What Decision 97/129/EC assigns

Commission Decision 97/129/EC of 28 January 1997 established the identification system for packaging materials (OJ L 50, 20.2.1997). It assigns 31 numbers with their abbreviations. They are plastics 1–6, paper and fibreboard 20–22, metals 40–41, wood and cork 50–51, textiles 60–61, glass 70–72, and composites 80–85, 90–92 and 95–98. Numbers outside those ranges are reserved. So 7 O and the glass sorting codes 73 and 74 are conventions rather than assignments.

Printing the mark is voluntary under EU law. It is mandatory on-pack in Italy, Bulgaria and Malta. In Latvia it is optional, but a marked pack must carry both the material code and the recyclability symbol. Lithuania made it voluntary in 2021. Article 70(2) of the PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) repeals Decision 97/129/EC with effect from 12 August 2028. The harmonised label under Art 12 starts on that date, or 24 months after its implementing acts enter into force, whichever is later. The two dates need not coincide.

Sources: Decision 97/129/EC, Regulation (EU) 2025/40.

Code	Abbr.	Material	Category	Common packaging use	Collection in practice
1	PET	Polyethylene terephthalate	Plastic	Drink bottles, trays, blister packs	widely collected Widely recycled; keep clear, avoid PVC sleeves
2	HDPE	High-density polyethylene	Plastic	Rigid bottles (milk, detergent), jerricans, caps	widely collected Widely recycled
3	PVC	Polyvinyl chloride	Plastic	Rigid blisters/clamshells, shrink sleeves, some films	varies by market Thin sorting streams; likelier to score poorly on the Art 6(4)(b) sorting-efficiency criterion
4	LDPE	Low-density polyethylene	Plastic	Films, bags, shrink wrap, squeeze bottles	varies by market Film collection varies by market
5	PP	Polypropylene	Plastic	Tubs, caps/closures, film, strapping	widely collected Widely recycled
6	PS	Polystyrene	Plastic	Trays, cups, foam/EPS protective packaging	poorly collected Thin collection/sorting coverage in most markets — higher risk of a low Annex II grade (the Table 3 70% threshold is a weighted design score, not market coverage)
7	O	Other plastics	Plastic	Other or multilayer plastics (e.g. PLA)	poorly collected Not assigned in 97/129/EC (numbers 7–19 are reserved) — "7 O" is the US ASTM D7611 convention. Varies by material; usually no dedicated stream
20	PAP	Corrugated fibreboard	Paper & board	Corrugated shipping boxes, outer cartons	widely collected Widely recycled
21	PAP	Non-corrugated fibreboard	Paper & board	Folding cartons, product boxes (fibreboard)	widely collected High unless plastic-coated
22	PAP	Paper	Paper & board	Paper bags, wrapping, labels	widely collected Avoid heavy inks and coatings
40	FE	Steel	Metal	Steel cans, aerosols	widely collected Infinitely recyclable
41	ALU	Aluminium	Metal	Beverage cans, foil, closures	widely collected Infinitely recyclable
50	FOR	Wood	Wood	Wooden crates, pallets, boxes	varies by market Check chemical treatment
51	FOR	Cork	Wood	Bottle stoppers, closures	widely collected
60	TEX	Cotton	Textile	Cotton bags and sacks	varies by market
61	TEX	Jute	Textile	Jute sacks, hessian bags	widely collected
70	GL	Colourless glass	Glass	Clear bottles and jars	widely collected
71	GL	Green glass	Glass	Wine and beverage bottles	widely collected
72	GL	Brown glass	Glass	Beer and pharmaceutical bottles	widely collected
73	GL	Dark-sort glass	Glass	Bottles and jars (dark sorting fraction)	widely collected Not assigned in 97/129/EC (glass codes are 70–72; 73–79 reserved) — national sorting convention only
74	GL	Light-sort glass	Glass	Bottles and jars (light sorting fraction)	widely collected Not assigned in 97/129/EC (glass codes are 70–72; 73–79 reserved) — national sorting convention only
80	C/PAP	Paper & board / various metals	Composite	Coated cartons, metal-lined boxes	varies by market
81	C/PAP	Paper & board / plastic	Composite	Coated cartons, paper cups, blister lidding	varies by market
82	C/PAP	Paper & board / aluminium	Composite	Aseptic cartons, coffee and pouch lidding	varies by market
83	C/PAP	Paper & board / tinplate	Composite	Composite cans (e.g. snack and tube cans)	varies by market
84	C/PAP	Paper & board / plastic / aluminium (beverage carton)	Composite	Beverage cartons (juice, milk drink packs)	poorly collected
85	C/PAP	Paper & board / plastic / aluminium / tinplate	Composite	Composite cans and drums	poorly collected
90	C/…	Plastics / aluminium	Composite	Blister lidding, foil pouches, coffee packs	poorly collected
91	C/…	Plastics / tinplate	Composite	Composite closures and lids	poorly collected
92	C/…	Plastics / various metals	Composite	Multilayer pouches and lids	poorly collected
95	C/GL	Glass / plastic	Composite	Coated or plastic-sleeved glass bottles	varies by market A closure or lid removed by hand is NOT composite packaging (Art 3(1)(24)): enter the glass and the closure as separate components (e.g. 70 GL + 41 ALU, 40 FE or 5 PP). Nor is a unit whose other material is an insignificant part, at most 5 % of its mass
96	C/GL	Glass / aluminium	Composite	Glass with a bonded or fused aluminium layer that cannot be separated by hand	varies by market A closure or lid removed by hand is NOT composite packaging (Art 3(1)(24)): enter the glass and the closure as separate components (e.g. 70 GL + 41 ALU, 40 FE or 5 PP). Nor is a unit whose other material is an insignificant part, at most 5 % of its mass
97	C/GL	Glass / tinplate	Composite	Glass with bonded tinplate parts that cannot be separated by hand	varies by market A closure or lid removed by hand is NOT composite packaging (Art 3(1)(24)): enter the glass and the closure as separate components (e.g. 70 GL + 41 ALU, 40 FE or 5 PP). Nor is a unit whose other material is an insignificant part, at most 5 % of its mass
98	C/GL	Glass / various metals	Composite	Glass with permanently fixed metal fittings (metal over 5 % of the unit's mass)	varies by market A closure or lid removed by hand is NOT composite packaging (Art 3(1)(24)): enter the glass and the closure as separate components (e.g. 70 GL + 41 ALU, 40 FE or 5 PP). Nor is a unit whose other material is an insignificant part, at most 5 % of its mass

