartons.
Definition
PMD refers to all packaging items made of plastic, metal, or beverage carton materials that are collected together for recycling through municipal waste systems in the Netherlands.
Composition
The PMD Collection Stream typically includes:
| Material Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Plastics | Bottles, trays, tubs, pots, pouches, films, caps, and cups |
| Metals | Steel and aluminium cans, tins, foil trays |
| Drink Cartons | Beverage cartons such as Tetra Pak |
Items that are not packaging (e.g., plastic toys, buckets, or garden products) are excluded from PMD, even if they are made of plastic.
Sorting and Recycling
After collection, PMD is sent to automated sorting facilities. These facilities separate PMD into dedicated Sorting Streams such as:
- Rigid PET (bottles and trays)
- Rigid PE (HDPE)
- Rigid PP
- Flexible Polyolefin (PE/PP films)
- Steel and Aluminium
- Drink Cartons
Each of these Sorting Streams can then be processed further into a specific Recycling Stream (for example, rPET-bottle-grade, rHDPE-natural, rPP, or PO-flex).
Notes
- PMD systems were introduced in the Netherlands to harmonize lightweight packaging collection and improve plastic packaging recycling rates.
- The PMD abbreviation is unique to the Dutch context, but similar mixed-collection systems exist elsewhere in Europe under different names (e.g., Leichtverpackungen in Germany or Kerbside Plastics in the UK).
