April 1, 2001 The Council for PET Bottle Recycling Components Basic Standards Exceptional Standards Bottles Bodies Materials Should be PET only. Newly developed material systems such as foreign resins mixed with PETresin, PET copolymers and so on should be evaluated and judged on the basis of �gMateriarl Evaluation Criteria�hand can be used in the range of being hygienic safety and having no problem on recycling. Color Shall be Colorless and transparent. Structures Should be easily compressed. Large bottles of 2.0 L or more are exempted if they require rigidity to protect contents, to assure safety in use and to avoid deformation during transportation. Others Base Cups Shall not be used. Handles 1.Only colorless handles can be used for large sized bottles which require handles for consumer's safety. 2.Colored PE or PP handles with less than 1.0 specific gravity are desired to change to colorless PET handles.   Labels and Printings Overall 1.Should be able to physically detached from bottles, isolated from PET flakes by utilizing specific gravity or air floatation methods and should not leave adhesives or inks on bottles at or after recycling processing. 2.PVC containing labels shall not be used. 3.Aluminum foil laminated labels shall not be used. 4.Perforated shrink labels are preferred for detaching features improvement. Newly developed labels, printings and others should be evaluated and judged on the basis of �gLabels, Printings and Others Evaluation Criteria�hand can be used when having no problem on recycling. Labels Stretch Sleeves PE stretch sleeves are preferred.   Shrink Sleeves Polyolefin or OPS shrink sleeves, or PET shrink sleeves printed with inks removable by hot alkaline treatment are preferred. OPP Roll Labels and Paper Labels 1.Should be able to physically detached from bottles and should not leave adhesives on bottles after recycling processing. 2.Full surface pasting should be avoided and partial pasting is preferred. Pressure Sensitive Labels Should be able to physically detached from bottles and should not leave adhesives on bottles after recycling processing. Printings Printing Inks for Labels Shall not migrate to bottles. Direct Printings Shall not be used. Change to pressure sensitive labels or others, which can be physically detached from bottles and leave no adhesives on bottles after recycling processing, are desirable. Adhesives for Labels Should be able to physically detached from bottles and should not be left on bottles after recycling processing. Others Newly Developed Labels Should be able to physically detached from bottles, isolated from PET flakes by utilizing specific gravity or air floatation methods and should not leave adhesives or inks on bottles at or after recycling processing. Closures Aluminum Closures Shall not be used. Plastic Closures Should be made of materials in which PE or PP is principal material and specific gravity is less than 1.0. Inner Plugs and Liners Should be made of materials in which PE or PP is principal material and specific gravity is less than 1.0. Others Price Tags As price tags can not be easily removed from bottles in recycling processing, retailers are requested to place them on closures or labels. Attachments Consumers are requested to remove such other attachments as rubber bands when bottles are to be discarded. Request for Closures Removal Consumers are requested to remove closures and inner plugs when bottles are to be placed for selective collections, except the closures or inner plugs are not easy removal. Consumers are also requested to remove glass balls or packings if used. Interim Measures Bottles which do not comply with these guidelines shall be modified to meet them until the end of March 2002. Grace period for application of the�gMaterial Evaluation Criteria�hshall be until the end of August 2001. Recycling Process Requirements Labels and printing inks and others shall be removed and adhesives and others shall not remain on bottles when bottles are treated in 1.5% caustic soda solution of 85 to 90 degree centigrade for 15 minutes. (Notes) PET bottle products complying with these guidelines may be imported. A Part of above translations was revised in April 2006.