Packaging materials covered by EPR: category, flags and fees by jurisdiction
Last verified
Instica lists 95 packaging categories in 10 material classes, taken from the CalRecycle 2026-01-01 list. 45 of them are marked recyclable. Each category has its own page with its flags, recycling rate, everyday names and the fee rows proposed for it. Instica measures and estimates; you review and submit the report yourself.
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.
The material classes
The CalRecycle 2026-01-01 list sorts 95 packaging categories by material and by format. Instica groups them into 10 material classes so that they can be compared across fee schedules, which cut their own categories differently. The table counts the categories in each class and averages the recycling rate of those the list gives one for.
The class is an Instica aid. It is not a regulatory category, and a scheme prices packaging in its own rows. The counts and means are computed by Instica from the list and are labelled as calculated facts.
| Class | Categories | Marked recyclable | Mean recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper and card | 16 | 11 | 42.1 % |
| Glass | 6 | 4 | 65.0 % |
| Ceramic | 4 | 0 | 0.0 % |
| Aluminium | 9 | 9 | 19.0 % |
| Steel | 7 | 7 | 39.3 % |
| Other metal | 4 | 3 | Not yet published |
| Plastic | 31 | 11 | 7.2 % |
| Composite and cartons | 6 | 0 | 3.0 % |
| Wood and organics | 10 | 0 | Not yet published |
| Compostable | 2 | 0 | 11.0 % |
Every category
The tables list every category by class. Each name links to the page of the category, with its flags, its recycling rate and the proposed fee rows. A value the list does not publish reads "not yet published".
Paper and card
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_PF1N | Kraft paper — without plastic | Kraft Paper, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Yes | 30 % |
| 25_PF1P | Kraft paper — with plastic | Kraft Paper, All forms w/ plastic | Yes | Yes | 30 % |
| 25_PF14P | Molded fiber — with plastic | Molded Fiber, All forms w/ plastic | Not yet published | Yes | 7 % |
| 25_PF14N | Molded fiber — without plastic | Molded Fiber, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Yes | 7 % |
| 25_PF8N | Waxed OCC — without plastic | OCC, Waxed cardboard w/o plastic | Not yet published | Yes | 0 % |
| 25_PF8P | Waxed OCC — with plastic | OCC, Waxed cardboard w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | 0 % |
| 25_PF9N | OCC cardboard — without plastic | OCC, Cardboard w/o plastic | Yes | Yes | 68 % |
| 25_PF9P | OCC cardboard — with plastic | OCC, Cardboard w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 68 % |
| 25_PF10N | Paperboard — without plastic | Paperboard, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Yes | 30 % |
| 25_PF10P | Paperboard — with plastic | Paperboard, All forms w/ plastic | Yes | Yes | 30 % |
| 25_PF11N | White paper — without plastic | White Paper, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Yes | 71 % |
| 25_PF11P | White paper — with plastic | White Paper, All forms w/ plastic | Yes | Yes | 71 % |
| 25_PF12N | Other/mixed paper — without plastic | Other/Mixed Paper, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Yes | 71 % |
| 25_PF12P | Other/mixed paper — with plastic | Other/Mixed Paper, All forms w/ plastic | Yes | Yes | 71 % |
| 25_PF16N | Paper and fiber — small without plastic | Paper and Fiber, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/o plastic | Not yet published | Yes | Not yet published |
| 25_PF16P | Paper and fiber — small with plastic | Paper and Fiber, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/ plastic | Not yet published | Yes | 78 % |
Glass
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_G1N | Glass — bottles and jars without plastic | Glass, Bottles and jars w/o plastic component | Yes | Not yet published | 65 % |
| 25_G1P | Glass — bottles and jars with plastic | Glass, Bottles and jars w/ plastic component | Yes | Not yet published | 65 % |
| 25_G2N | Glass — other forms without plastic | Glass, Other forms w/o plastic component | Not yet published | Not yet published | 65 % |
| 25_G2P | Glass — other forms with plastic | Glass, Other forms w/ plastic component | Not yet published | Not yet published | 65 % |
| 25_G3N | Glass — small without plastic | Glass, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 65 % |
| 25_G3P | Glass — small with plastic | Glass, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 65 % |
Ceramic
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_C1N | Ceramic — all forms without plastic | Ceramic, All forms w/o plastic component | Not yet published | Not yet published | 0 % |
| 25_C1P | Ceramic — all forms with plastic | Ceramic, All forms w/ plastic component | Not yet published | Not yet published | 0 % |
| 25_C2N | Ceramic — small without plastic | Ceramic, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/o plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_C2P | Ceramic — small with plastic | Ceramic, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
