EPBP expands its Circularity Test Protocol with the launch of the Quick Test – Accelerated Impact Test. Circularity (QT-AIT.Circularity)

The QT-AIT.Circularity provides the value chain with a fast, cost-effective method to simulate the impact of multiple recycling loops on recyclate quality, strengthening EPBP’s comprehensive toolkit for assessing PET bottle circularity during the early stages of packaging development.

A new tool supporting circularity assessment

QT-AIT.Circularity follows the established structure of all EPBP Quick Tests (QTs), which are designed to offer manufacturers an early and indicative view of a package’s recyclability and circularity profile.

Quick Tests are purposely engineered to be:

• Easy to execute: Performed in standard in-house laboratory facilities with minimal specialised equipment.

• Cost-effective: Requiring standard materials and limited time and resources.

• Indicative: Providing preliminary insights that help packaging developers make informed design decisions before undertaking full EPBP evaluations.

As with all EPBP Quick Tests, QT-AIT. Circularity results are indicative only and are intended to be followed by comprehensive testing under EPBP’s formal protocols to validate recyclability or circularity performance.

Simulating impacts across multiple recycling loops

Circularity increasingly requires the PET value chain to understand how a packaging innovation behaves not just after a single recycling cycle, but after repeated loops. The QT-AIT.Circularity directly supports this need by simulating the effect of multiple mechanical recycling steps on PET recyclate quality. This allows stakeholders to gain early visibility on the long-term implications of design choices, particularly as recycled PET (rPET) content continues to grow under EU policies and associated legislation.

An additional resource supporting the industry’s transition

The QT-AIT.Circularity has been uploaded to the EPBP website and is now available for use by packaging developers, converters, and brand owners. It complements the broader EPBP Circularity Test Protocol, introduced as the next evolution beyond recyclability assessments, aligning with European regulatory expectations and supporting the shift toward circularity.

EPBP encourages innovators to begin integrating circularity considerations as early as the R&D phase. Early adoption of tools such as the QT-AIT.Circularity reduces the risk that packaging solutions validated under recyclability criteria may face challenges when reassessed for circularity in later stages.

Strengthening EPBP’s role in the PET value chain

For more than 18 years, EPBP has provided design-for-recycling guidelines and confidential evaluations of PET bottle innovations, ensuring the production of high-quality rPET and contributing to standardisation through its liaison role with the Technical Committee on Packaging within CEN.

The addition of the QT-AIT. Circularity reinforces EPBP’s commitment to supporting packaging circularity, recycling efficiency, and the evolution of PET bottle design in line with the realities of multi-loop recycling.

To read a full Press Release, please click the link below.