4 Types of Plastic Packaging Material Compliance Scenarios: PET/PVC/PP/PE — Printers Most Often Fall on PVC Phthalates

In September 2024, a client exporting children's toys got a return. The client's exact words:

"We make PVC packaging bags for children's toys. They got spot-checked at German customs, and the phthalate DEHP exceeded the limit by 8x—Germany's limit is 0.1%, and our batch tested at 0.8%. The entire batch of 20,000 bags was destroyed, a loss of 80,000 yuan."

This is a real compliance minefield. Before a packaging printer takes a plastic packaging order, it must clarify the compliance boundaries of 4 types of materials in 4 types of scenarios.

Material Type 1: PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

Properties: Transparent, good rigidity, temperature resistance -40°C to 70°C. Common uses: beverage bottles, cosmetic bottles, food box outer covers.

Compliance scenarios:

• Food scenario: GB 4806.7 food-contact plastic resin standard, PET is permitted in China, the EU, and the US, with a migration limit of 10 mg/dm²
• Cosmetics scenario: EU EC 1223/2009, PET is permitted in all cosmetic packaging
• Toys scenario: ASTM F963, EN 71-3, PET contains no phthalates and can be used for children's toy packaging

Printer note: PET has high transparency, which means high demands on ink—ordinary UV ink tends to delaminate on PET. It is recommended to use PET-specific UV ink or water-based ink. Our printer has encountered 3 cases of UV ink delamination on PET, and after switching to PET-specific UV ink, the pass rate reached 100%.

PET also has an easily overlooked property: crystallinity. PET with crystallinity above 30% has high transparency, while PET with crystallinity below 30% tends to be milky white. Printers should confirm the transparency grade the client requires when purchasing raw materials.

Material Type 2: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

Properties: Transparent, flexible, heat-sealable. Common uses: toy packaging, food cling film, cosmetic tubes, bank cards.

Compliance scenarios (this is where printers most often fall):

• Food scenario (EU banned): Since 2020, the EU has banned PVC from food-contact materials (EU 10/2011 does not include PVC on its positive list)
• Food scenario (China permitted but with limits): GB 4806.7 allows PVC for food contact, but vinyl chloride monomer migration must be <1 mg/kg
• Children's toys (globally strictly restricted): EU REACH restricts total phthalates DEHP/DBP/BBP in PVC to <0.1%; US CPSIA has the same restriction
• Cosmetics scenario (China permitted): PVC has no restrictions in Chinese cosmetic packaging, but the EU is gradually tightening

Printer iron rule: Before taking a PVC order, you must ask the client 4 things:

1. Product sales destination (EU/US/China/Japan)
2. Product category (food/cosmetics/toys/other)
3. Whether a third-party test report is required
4. PVC raw material supplier and grade (different grades have vastly different phthalate content)

In 2024, our printer rejected 2 PVC orders: one was for exporting children's toys, and the raw material supplier's grade contained DEHP; the other was for exporting food packaging with the EU as the destination. If these 2 orders had been accepted, losses would have exceeded 500,000.

Material Type 3: PP (Polypropylene)

Properties: Temperature resistance -20°C to 120°C, semi-transparent, good rigidity. Common uses: food boxes, cosmetic bottle caps, pharmaceutical packaging, straws.

Compliance scenarios:

• Food scenario: GB 4806.7 allows PP for food contact, microwave-heatable
• Pharmaceutical scenario: PP is the mainstream material for pharmaceutical packaging, with dedicated standards in Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 edition and USP Class VI
• Cosmetics scenario: PP is permitted in all cosmetic packaging
• EU export: PP is on the EU 10/2011 positive list, migration limit 10 mg/dm²

Printer note: PP has low surface energy, and ink adhesion is worse than PET. It is recommended to perform corona treatment before printing (corona strength ≥38 dyne). Our printer uses online corona treatment with corona strength of 38-42 dyne, reducing PP printing delamination rate from 8% to below 1%.

PP is also divided into homopolymer PP and copolymer PP. Homopolymer PP has poor transparency but good rigidity, suitable for bottle caps; copolymer PP has good transparency but poor rigidity, suitable for films. Printers should clarify which type of PP the client requires when purchasing raw materials.

Material Type 4: PE (Polyethylene)

Properties: Flexible, moisture-resistant, good heat-sealability. Common uses: food bags, cling film, personal care bottles, pipes.

Compliance scenarios:

• Food scenario: PE is permitted for food contact in China, the EU, and the US, migration limit 10 mg/dm²
• Cosmetics scenario: PE is permitted in all cosmetic packaging
• Environmental scenario: PE takes 100-500 years to degrade in the natural environment (real laboratory data); be cautious with "biodegradable" claims

PE is divided into LDPE (low density, flexible), HDPE (high density, good rigidity), and MDPE (medium density). Printers should confirm which type of PE the client requires when taking orders.

The scenario where PE most often causes trouble: the client buys PE bags for food packaging, but the inner layer of the bag turns out to be recycled PE—recycled PE is not permitted for food contact in either the EU or China. Our printer requires all PE food packaging orders to provide food-grade raw material certification (FDA or EFSA certification).

4 Iron Rules for Printers Taking Plastic Packaging Orders

1. Clarify product sales destination: EU bans PVC food contact, US restricts PVC toys, China allows PVC but with limits
2. Clarify product category: Food/cosmetics/toys/pharmaceutical have vastly different compliance requirements
3. Third-party test reports: Export orders must request Clariant-Check or SGS reports
4. Special caution with PVC: PVC orders must verify the raw material supplier's compliance certificate, otherwise do not accept

3 Common Misconceptions in Plastic Packaging Compliance

1. Misconception 1: Biodegradable = eco-friendly. PLA lunchboxes didn't fully decompose in 80 years in the natural environment (real laboratory data), and PE takes 100-500 years. Biodegradable does not equal eco-friendly; it depends on the degradation conditions
2. Misconception 2: Recyclable = eco-friendly. Recyclable does not equal actually recycled—China's plastic recycling rate is less than 30%, and most PE/PET ends up in landfills
3. Misconception 3: FDA certification = globally accepted. FDA is the US standard, the EU uses EFSA, and China uses GB. A client buying FDA-certified plastic does not mean the EU will accept it

Further Reading

• How Exactly Is Plastic Packaging Migration Calculated: 4 Common Migration Tests + Which Type Food/Cosmetics/Toys Companies Should Test
• Is Plastic Packaging Eco-Friendly? Truth Check on 3 Types of Degradation Data: PLA Lunchboxes Didn't Decompose in 80 Years / PBAT Only Compostable / Recycled Plastic Downgraded Cycling
• Metal Packaging vs Plastic Packaging: 3 Types of Food Safety Comparison—Cans / Aluminum-Plated / Composite Bags—Printers Most Often Stuck on Free Phenol in Aluminum-Plated Adhesive