The Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) recognizes that packaging innovation drives the growth of bottles available for recycling and that growth in the supply of these bottles is essential to the well being of the plastic bottle recycling industry. APR also recognizes that some innovations may create bottles that present technical challenges for recycling. The Applications Guidance documents represent a tool to help the innovator understand the approximate effect of the innovation on PET and HDPE plastic bottle recycling next uses.

The Applications Guidance tests should follow successful Critical Guidance testing. The Applications Guidance tests call for testing on next use items, such as Bottle-to-Bottle Applications. As data are developed, the applications to be tested for the effects of the innovation are expanded.

The test interpretation values given are not specifications, but input to help interpret test results and highlight possible areas for additional investigation. The Applications Guidance Documents for PET and HDPE bottles do not imply in their definitions, procedures, or values fitness for use, market acceptability, or any guarantee or warranty. Inability of an innovative bottle to meet specific values does not imply recycling failure, but should be a clear message that a significant issue exists and mitigation of the issue is recommended to avoid degrading the value of the stream of recyclable bottles.