Code by code

What the common codes mean

The 97/129/EC mark is voluntary at EU level and mandatory only where national law requires it (see the country table). Finland makes it voluntary (VNA 1029/2021 § 6, "saadaan merkitä", Annex 3 numbering if used). VNA is the Valtioneuvoston asetus pakkauksista ja pakkausjätteistä, the Government Decree on packaging and packaging waste. Decision 97/129/EC is repealed from 12 August 2028 (Art 70(2)). The Art 12 harmonised label takes over from that date or 24 months after its implementing acts enter into force, whichever is the latest. The mark identifies the material. It says nothing about recyclability and never makes a pack compliant.

What does PET 1 mean?

PET 1 is polyethylene terephthalate, plastic code 1 in Annex I of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: drink bottles, trays and blister packs. Download the PET 1 mark.

What does HDPE 2 mean?

HDPE 2 is high-density polyethylene, plastic code 2 in Annex I of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: rigid bottles for milk and detergent, jerricans and caps. Download the HDPE 2 mark.

What does LDPE 4 mean?

LDPE 4 is low-density polyethylene, plastic code 4 in Annex I of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: films, bags, shrink wrap and squeeze bottles. Download the LDPE 4 mark.

What does PP 5 mean?

PP 5 is polypropylene, plastic code 5 in Annex I of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: tubs, caps and closures, film and strapping. Download the PP 5 mark.

What does PAP 20 mean?

PAP 20 is corrugated fibreboard, paper code 20 in Annex II of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: corrugated shipping boxes and outer cartons. Download the PAP 20 mark.

What does PAP 21 mean?

PAP 21 is non-corrugated fibreboard (folding cartons), paper code 21 in Annex II of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: folding cartons and product boxes. Download the PAP 21 mark.

What does PAP 22 mean?

PAP 22 is paper, paper code 22 in Annex II of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: paper bags, wrapping and labels. Download the PAP 22 mark.

What does FE 40 mean?

FE 40 is steel, metal code 40 in Annex III of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: steel cans and aerosols. Download the FE 40 mark.

What does ALU 41 mean?

ALU 41 is aluminium, metal code 41 in Annex III of Decision 97/129/EC. Typical packs: beverage cans, foil and closures. Download the ALU 41 mark.

What does GL 70 mean?

GL 70 is colourless glass, glass code 70 in Annex VI of Decision 97/129/EC; green glass is GL 71 and brown glass GL 72. Typical packs: clear bottles and jars. Download the GL 70 mark.

What does C/PAP 81 mean?

C/PAP 81 is a composite of paper and fibreboard with plastic, code 81 in Annex VII of Decision 97/129/EC, marked C/ plus the abbreviation of the dominant material. Typical packs: coated cartons, paper cups and blister lidding. Download the C/PAP 81 mark.

What does C/PAP 84 mean?

C/PAP 84 is a composite of paper and fibreboard with plastic and aluminium, code 84 in Annex VII of Decision 97/129/EC: the beverage carton. Typical packs: juice and milk-drink cartons. Download the C/PAP 84 mark.

Using the codes

Three mistakes people make with 97/129/EC material codes

Composites take C/

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.

Paper is three codes, not one

PAP 20 is corrugated fibreboard, PAP 21 is non-corrugated fibreboard and PAP 22 is paper. All three carry the same abbreviation, so the number is the only part that tells a sorter which one a component is: a folding carton is 21, the shipper it travels in is 20.

The number is not a promise

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.

Related reference

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Packaging material codes under Decision 97/129/EC, end to end