Author: MK Moore

When a material moves from Widely Recyclable to Check Locally, all hope is not lost.

At How2Recycle, we base our recyclability assessments on applicable law, access to collection, sortation, technical reprocessability, and end markets. While we know that a shift to any one of those factors can change a material’s recyclability, we also know the path forward after a downgrade. 

This year, at the How2Recycle Summit, experts from The Recycling Partnership, Danone, and How2Recycle gathered to discuss the path back to a higher recyclability category. We examined the case of PET thermoforms to learn lessons that can be applied across materials and formats on your path back to a higher recyclability category. Here’s what you can do:

1. Make sure you understand the relevant parts of the recycling system

In the presentation, we looked at PET thermoforms, which are the plastic packaging format commonly used for berries, leafy greens, and bakery cookies.

Years ago, PET thermoforms started seeing snags at the reclaimer phase of their recycling journey, since many reclaimers can take PET bottles (like plastic water bottles) but not PET thermoforms. This indicated weaker end markets for thermoforms, which — coupled with falling access data — led How2Recycle to downgrade the material from its Widely Recyclable label. Today, industry collaborators are seeing that the material works its way back up. 

No matter the format though, improving a format with recyclability challenges requires a foundational understanding of the recycling system. That means knowing a material’s path through the system from Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to reclaimers to end markets and beyond. Of course, there are also regional differences in recycling capabilities to look out for, too. 

How can you keep up? For How2Recycle members, one of the best places to understand the nuances of a material’s recyclability, we recommend keeping up to speed with our semi-annual Guidelines for Use.

2. Address recyclability challenges in design 

Part of the problem for PET thermoforms is the “look-alike” issue. PET bottles and thermoforms are both made of PET so they look the same to consumers; however, the difference in how each material is manufactured can present challenges during sortation and reprocessing, since many MRFs don’t have a way to sort these into separate streams. Today, PET bottles are highly recyclable, where just 9% of other PET packaging gets recycled. And we can’t forget that for any food packaging, contamination could present recycling problems, too. 

How can you help? To address these challenges, The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) offers comprehensive design guidance that can help with designing plastic for optimal recyclability. For other product categories, the AF&PA offers guidance on fiber recyclability, the Aluminum Association has a comprehensive aluminum design guide, or for more foundational information you can check out The Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s resource “Designing for End of Life by Product Category.”

3. Partner with recycling stakeholders

In recycling, collaboration is mission critical. There are too many players involved at every step of the process to go it alone. In the case of PET thermoforms, we heard how companies are getting together to catalyze investment in recycling infrastructure, sharing data, and driving demand to improve the recyclability of this material. 

This collaboration isn’t limited to PET thermoforms either — if other brands came together to make larger shifts in the market, we could see whole categories of packaging become Widely Recyclable. You can check out what Colgate did with toothpaste tubes, as an example. 

What can you do? You can start by engaging MRFs to understand their capabilities and pain points. Whether you need better data or a better understanding of the recyclability challenges a material faces, you can also partner with groups like How2Recycle, The Sustainable Packaging Coalition, APR, The Recycling Partnership, among others depending on who can help with your specific recyclability challenge. 

4. Drive recycled content demand

A key component of recyclability is, of course, end markets. With no end market for a material, its path to full circularity is cut short. With PET thermoforms, we heard how organizations like Driscolls have made tremendous progress on improving recyclability. The company has sought to drive demand for recycled PET, including recycled PET thermoform flakes. Instead of simply creating a product that might end up as recycled PET, they’re buying their own supply to ensure investment in and recycling of this material.

In another instance, a bottled water company in Ontario makes its own plastic water bottles using any kind of PET they can get. They produce these bottles with thoughtful design to help give these materials a circular life. 

What can you do? With thoughtful design, you can drive the demand for a material — and that demand can have a cascading effect across a material’s supply chain as it boosts investment in its recycling infrastructure, increases recycling access, and eventually earns its spot on the Widely Recyclable list. 

What’s next for PET thermoforms? What’s next for my recyclability challenge?

The Recycling Partnership’s Adam Gendell, who serves as the lead for the organization’s PET Recycling Coalition, shared that, “Many reclaimers aren’t able to handle anything except for PET bottles, but on the far end of the spectrum, some reclaimers want thermoform as much as they want bottles, so there is progress.”