Aluminium
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_M1N | Aluminum — non-aerosol container without plastic | Aluminum, Non-aerosol container w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 39 % |
| 25_M1P | Aluminum — non-aerosol container with plastic | Aluminum, Non-aerosol container w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 39 % |
| 25_M2N | Aluminum — foil sheets without plastic | Aluminum, Foil sheets w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 9 % |
| 25_M2P | Aluminum — foil sheets with plastic | Aluminum, Foil sheets w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 9 % |
| 25_M3N | Aluminum — molded foil container without plastic | Aluminum, Molded foil container w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 9 % |
| 25_M3P | Aluminum — molded foil container with plastic | Aluminum, Molded foil container w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 9 % |
| 25_M4P | Aluminum — aerosol can with plastic | Aluminum, Aerosol can w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 39 % |
| 25_M5N | Aluminum — other forms without plastic | Aluminum, Other forms w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 9 % |
| 25_M5P | Aluminum — other forms with plastic | Aluminum, Other forms w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 9 % |
Steel
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_M6N | Tin/steel/bimetal — non-aerosol without plastic | Tin/Steel/Bimetal, Non-aerosol container w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 45 % |
| 25_M6P | Tin/steel/bimetal — non-aerosol with plastic | Tin/Steel/Bimetal, Non-aerosol container w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 45 % |
| 25_M7P | Tin/steel/bimetal — aerosol with plastic | Tin/Steel/Bimetal, Aerosol can w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 45 % |
| 25_M8N | Tin/steel/bimetal — other forms without plastic | Tin/Steel/Bimetal, Other forms w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 45 % |
| 25_M8P | Tin/steel/bimetal — other forms with plastic | Tin/Steel/Bimetal, Other forms w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 45 % |
| 25_M10N | Other ferrous metal — without plastic | Other Ferrous, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 25 % |
| 25_M10P | Other ferrous metal — with plastic | Other Ferrous, All forms w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | 25 % |
Other metal
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_M9N | Other nonferrous metal — without plastic | Other Nonferrous, All forms w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_M9P | Other nonferrous metal — with plastic | Other Nonferrous, All forms w/ plastic | Yes | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_M12N | Metal — small without plastic | Metal, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/o plastic | Yes | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_M12P | Metal — small with plastic | Metal, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
Plastic
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_P1P | PET #1 — clear bottles, jugs, jars | PET (#1), Bottles, jugs, jars — clear/natural | Yes | Not yet published | 16 % |
| 25_P2P | PET #1 — colored bottles, jugs, jars | PET (#1), Bottles, jugs, jars — pigmented/color | Yes | Not yet published | 5 % |
| 25_P38P | PET #1 — rigid containers | PET (#1), Other rigid containers, cups, lids, plates, trays, tubs | Yes | Not yet published | 4 % |
| 25_P39P | PET #1 — other rigid items | PET (#1), Other rigid items | Yes | Not yet published | 4 % |
| 25_P5P | PET #1 — flexible and film | PET (#1), Flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P6P | HDPE #2 — clear bottles, jugs, jars | HDPE (#2), Bottles, jugs, jars — clear/natural | Yes | Not yet published | 19 % |
| 25_P7P | HDPE #2 — colored bottles, jugs, jars | HDPE (#2), Bottles, jugs, jars — pigmented/color | Yes | Not yet published | 19 % |
| 25_P8P | HDPE #2 — pails and buckets | HDPE (#2), Pails and buckets | Yes | Not yet published | 0 % |
| 25_P40P | HDPE #2 — other rigid items | HDPE (#2), Other rigid items | Yes | Not yet published | 23 % |
| 25_P10P | HDPE #2 — flexible and film | HDPE (#2), Flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | 5 % |
| 25_P11P | PVC #3 — rigid items | PVC (#3), Rigid items | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P12P | PVC #3 — flexible and film | PVC (#3), Flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P13P | LDPE #4 — bottles, jugs, jars | LDPE (#4), Bottles, jugs, jars | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P14P | LDPE #4 — other rigid items | LDPE (#4), Other rigid items | Not yet published | Not yet published | 0 % |
| 25_P15P | LDPE #4 — clear non-bag film | LDPE (#4), Clear non-bag film | Not yet published | Not yet published | 5 % |
| 25_P16P | LDPE #4 — other flexible and film | LDPE (#4), Other flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | 5 % |
