# Decode the recycling code on your packaging

Type the code on your packaging — PAP 21, PP 5, C/PAP 84 — and get what it is made of, mono-material or composite, and what the code cannot tell you.

Canonical: https://mariuscomper.uk/coduri-reciclare-ambalaje/en/

The code identifies the material. That is all. It does not tell you whether the package gets recycled in your town — that depends on collection, sorting and streams. And when you see a leading C/, it is a composite: several bonded materials that cannot be separated by hand.

## EU packaging codes

| Code | Material | Type |
|---|---|---|
| PET 1 | Polyethylene terephthalate | Mono |
| HDPE 2 | High-density polyethylene | Mono |
| PVC 3 | Polyvinyl chloride | Mono |
| LDPE 4 | Low-density polyethylene | Mono |
| PP 5 | Polypropylene | Mono |
| PS 6 | Polystyrene | Mono |
| OTHER 7 | Other plastics | Mono |
| PAP 20 | Corrugated fibreboard | Mono |
| PAP 21 | Non-corrugated fibreboard | Mono |
| PAP 22 | Paper | Mono |
| FE 40 | Steel | Mono |
| ALU 41 | Aluminium | Mono |
| FOR 50 | Wood | Mono |
| FOR 51 | Cork | Mono |
| COT 60 | Cotton | Mono |
| TEX 61 | Jute | Mono |
| TEX 62–69 | Other textiles | Mono |
| GL 70 | Clear glass | Mono |
| GL 71 | Green glass | Mono |
| GL 72 | Brown glass | Mono |
| C/PAP 80 | Paper/cardboard + miscellaneous metals | Composite |
| C/PAP 81 | Paper/cardboard + plastic | Composite |
| C/PAP 82 | Paper/cardboard + aluminium | Composite |
| C/PAP 83 | Paper/cardboard + tinplate | Composite |
| C/PAP 84 | Paper/cardboard + plastic + aluminium | Composite |
| C/PAP 85 | Paper/cardboard + plastic + aluminium + tinplate | Composite |
| C/LDPE 90 | Plastics + aluminium | Composite |
| C/LDPE 91 | Plastics + tinplate | Composite |
| C/LDPE 92 | Plastics + miscellaneous metals | Composite |
| C/GL 95 | Glass + plastic | Composite |
| C/GL 96 | Glass + aluminium | Composite |
| C/GL 97 | Glass + tinplate | Composite |
| C/GL 98 | Glass + miscellaneous metals | Composite |
| 99 | Other composite | Composite |
| 8–19 | — | unassigned |
| 23–39 | — | unassigned |
| 42–49 | — | unassigned |
| 52–59 | — | unassigned |
| 73–79 | — | unassigned |
| 86 | — | unassigned |
| 88 | — | unassigned |
| 89 | — | unassigned |
| 93 | — | unassigned |
| 94 | — | unassigned |

## Frequently asked questions

**What does PAP 21 mean?**

Non-corrugated fibreboard — cereal boxes, medicine boxes, shoe boxes. It belongs to the paper family: PAP 20 is corrugated board, PAP 22 is paper.

**What does PP 5 mean?**

Polypropylene — yoghurt pots, caps, microwavable tubs. The code names only the material, not whether the package ends up recycled in your town.

**What does C/PAP 84 mean?**

A composite: paper/cardboard + plastic + aluminium — usually beverage cartons. The PAP letter shows paper dominates. The layers cannot be separated by hand; it recycles only in streams that accept beverage cartons.

**What does ALU 41 mean?**

Aluminium — drink cans, foil, trays. Mono-material: one material, clearly identified.

**Do PET 1 packages get recycled?**

PET means polyethylene terephthalate — drink bottles, food containers. The code identifies the material; whether it actually gets recycled depends on the local operator. Check your local rules.

**Does the code mean the package gets recycled?**

No. The code says what the package is made of — that is all. The numbered triangle was drawn to identify material, not as a recycling promise. The missing link is always local: collection, sorting, streams.

**Why do some packages carry no code?**

Because marking is voluntary across the EU: producers choose whether to print the code. The current system (Decision 97/129/EC) stays in force until 12 August 2028, when harmonised PPWR marking arrives.

**PAP 20, 21 or 22 — what's the difference?**

All three are paper (PAP): 20 is the corrugated board of shipping boxes, 21 the non-corrugated board of cereal boxes, 22 is paper — newspapers, books, bags.

## Sources and limits

- [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:31997D0129](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:31997D0129)
- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes)