China publishes recommended national standard for recycled plastic label, logo

On Nov. 28, 2024, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation published a voluntary national standard for the label and logo of recycled plastics (GB/T 45090-2024). The standard shows requirements for and specifications of the label and logo. It is not legally binding, and businesses are expected to follow it voluntarily. It will come into effect June 1, 2025.

Here is an overview of the standard.

Scope of the standard

The standard applies in the production, distribution, foreign trade and certification of recycled plastics produced through mechanical, physical or chemical recycling. It also applies in the identification and acquisition of information on the primary materials, compositions, notable functions, etc. of recycled plastics.

Word definitions

• Mechanical recycling is the process of processing waste plastics into recycled raw materials or recycled products through sorting, shredding, extrusion, pelletization and other processes. Mechanical recycling does not cause substantial changes to the chemical composition of materials.
• Physical recycling is the process of separating or refining waste plastics by melting, disassembly, detachment, dissolution, extraction, precipitation, filtration and other physical means to use them in their original uses or similar uses. Physical recycling does not cause substantial changes to the chemical composition of materials.
• Chemical recycling is the process of making new monomers or raw materials by changing the chemical composition of waste plastics through degradation, gasification, depolymerization and other reactions other than energy recovery or incineration.

Recycled plastic label

The beginning and end of a recycled plastic label is indicated by “>” and “<”, respectively. A string of letters, numbers and symbols is put between them that shows the code for the recycled plastic, information on the recycled plastic (e.g., color, form, origin, and the presence of plasticizers and fire retardants in it), the recycled plastic content, and the inorganic content in the recycled plastic in accordance with national standards.

For example, the label for high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) containing recycled plastics that has a blue color (B2), has a cylindrical form (C), contains recycled plastics from industrial products (1), has a recycled plastic content of 100%, and has no inorganic content in its recycled plastic materials looks like this:

>PE⁃HD⁃B2⁃C⁃1(REC100/A0)<

Recycled plastic logo

The recycled plastic logo is shown below. Its color is usually green, but other colors are allowed, too. The label can be scaled in the same proportion as necessary.

Positions of the label and logo

Recycled plastics compliant with national standards should display the label and/or logo in accordance with this standard in readily visible places on product packaging by printing them, spraying them, attaching them, etc.

The standard (in Chinese) is available at
https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=555E43F35BB029D604D8808CFA9079FC