| 25_P17P | PP #5 — bottles, jugs, jars | PP (#5), Bottles, jugs, jars | Yes | Not yet published | 2 % |
| 25_P41P | PP #5 — rigid containers | PP (#5), Other rigid containers, cups, lids, plates, trays, tubs | Yes | Not yet published | 2 % |
| 25_P19P | PP #5 — utensils | PP (#5), Utensils | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P20P | PP #5 — other rigid items | PP (#5), Other rigid items | Yes | Not yet published | 2 % |
| 25_P21P | PP #5 — clear non-bag film | PP (#5), Clear non-bag film | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P22P | PP #5 — other flexible and film | PP (#5), Other flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P23P | PS #6 — foamed containers | PS (#6), Expanded/foamed containers | Not yet published | Not yet published | 1 % |
| 25_P42P | PS #6 — other foamed forms | PS (#6), Other expanded/foamed forms | Not yet published | Not yet published | 1 % |
| 25_P27P | PS #6 — utensils | PS (#6), Utensils | Not yet published | Not yet published | 1 % |
| 25_P43P | PS #6 — solid forms | PS (#6), Solid containers and other solid forms | Not yet published | Not yet published | 2 % |
| 25_P29P | PS #6 — flexible and film | PS (#6), Flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P34P | Other/mixed plastics — textiles | Other/Mixed Plastics, Textiles | Not yet published | Not yet published | 33 % |
| 25_P35P | Other/mixed plastics — rigid | Other/Mixed Plastics, Rigid items | Not yet published | Not yet published | 3 % |
| 25_P36P | Other/mixed plastics — flexible | Other/Mixed Plastics, Flexible and film items | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_P47P | Plastic — small | Plastic, Two or more sides 2 inches or less | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
Composite and cartons
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_PF15P | Multi-material laminate — aseptic cartons | Multi-Material Laminate, Aseptic cartons | Not yet published | Not yet published | 1 % |
| 25_PF5P | Multi-material laminate — gable-top cartons | Multi-Material Laminate, Gable-top cartons | Not yet published | Not yet published | 1 % |
| 25_PF17P | Paperboard with plastic coating or lining | Multi-Material Laminate, Paperboard with a plastic coating/lining | Not yet published | Yes | 6 % |
| 25_PF7P | Multi-material laminate — other forms | Multi-Material Laminate, Other forms w/ plastic | Not yet published | Yes | 6 % |
| 25_P46P | Plastic multi-material laminate — pouches | Multi-Material Laminate, Pouches and envelopes | Not yet published | Not yet published | 2 % |
| 25_P33P | Plastic multi-material laminate — other | Multi-Material Laminate, Other forms | Not yet published | Not yet published | 2 % |
Wood and organics
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_WO1N | Untreated wood — without plastic | Wood, All untreated forms w/o plastic | Not yet published | Yes | Not yet published |
| 25_WO1P | Untreated wood — with plastic | Wood, All untreated forms w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_WO2N | Treated or painted wood — without plastic | Wood, All treated or painted forms w/o plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_WO2P | Treated or painted wood — with plastic | Wood, All treated or painted forms w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_WO3N | Organic textiles — without plastic | Other/Mixed Organic, Textiles w/o plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_WO3P | Organic textiles — with plastic | Other/Mixed Organic, Textiles w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_WO4N | Other organic forms — without plastic | Other/Mixed Organic, Other forms w/o plastic | Not yet published | Yes | Not yet published |
| 25_WO4P | Other organic forms — with plastic | Other/Mixed Organic, Other forms w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| 25_WO6N | Wood and organics — small without plastic | Wood and Other Organic Materials, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/o plastic | Not yet published | Yes | Not yet published |
| 25_WO6P | Wood and organics — small with plastic | Wood and Other Organic Materials, Two or more sides 2 inches or less w/ plastic | Not yet published | Not yet published | Not yet published |
Compostable
| Code | Category | Material and format | Recyclable | Compostable | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25_P44P | Compostable polymers — rigid | Polymers Designed for Compostability, Rigid items | Not yet published | Yes | 18 % |
| 25_P45P | Compostable polymers — flexible | Polymers Designed for Compostability, Flexible and film items | Not yet published | Yes | 4 % |
How to read a category
A category in the CalRecycle 2026-01-01 list describes packaging by what it is made of and how it is formed. It does not say what a scheme charges. To find a fee, open the page of the category: it lists the fee rows of each schedule that Instica proposes for it, labelled as a proposed mapping, with the published rate in the unit and currency of the schedule.
