Commission Decision 97/129/EC sets the numbering and abbreviations used to identify packaging materials. Marking is voluntary at EU level until the harmonised Art 12 labelling arrives in 2028 — but several Member States already mandate it, and composites have a convention of their own.
| Code | Mark | Abbr. | Material | Category | Common packaging use | Collection in practice |
|---|
A multi-material component is marked C/ plus the abbreviation of the dominant material — a beverage carton is C/PAP 84, not PAP 84. Getting this wrong sends the pack to the wrong stream.
The code is voluntary EU-wide, but mandatory on-pack in Italy, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Malta, and conditional in Latvia. Selling into those markets makes it a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have.
A code identifies the material; it says nothing about whether your local stream accepts it. Carbon-black plastics carry a valid code and are still invisible to sorting machinery.
Pick a material, get a print-ready SVG or PNG, or batch-generate a whole artwork sheet from a spreadsheet.