So keep an eye out — or keep working — toward that if you produce PET thermoforms. And if you have other recyclability challenges that you want to work with How2Recycle on, reach out to us or our Director of Strategic Partnerships, Tom Pollock at tom.pollock@greenblue.org.

An informed consumer is an engaged consumer, but how do we turn that engagement into action? 

Every day with our members, How2Recycle seeks to turn information (disposal instructions) into consumer action (recycling what’s recyclable and disposing what’s not). And because we’re in the business of changing behaviors to improve environmental outcomes, we knew that The Blue Paradox exhibit would elevate the stakes of our work, making the consequences of plastic pollution even clearer to our community.    

At The Blue Paradox Exhibit in Chicago, we saw the movement follow a foolproof formula for enacting environmental action:

• First, you meet people where they are
• You look clearly at the problem with them
• Then, you provide accessible avenues for action

Let’s dive into what our community can learn from The Blue Paradox movement during the How2Recycle Summit.

What’s The Blue Paradox?

The Blue Paradox is a movement to drive collective action on reducing plastic pollution in marine ecosystems and in our everyday lives. Why do they call it the “Blue Paradox”? According to the movement, there’s a paradox of plastics: that plastics are an essential part of our lives, but overuse threatens the oceans we rely on for survival. 

This Fall at the How2Recycle Summit, we went on an SC Johnson sponsored tour of The Blue Paradox exhibit in Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. In the 25,000 square-foot exhibit, we were immersed in a hidden world beneath the surface: the world of plastic pollution.

During our tour, we saw how effective environmental education can lead to lasting behavioral change. Let’s explore how each phase works.

Phase 1: Meet People Where They Are

At The Blue Paradox: Every year, the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry welcomes approximately 1.5 million guests, which means that The Blue Paradox is literally meeting people where they are. Psychologically, the exhibit:

• Uses clear language and refrains from using any industry-insider or overly scientific jargon
• Shows real-world examples, like demonstrating that a single-use coffee cup could release 25,000 microplastic particles
• Makes statistics tangible — for example, instead of saying that people ingest five grams of microplastics per week, it says that they could ingest a credit card’s worth of microplastics each week

In your organization: How can you meet consumers where they are when it comes to recycling? Right now, 78% of U.S. consumers look to the product or product label for its recycling information. With accurate, recognizable disposal instructions (8 in 10 consumers recognize How2Recycle labels), you can meet your customers where they are and empower them to make informed recycling or disposal decisions. 

Phase 2: Look Clearly at the Problem

At The Blue Paradox: The Blue Paradox doesn’t shy away from the problems of plastic pollution in our marine and everyday environments. The exhibit opens with calling plastic pollution one of the biggest environmental issues of our time. It uses data visualizations to make the scale of the crisis clear. It shows the world’s biggest plastic waste producers (the U.S. at No. 1); plastic contribution by industry (packaging at No. 1); and real-time statistics for amount of plastic produced, recycled, and shipped in the U.S.

In your organization: Aside from adopting a How2Recycle label, companies can also reframe the plastics conversation to inspire action. Check out this resource from our sister nonprofit, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, on how you can practice environmental transparency, avoid greenwashing, and inspire action with your customer base. 

Phase 3: Provide Accessible Avenues for Action

At The Blue Paradox: Despite the scale of the plastics pollution crisis, The Blue Paradox exhibit doesn’t overwhelm museum-goers. How? It doesn’t simply share daunting statistics and send you home. 

Research shows that it’s best to combat feelings of disempowerment by providing “clear direction on what meaningful actions people can take.” The Blue Paradox exhibit does exactly this – it provides museum-goers with accessible actions they can take to address the crisis. The exhibit pointed to EPR legislation as a key lever for action, and the movement offers five simple actions anyone can take to help mitigate the crisis.

In your organization: One of our best tools for preventing pollution is helping consumers put their waste into the right stream. That’s why we’ve conducted rounds of testing and research to ensure that our refreshed How2Recycle labels are as clear and actionable as possible — and why we encourage our members to use the labels even if their packaging isn’t widely recyclable yet.

How Can You Make a Difference?

If you’re a member interested in increasing your consumer education efforts, reach out to get involved in our consumer education campaign. And if you’re not a How2Recycle member, we encourage you to get involved in our program to provide your customers with North America’s most recognizable on-pack instructions. 

