Recycled Plastics Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the abbreviations, grades and certifications used across INTCO Plastics datasheets and buyer communications.
- rPSRecycled Polystyrene
- Polystyrene resin produced by reprocessing post-consumer or post-industrial PS waste — typically EPS foam blocks, GPPS sprues or HIPS appliance parts — into clean pellets suitable for extrusion, injection moulding and XPS insulation foam board.
- rGPPSRecycled General-Purpose Polystyrene
- Transparent, brittle rPS grade collected from packaging clamshells, CD cases and disposable cutlery. INTCO's rGPPS pellets are colour-sorted and de-volatilised before re-pelletising so MFR and clarity match virgin GPPS.
- rHIPSRecycled High-Impact Polystyrene
- Impact-modified rPS grade containing 5-10% polybutadiene rubber. Sourced from refrigerator liners, TV housings and toy parts. Used for stationery, sheet thermoforming and consumer-electronics enclosures.
- rEPSRecycled Expanded Polystyrene
- PS material reclaimed from EPS foam packaging via thermal densification or chemical dissolution. INTCO operates dedicated EPS densifier lines that produce ingots feeding back into rGPPS/rHIPS pellet production.
- rPETRecycled Polyethylene Terephthalate / rPET pellets / rPET flakes
- PET resin recovered from post-consumer PET bottles. Available in fiber-grade (apparel polyester) and food-grade (FDA / EFSA approved bottle-to-bottle) qualities. INTCO supplies hot-washed flake, fiber pellet and food-grade pellet streams.
- rPERecycled Polyethylene
- Umbrella term covering rHDPE (rigid bottles, drums), rLDPE (films, bags) and rLLDPE (stretch wrap) recyclate streams. INTCO sources rPE from agricultural drip-tape collection programs and post-consumer film recovery.
- rHDPERecycled High-Density Polyethylene
- Dense, opaque PE recyclate (density ≥ 0.94 g/cm³) used for non-food bottles, drums, pipe and pallet stock.
- rLDPERecycled Low-Density Polyethylene
- Soft, flexible PE recyclate (density 0.91–0.94 g/cm³) collected primarily from agricultural film, shrink wrap and grocery bags.
- rLLDPERecycled Linear Low-Density Polyethylene
- Higher-tensile-strength variant of rLDPE produced by metallocene catalysis. Used in stretch hood film and heavy-duty bags.
- rPPRecycled Polypropylene
- PP recyclate recovered from automotive bumpers, battery cases, food tubs and BOPP film. INTCO's rPP is colour-sorted and re-stabilised to support injection moulding, compounding and TPR sole production.
- PCRPost-Consumer Recycled content
- Material recovered from end-user waste streams (households, retail). Distinguished from post-industrial recycled (PIR), which comes from manufacturing scrap. Most INTCO recyclates are blended PCR + PIR with the PCR fraction disclosed on the TDS.
- MFRMelt Flow Rate / Melt Index / MI
- Grams of polymer extruded through a 2.16 kg-loaded die in 10 minutes at a specified temperature (190 °C for PE, 200 °C for PS, 230 °C for PP). Higher MFR = lower viscosity = faster moulding cycles. Reported per ASTM D1238.
- IVIntrinsic Viscosity
- Molecular-weight indicator for PET, measured in dL/g. Bottle-grade rPET typically ranges 0.74–0.84 dL/g; fiber-grade 0.58–0.66. Reported per ASTM D4603.
- TDSTechnical Data Sheet
- Per-grade datasheet listing physical, mechanical, thermal and rheological properties tested to ASTM / ISO standards. INTCO links the TDS PDF on every product detail page.
- MOQMinimum Order Quantity
- Smallest order INTCO accepts for a given grade. Typical MOQs: 1 × 25 kg sample bag for evaluation, 1 FCL (≈ 25 t) for production-scale supply. Contact sales for trial-order options.
- FCLFull Container Load
- 20 ft or 40 ft sea-freight container booked for a single consignee. INTCO ships in 20 ft FCL (≈ 25 t bagged) and 40 ft HC FCL (≈ 25–26 t bagged or 20–22 t big-bag).
- GRSGlobal Recycled Standard
- Third-party certification (Textile Exchange) tracking recycled content, chain-of-custody, environmental and social criteria. INTCO holds GRS certification on key rPS and rPET lines.
- GRCGlobal Recycle Content
- Certification declaring the percentage of recycled material in a finished product. Buyers typically require ≥ 30% PCR claims to qualify for EU SUP Directive eco-modulation discounts.
- FDA 21 CFR
- US Food and Drug Administration regulation §177.1630 (PET) / §177.1640 (PS) defining food-contact compliance for plastics. INTCO's food-grade rPET pellets carry a Letter of No Objection (LNO) referencing these sub-parts.
- EFSAEuropean Food Safety Authority
- EU regulator that authorises individual rPET decontamination processes (e.g. EREMA Vacurema, Starlinger iV+) for food contact. INTCO sources from authorised processes only.
- ISO 14001
- Environmental Management System certification covering process emissions, waste handling and continuous-improvement reporting. Required by most multinational packaging brands as a baseline supplier qualification.