CONAI plastic fee bands 2026: rates, criteria and how to cut the fee
Plastic is split into 9 CONAI fee bands: from €40/t (band A1.1) to €790/t (band C). The band depends on your pack's polymer, composition and recyclability — and can be lowered through redesign.
What it is
Since 2023 plastic is structured in 9 bands (official CONAI naming). Values in force from 1 January 2026:
| Band | 2026 rate (€/t) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| A1.1 | 40 | Rigid mono-material clear PET, HDPE for food liquids |
| A1.2 | 87 | Drums, IBCs and industrial rigids with dedicated recycling |
| A2 | 258 | Rigid mono-material PE, PP and other polymers |
| B1.1 | 219 | Flexible mono-material HDPE |
| B1.2 | 228 | Flexible mono-material PET |
| B2.1 | 611 | Flexible mono-material PP/LDPE, limited stream |
| B2.2 | 724 | Plastic-plastic multi-materials, laminated flexibles |
| B2.3 | 785 | Complex multilayers, plastic-dominant |
| C | 790 | Non-sortable/non-recyclable — PVC and carbon-black plastic always here |
(Source: CONAI 2026 Guideline — values from 1/1/2026. conai.org).
Update coming. CONAI has defined new upward values across all plastic bands, effective 1 October 2026. This page will be updated once the exact values are consolidated.
What it means for your SKU
The band is the consequence of measurable design choices: polymer type, mono-materiality, rigid vs flexible, transparency/colour, optical sortability, adhesives, inks, cap-polymer consistency, critical additives (carbon black always lands in band C) and recycled content. Changing one of these can move the SKU's band — and its cost.
Concrete levers: from multi-material B2.2 to mono-material B1.1 is worth −€505/t; removing carbon black and returning to clear PET up to −€750/t; from opaque to clear PET −€188/t. On a 50 t/year line, a PET bottle redesigned from B1.2 to A1.1 is worth €9,400/year in fee alone. And every CAC-reduction lever is an Art. 6/7 compliance lever for 2030.
What to do now
- Assign each plastic SKU to its current band (polymer + composition + sortability).
- Compute the annual fee per SKU (weight × rate) and rank by cost.
- For B2.x and C packs, estimate the saving of a redesign to a lower band.
- Prioritise packs that are both costly (high band) and Art. 6-at-risk: double business case.
FAQ
How many CONAI plastic bands are there? Nine, from A1.1 (€40/t) to C (€790/t), plus a special regime for composites.
What determines the band? Polymer, composition (mono/multi-material), rigid/flexible, transparency, sortability, adhesives, inks, additives and recycled content.
Where do PVC and black plastic land? Always in band C, the highest.
How much is changing band worth? Examples: B2.2 to B1.1 −€505/t; carbon-black removal up to −€750/t; opaque to clear PET −€188/t.
Related: CONAI eco-modulation · Article 6 — Recyclability · Article 7 — Recycled content · PPWR Guide