CHICAGO Oct. 3, 2024 –Today, onstage at the How2Recycle Summit, How2Recycle unveiled its new dynamic label offering, How2Recycle Plus, which features The Recycling Partnership’s (The Partnership) Recycle Check QR code. The announcement, which was made by GreenBlue Executive Director, Paul Nowak, and The Recycling Partnership Vice President of Recyclability Solutions, Katherine Huded, will pave the way for trusted, real-time local recycling and disposal instructions beginning in 2025. 

The announcement follows How2Recycle’s unveiling of How2Recycle Pro, a refreshed version of its Legacy Label designed to be actionable, clear, and compliant with new regulations. The label design refresh marks a new chapter for North America’s most recognizable on-pack label—and now, How2Recycle’s more than 800 members will be able to adopt the dynamic How2Recycle Plus featuring Recycle Check label, bringing the newly integrated label to packages nationwide.

“How2Recycle has the consumer recognition—8 in 10 Americans recognize our labels—and the brand reach to make it an obvious choice and a simple solution in the evolving world of recycling policy and consumer education,” said GreenBlue Executive Director Paul Nowak. “Now for the first time, we have the data and technology to link national brand packaging with local recycling program acceptance.” 

“With a How2Recycle label already inside nearly every home in America, the new label, featuring Recycle Check, delivers real-time information on what is accepted for recycling locally to people across the country,” said Katherine Huded, Vice President of Recyclability Solutions. “Reducing confusion on what can be recycled is essential to improving the U.S. recycling rate. Real-time, location-specific education is a critical tool for recovering the 76% of what could be recycled but is instead sent to landfills or incinerators.”  

This new label offering comes after a year-long pilot that paired the widely recognized How2Recycle Legacy Label with The Recycling Partnership’s Recycle Check QR code.

Now, when How2Recycle members opt to adopt the How2Recycle Plus label featuring Recycle Check, the label lets consumers scan the QR code, enter a zip code or allow location permissions and receive a clear, yes-no answer on whether a material is accepted for recycling in their community. How2Recycle Plus featuring Recycle Check draws from The Partnership’s National Recycling Database (Database). The Database includes acceptance data across more than 9,000 unique community recycling programs, representing 99% of the U.S. population. On September 23, the Database released, for the very first time, Community Recycling Program Acceptance Data, which provides critical insights that power digital tools and empowers companies, local governments, policymakers, and the public to navigate recycling acceptance. 

In recent years, the fragmented recycling system, changes to material recyclability, and issues with access to recycling have contributed to the erosion of trust in the recycling system. The recycling system is faced with new changes as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation spreads, states seek to advance “label laws” to regulate recycling chasing arrows, and consumers demand transparency around recycling. To meet the moment, How2Recycle Plus featuring Recycle Check can help clear confusion around recycling and empower individuals to make informed disposal decisions.  

The power of the How2Recycle Plus label featuring Recycle Check stems in part from the reach of How2Recycle’s members, the widespread recognition of the How2Recycle labels—nearly 84% of Americans recognize the label—and The Recycling Partnership’s robust program-level acceptance data.  

Starting today, the How2Recycle Plus label featuring Recycle Check is available for brand adoption and application to their packaging. Individuals will begin to find packages featuring this label in 2025. Anyone seeking disposal information today can continue looking for the How2Recycle label for instruction. For local recycling information, The Partnership’s Recycle Check chatbot provides a clear yes-no answer on what is accepted for recycling today in their community at recyclecheck.org. 

About How2Recycle Plus Featuring Recycle Check 

How2Recycle is the leading disposal instruction label across the U.S. and Canada with more than 800 members, thousands of SKUs, and thousands of labels issued. The Partnership’s Recycle Check platform covers all residential recyclables, such as paper, plastics, metals, and glass. Together, How2Recycle Plus featuring Recycle Check will deliver localized, real-time information to further ease changes in material recyclability, educate and activate everyday people, and get waste into the right streams, and improve the recycling rate. Integrating the labels also helps ensure that the instructions are inclusive to individuals without cell phones, service, or the necessary tech savvy.   

About How2Recycle 

Launched in 2012, the How2Recycle program issues the most recognizable on-pack disposal instruction across the U.S. and Canada. With more than 800 members and labels issued for hundreds of thousands of packaging products, How2Recycle is the leading on-pack label. To determine a material’s recyclability, How2Recycle uses national data, assessing: applicable law, access to collection, sortation, technical reprocessability, and end markets. How2Recycle is a project of the environmental nonprofit, GreenBlue. The How2Recycle mission is to simplify the recycling process and take the guesswork out of disposal to get more materials into the recycling bin. 