The recyclable and compostable flags and the recycling rate are published in the list for the category in general. They are not a grade of a particular pack and are not the test a scheme uses when it sets a rate; a pack that the flag calls recyclable can still sit in a higher-priced row of a schedule, and the reverse.
Where the list publishes no value, the page says "not yet published". Instica does not infer a flag from the material name or from a neighbouring category.
Recyclability grades under the EU packaging regulation
The EU packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR) introduces recyclability performance grades for packaging. The grades are not yet published in a form Instica can verify, so no category page shows one.
The reason, as the record gives it: Annex II Table 3 states the grades and a 70 % non-compliance floor but the weighting per criterion is set by the Article 6(4) delegated act, which is not verified as published in this data set. Instica does not estimate a grade.
Questions and answers
Which packaging materials are recyclable?
The CalRecycle 2026-01-01 list marks some categories recyclable and others not, and publishes no value for a few. The classes table counts the recyclable ones, and every category page gives its own flag. The flags describe categories in general, not a particular pack.
What is the difference between a category and a fee row?
A category is a row of the CalRecycle 2026-01-01 list, which describes packaging by material and format. A fee row is a line of a scheme's schedule with a rate. Each scheme cuts its rows differently, so Instica links a category to the rows of each schedule as a proposed mapping, labelled as such.
Where do the recycling rates come from?
From the CalRecycle 2026-01-01 list, as published and retrieved on the date in the sources. Instica does not change them, and a category without a published rate says so.
Does Instica decide which category my pack belongs to?
No. The scheme decides the category of a pack in its own schedule. Instica shows the categories, the proposed mappings and the published rates, and you choose and review the category of each component.
Can I compare a material across countries?
Yes, within one currency. Each category page compares the material class across the jurisdictions that publish a convertible schedule in the same currency, and applies no exchange rate.
Who files the report?
The producer. Instica measures, estimates and prepares the figures; you review them, sign and submit them yourself in the scheme's own portal. Instica does not file for you and does not store portal credentials.
What are the packaging requirements?
The data behind this page does not answer that question directly. It covers packaging EPR fees only, so the answer below is limited to what the sourced figures do establish.
Which states have passed EPR laws?
This page does not restate the regulation itself; it reports the fee rates published under Packaging materials under EPR: every category, its flags and its fees. The statute and the programme rules are the authority, and Instica links its sources rather than summarising them as advice.
What are eco-friendly packaging materials?
EPR means extended producer responsibility: producers pay towards the collection and recycling of the packaging they place on the market. Here the term is read through the published data for Packaging materials under EPR: every category, its flags and its fees.
How Instica uses the categories
When you add a product, Instica asks which material each component is made of and never pre-selects one. The material you pick carries its flags and recycling rate into your estimate and selects the proposed fee rows in the schedules of the places you sell in.
Instica measures, estimates and prepares. You review the figures, sign the report and submit it yourself in the scheme's portal. Instica does not submit for you and never stores portal credentials.
Sources
- calrecycle-2026-01-01 retrieved
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 retrieved (not yet published)
Original wording: Packaging recyclability shall be expressed in the performance grades A, B or C. ... When a packaging unit's recyclability performance grade is below 70 %, it is considered to be non-compliant with the recyclability performance grades