GreenBlue is on a mission to accelerate the transition to a regenerative, just, and sustainable materials economy. As part of this mission, we work to improve circularity across the entire materials economy — including tackling challenges to circularity like those facing films and flexible packaging.
The collection of films and flexible packaging isn’t perfect. Today, Store Drop-off (SDO) collection for films and flexibles is the most viable path for diverting these materials from landfills and our environment. In an ideal world, films and flexibles would be collected curbside for recycling, though significant barriers need to be overcome before this can be our future. However, even today’s recycling system lacks sufficient consumer participation, market incentives for recycling film and using recycled content instead of virgin resin, and down-stream transparency around the actual collection and reprocessing of the materials.
To demonstrate that the presence of Store Drop-off bins at retailers actually leads to the collection of most films and flexible packaging, we need current, high-quality data that speaks to the amount of material collected. We also need data to better understand whether the materials collected in front-of-house bins are then reprocessed by recyclers, and not landfilled due to contamination or low value. If our industry is unable to substantiate collection and reprocessing for these materials, film and flexible recycling could continue to erode trust in all recycling.
Learn about our projects’ roles in film and flexible materials collection, and our plan as collection evolves.
What is GreenBlue’s Role in Film and Flexible Materials Collection?
GreenBlue does not own or manage the recycling system for films and flexible packaging. Our projects work across different facets of this collection system, in labeling, fostering collaboration, research, or auditing. GreenBlue also never lobbies legislation — we comply and work to ensure our member companies’ compliance. Let’s dive into GreenBlue’s role and what each of our projects are doing across film and flexible materials collection.
How2Recycle:
With How2Recycle, we’re working to make this recycling stream clear to consumers, and our Store Drop-off labels compliant with state legislation for members. We recently refreshed the design of our SDO label — replacing the chasing arrows with a new visual cue that better communicates that these materials are intended for collection via SDO bins. Stay tuned for our refreshed label design later this week, which will be shared in How2Recycle’s newsletter.
How2Recycle also assesses materials for their compatibility with the polyethylene recycling stream in order to be eligible for an SDO label. You can learn more about how we evaluate materials using our five recyclability pillars here.
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition:
With SPC, we’re supporting industry’s collective fact-finding around films and flexible packaging collection. We’re working with partners and members to better understand access rates to SDO bins, consumer awareness and behavior, and the capacity of recyclers to take more materials for reprocessing. We also strive to help members determine if flexible packaging will help them meet their near-term sustainability goals and when they should redesign their packaging for improved circularity.
The Recycled Material Standard:
The Recycled Material Standard is a third-party certification that ensures the verification and traceability of recycled materials. The Recycled Material Standard bridges gaps across the value chain, creating a more accountable and auditable system — with several audits on film and flexible recycling and end-markets beginning this year.
Navigate:
Navigate is a sustainability consulting practice that helps companies dive deeply into specific challenges, find solutions, and determine the best implementation strategies. Navigate has supported companies on research related to films and flexible packaging recyclability, tackling questions like: What would need to be true for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to accept flexible films in curbside recycling bins?
GreenBlue:
GreenBlue connects the dots across the system as we work to close the circularity loop for films and flexibles. Our network brings together brands, recyclers, researchers, and retailers to close key gaps in film and flexible packaging collection. As a material agnostic organization, our only agenda is to advance progress on sustainability — this role in our industry means that we share information that’s never biased but always backed by data and research.
What is Our Plan as Film and Flexible Packaging Collection Evolves?
Addressing the challenges for films and flexible packaging collection could involve several different paths. At GreenBlue, we don’t claim to have all the answers, but we’re committed to supporting a system that’s transparent, adaptable, and grounded in reality. Here’s where we’re at, and where we could end up:
Plan A: A substantiated, transparent recycling system for films and flexibles.
Right now, How2Recycle is working to establish a deadline for updated data that substantiates the collection and reprocessing of films and flexibles to support our SDO label. As our other projects work to substantiate collection and reprocessing, we’ll keep working to advance a system where the collection of these materials is a crucial link between simply sending millions of tons of plastic to landfills and a world where films and flexibles are collected curbside. We’ll also continue to adapt to legislation, like California’s SB 343, as we’ve done with our refreshed How2Recycle SDO label.
Plan B: Shifting to a strictly “access” designation that lives separately from recyclability language, while still connecting consumers with recovery options.
If legislation further evolves, How2Recycle could consider transitioning the label to indicate access to Store Drop-Off bins and explore options like pointing consumers directly to resources like the Flexible Film Recycling Alliance’s Plastic Film Recycling Directory.
Plan C: What happens if film and flexible recycling becomes unworkable?
If legislation or failure to substantiate SDO makes the system unworkable, we’ll pivot. We’ll take our SDO learnings and bring them into new systems, such as municipal drop-off or subscription recycling models, to strengthen material sustainability across industries.
How Can We Extend These Findings for Better Recycling?
At GreenBlue, we’re not gatekeepers — we’re stewards of systems that promote material circularity. Our role is to listen, lead where we can, and keep our long-term vision of building a world where the materials economy sustainably strengthens our environment. Films and flexible collection via Store Drop-off may be a “temporary solution” until we achieve curbside recyclability, but what we learn from film and flexible packaging collection today could shape the next 20 years of plastic recovery.
Let’s build a system that’s honest about where we are today, but doesn’t lose sight of where we could go tomorrow. Get involved with a GreenBlue project today.