About The Recycling Partnership   

The Recycling Partnership is a purpose-driven organization committed to building a better recycling system, one that delivers the economic and environmental benefits our communities and the hundreds of thousands of people who work throughout the recycling industry deserve. The Recycling Partnership’s team of experts, practitioners, and thought leaders with real-world experience works with its partners to insist on meaningful change across the recycling system and assist communities, companies, and policymakers in enacting such change. The Recycling Partnership uses its one-of-a-kind National Recycling Database that encompasses more than 9,000 U.S. recycling programs and develops practical and innovative solutions to address critical gaps in the recycling system. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org.  

CHICAGO (Sept. 30, 2024) — Onstage at SPC Advance today, GreenBlue Executive Director Paul Nowak announced the launch of the How2Recycle Forward campaign. The campaign marks the evolution of the program behind the nation’s most recognizable disposal label through efforts to refresh the How2Recycle label design, strengthen the data informing How2Recycle labels, optimize the program’s operations, and increase consumer education around recycling and disposal. 

Amid changes to the recycling landscape such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, shifting material recyclability, and “label laws,” the How2Recycle Forward campaign seeks to ensure that How2Recycle and our more than 800 members can improve and achieve the potential within the recycling system. The campaign also seeks to address the global waste crisis through consumer education that sparks behavior change and ensures that waste enters the right streams. For How2Recycle, these circumstances have made one thing clear: A dynamic recycling landscape demands an adaptable label program to meet the moment. 

To meet this watershed moment in recycling’s history, How2Recycle is excited to launch the campaign, “How2Recycle Forward: The Dynamic, Data-Driven Future of On-Pack Labeling.”

With more than 800 How2Recycle members across the packaging value chain and label recognition from 8 in 10 Americans, GreenBlue is excited to power the How2Recycle Forward campaign and scale the solutions our recycling system needs. The campaign marks a new chapter in How2Recycle’s history—one defined by adaptability, credibility, and responsibility. 

The campaign comprises four key initiatives:

• Preparing and rolling out How2Recycle Pro, a refreshed design of the Legacy How2Recycle Label designed to be to more clear, compliant, and actionable
• Building a robust data ecosystem to inform the label, its assessments, and our designations
• Optimizing our programmatic operations with first-in-class operational partners
• Increasing consumer awareness and education to spark mass behavior change

With these initiatives, How2Recycle is adapting to the landscape changes—future-proofing the label so that labels are accurate and compliant no matter when or where they’re issued. We’re elevating the importance of third-party data certification to increase credibility and foster trust in recycling. And, ultimately, we’re empowering members to give consumers the information they need—at scale—in order to get waste into the right streams and out of our environment. 

“The How2Recycle Forward campaign isn’t just about a label—it’s not even just about recycling. It’s about changing our relationship to disposal to drive better environmental outcomes,” said Paul Nowak, executive director of GreenBlue. “The How2Recycle program has the base, the reach, and the drive we need to create a more circular economy and a cleaner environment for generations to come.”

Why How2Recycle? And why now? How2Recycle is the leading label across the U.S and Canada. In just 12 years, we’ve grown the program from its humble beginnings: a working group in the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, taking inspiration from the OPRL label in the United Kingdom and using the FTC’s Green Guides to inform the label. Since then, How2Recycle has become the most recognizable on-pack disposal instruction across the U.S. and Canada, issued labels for tens of thousands of packaging products, and transformed the standardization and recognition of on-pack disposal instructions. Now, 51% of American consumers are encouraged or influenced by the How2Recycle label while making a purchase decision. 

How2Recycle Forward Initiatives

Refreshing the How2Recycle Label Design 

We’re refreshing the label the same way we built it: by convening experts in design, packaging, and consumer research, taking inspiration from programs like the OPRL, and using policy and data (like the FTC’s Green Guides and new legislation) to inform the refreshed How2Recycle Pro label design. To lead the charge, we’ve commissioned SPC’s Packaging Design Collaborative and embarked on several rounds of consumer and corporate research to determine the best, most comprehensible label designs. In the refreshed design that will eventually be available to members, we’ll build on the brand equity of the existing label and move toward a more clear, actionable, and compliant label to ensure that labels are accurate when- or wherever they’re issued. 

