by Shane Henson — October 31, 2011—Many consumers and companies want to recycle the packaging for the multitude of products they purchase, but often find there are no clear instructions on how to do so. To help solve this problem, sustainability nonprofit GreenBlue has developed a Packaging Recovery Label System, a voluntary label developed by the organization’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition to communicate to consumers how to recycle a package after its use.
Given that recycling systems vary significantly by municipality across the country, each package component is labeled as widely recycled, not yet recycled, or limited recycling with instructions for consumers on how to check locally. The system was based on the successful OPRL system in the U.K. and developed through over three years of research, including extensive consumer testing and a national effort to collect updated recyclability data. The following leading companies have agreed to implement the label on select packaging nationwide starting in 2012: ConAgra Foods, Costco Wholesale, Microsoft, REI and Seventh Generation.
GreenBlue has launched a Web site for consumers as part of the labeling system: www.how2recycle.info, which provides information on how to check locally, as well as information for local governments and companies interested in getting involved. Following the conclusion of the pilot phase, the label will be available to any interested companies to use.
GreenBlue also released its new Labeling for Package Recovery report, which details the current challenges with inconsistent and misleading labels on packages, evaluates two international packaging recovery labeling systems, and discusses how an effective labeling program could address shortcomings of the U.S. recycling and recovery system.
