The Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR) has published the minimum standard for measuring the recyclable design of packaging for 2023. The changes include the following areas:

• Clarification on packaging made of paper and cardboard and fibre-based composite packaging: Uniform wording and definition, demarcation between "non-dry" (previously: "liquid and pasty") and "dry" contents (< 15% water content; these are exempt from the obligation to provide evidence of so-called defiberability introduced in 2022).
• Supplementary regulation on the light transmission of glass packaging: new limit value of the so-called transmittance at ten per cent (not achieved, for example, with lacquers, porcelain, and ceramics). If the transmittance is fallen short of, the glass components concerned are not included in the available recyclable material.
• Definition of high-quality recycling: clarification in connection with the definition in the German Packaging Act (§ 21) and by naming examples (6.2 minimum standard)
• Additional recycling incompatibilities: so-called nitrocellulose (NC)-based printing inks in interlayer printing. This regulation only applies to PE films with a format larger than DIN A4.
• Existence of sorting and recovery infrastructure: In point 4.1, e.g., biological plastics or natural materials such as wood are classified as non-recyclable, as no sorting and recovery infrastructure is available here.

The minimum standard is updated annually in consultation with the Federal Environment Agency and a group of experts (Expert Group III - Recyclable Design). The background to this is that packaging must become more recyclable and environmentally friendly. The recycling quotas defined in the Packaging Act cannot otherwise be achieved.

_{Photo: Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR), Osnabrück}