Strengthening the Data Ecosystem Behind the Label

Better data breeds better assessments, better labeling, and a better recycling system. As part of the How2Recycle Forward campaign, we’re strengthening the data ecosystem behind the label, using data from leading, third-party certified sources to inform our assessments and designations. Drawing on data from partners like the Association of Plastics Recyclers, the Carton Council, Recycled Materials Association (ReMA, formerly ISRI), and The Recycling Partnership, we’re bolstering the data backing our label to improve accuracy and credibility in the recycling system. 

Optimizing Operations to Scale the Label

When How2Recycle was formed, we prioritized scale—getting as many labels on-pack as swiftly possible without sacrificing their integrity. After more than a decade of growth, hundreds of members, and thousands of SKUs to keep track of, we’re partnering with first-in-class companies like Specright, Aura, and SGS Marks to build out work flows and harmonize data points. Together, we’ll build more efficient systems to scale the high standards of How2Recycle’s assessment and labeling work. When we do, we’ll get more labels on-pack, get more materials into the right streams, and keep more waste out of our environment. 

Increasing Consumer Awareness and Education

To capitalize on the tremendous equity of the How2Recycle label and build understanding around disposal instructions, How2Recycle will also embark on exploration around a national consumer education initiative. Historically our industry has asked the label to do too much of the lift on educating consumers. Now, as EPR legislation compels companies to support consumer education, we’re preparing to invite our base of 800 members to participate in a consumer education initiative, the goal of which is: to empower consumers with the information they need to make the right disposal decision. Interested partners can reach out to marketing@greenblue.org.

About How2Recycle 

Launched in 2012, the How2Recycle program issues the most recognizable on-pack disposal instruction across the U.S. and Canada. With more than 800 members and labels issued for hundreds of thousands of packaging products, How2Recycle is the leading on-pack label. 

To determine a material’s recyclability, How2Recycle uses national data, assessing: applicable law, access to collection, sortation, technical reprocessability, and end markets. 

How2Recycle is a project of the environmental nonprofit, GreenBlue. The How2Recycle mission is to simplify the recycling process and take the guesswork out of disposal to get more materials into the recycling bin.

Marketing and Communications Contact:

For more information on the How2Recycle Forward campaign, please reach out to: marketing@greenblue.org

To understand the revolution brewing in recycling, we can look at these three key numbers:

• The global market for artificial intelligence in waste management is projected to expand from $1.6 billion in 2023 to $18.2 billion by 2033.
• 30% of Americans don’t believe that the materials they put in the recycling bin actually get recycled.
• Nearly 17% of Americans live in states that have passed Extended Producer Responsibility laws.

What do these statistics have in common? They point to the fact that, right now, the recycling system is at a crossroads. As new technologies, new narratives, and new laws emerge, the recycling paradigm is primed to shift. 

How can we bring the recycling system forward to address the urgent climate and environmental needs, align with changing legislation, and achieve the potential in the recycling system? We can build on the old three R’s—reduce, reuse, and recycle–and carry the system forward with the three T’s: technology, transparency, and trust. 

Technology: Solutions for Clearer Communications and a Cleaner Tomorrow

Between machine learning making leaps and bounds to our advancement of a dynamic label offering for How2Recycle members, technology has incredible potential in the years ahead to transform recycling. 

Let’s look at machine learning first. Packaging designs have become increasingly complex. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can help revolutionize sorting, helping to sort recycling and screen out non-recyclable materials. One recycling and robotics platform can even sort objects with over 95% accuracy, helping speed up and streamline the systems where it’s been implemented. 

Before a material even makes it to a materials recovery facility (MRF) though, consumers need to understand which bin to put their waste in. That’s where the How2Recycle program comes in. 

Since 2012, we’ve helped brands share clear communications with consumers, instructing them on how to dispose of their product or packaging. Now, our program is embracing new technologies that will optimize our operations with industry leading partners like Specright, Aura, and Marks. We’re harmonizing and sourcing first-in-class, third-party validated data to inform our assessments and label designations. We’re preparing to offer members a dynamic QR code label to ensure legislative compliance and accuracy. And we’re leaning into these technologies so we can scale the most recognizable on-pack instructions across North America. 

