RAM 2027 for beauty and cosmetics brands

Colour

PET bottles that are not clear or translucent light blue are red at the application stage. Amber serum bottles and frosted-effect tints are the obvious casualties. PET thermoforms need to be NIR-detectable, and clear is the only route to green.

Black plastic

Carbon black that prevents near-infrared detection is red at sortation for rigid plastics. Detectable black masterbatches exist; you need the supplier to confirm which one is used.

Labels and sleeves

A label or sleeve of a different material covering more than 60% of the surface is amber at sortation. Adhesives that do not release in a 70–90°C hot wash are red at reprocessing. PVC, aluminium and metallised labels are red on HDPE and PP.

Closures, inserts and seals

Steel, aluminium, PS, PVC and thermoset caps are red on HDPE and PP. Silicone valves, PVC liners, PU and nylon inserts are red. Non-PET closures denser than water are red on PET bottles because they sink with the PET in float-sink separation.

Small parts

Anything under 40 mm in two dimensions that cannot be reattached is red at sortation. Sample sachets, pipette caps and orifice reducers need attention.

Flexibles, wood and other materials

Flexible plastics, wood and other materials (including bamboo, cork and silicone) are red unless there is evidence of a take-back scheme, in which case they can be amber. They cannot be green under RAM 2027.

What to do next

Sort your range by tonnage, not by how much you like the pack, and run the top twenty through the criteria above. Most beauty ranges find that three or four decisions, taken years ago, drive most of the red. The RAM 2027 overview sets out the stages those criteria sit in.