Transparency: Making Communications and Sustainability Clear in a Changing Landscape 

At the heart of the How2Recycle program is a commitment to empowering transparent communications between brands and their consumers. Together with brands, we clearly and concisely communicate a material’s recyclability and corresponding disposal instructions. 

In recent research, the How2Recycle label was shown to encourage or influence a purchase decision for 51% of consumers. This trend is only on the rise, with 37% and 39% of Gen Z and millennial consumers, respectively, viewing environmental impact as “an extremely or very important factor” during purchasing decisions. Of course, this comes with the caveat that brands should be careful in their communications, because consumers are quick to identify greenwashing. 

So, what’s our takeaway? Consumers want clear, transparent communications around the recyclability and sustainability of their purchases. That’s why, in our label design refresh, we’re embarking on two comprehensive rounds of consumer testing to ensure that the refreshed How2Recycle label is even more clear, actionable, and easily understood as disposal instructions. When we succeed, we’ll get more waste into the right streams and keep it out of our environment. 

Trust: Rebuilding Faith in the Potential of Our Recycling System

When it comes to recycling, trust is becoming increasingly elusive. While a majority of Americans still believe or participate in recycling, recent reporting—especially around the Store Drop-off system—is eroding trust and turning up the temperature to improve certain components of the system and make it more transparent. 

That’s where our first two T’s can help. More efficient, tech-forward recycling leads to increased credibility in recycling. More transparent, clear communication leads to increased credibility around brands. And what does credibility build? Trust. 

Trust in the potential of our recycling system and in a new, improved label has immense potential to move the entire system forward into a new era. With trust in tow, we can reap better recycling participation, less contamination, and better outcomes for our environment. 

If you’re interested in capitalizing on the potential in recycling with us, get involved or get in touch with How2Recycle today. 

A changing recycling landscape demands an adaptable label program to meet the moment. That’s why, as legislation, recyclability, and consumer education needs change, we’re refreshing the How2Recycle label design. 

Let’s dive into the reasons behind the label refresh, findings from our first rounds of testing, and what’s next for the How2Recycle label. 

Why How2Recycle? Why Now? 

With more than 800 members with thousands of SKUs, How2Recycle’s label refresh will help the largest brands across North America adapt to EPR legislation and “label laws” with a clear, compliant, actionable label. In other words, we’re future-proofing the label. We’re making sure that a member’s label is accurate and legal no matter where or when it’s issued. 

When we increase the label’s accuracy, we increase credibility and public confidence in recycling, which brings us to another key reason for the design refresh: behavior change. 

Right now, the velocity of the global waste crisis is outpacing current solutions. The need to empower consumers with accurate information, spark behavior change, and get waste into the right streams is more urgent than ever. To spark that behavior change, we need to understand the consumer, to meet people where they are—but we won’t leave them there. How2Recycle and our members are responsible for pushing understanding forward and scaling the design and behavior change needed to remedy the global waste crisis. To do that, we’re partnering with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Packaging Design Collaborate on designing the refreshed label and SPC member Quad for consumer testing.

What Did We Learn from The First Round of Consumer Testing?

Part of meeting the consumer where they are requires building a label that’s inclusive. We’re refreshing our standard label design with inclusivity in mind—so even if we opt to add a dynamic label into our label offering, we’ll ensure that our instructions are inclusive to people without smartphones, strong service, or the necessary tech savvy. 

To do this, we needed to understand what language, symbols, and layout worked best for consumers. With Quad, we conducted quantitative consumer research from more than 800 respondents across the U.S. Establishing a control, we wanted to see how we could meaningfully evolve the current How2Recycle label. Here’s what we found:

People Were Most Influenced by the Symbols on Labels

Symbols on tiles had the strongest impact on people’s perception of the label. As materials became less recyclable, participants responded strongly to corresponding changes in symbols. Overall, symbols were the most influential factor, affecting 55% of respondents, compared to the second highest factor influencing 14% of respondents.

People Preferred Affirmative Symbols

People liked symbols that were affirmative—symbols that communicated which stream a material was meant to go into, rather than say the chasing arrow symbol with a slash through it. The top two performing sample sets in this round were sets without slashes, ranking the highest out of the control and five variable sample sets. 

People Liked Written Descriptions for Instruction

People tended to respond to the language like “Widely recyclable” or “Not yet recyclable,” language that doesn’t exist on the current labels. According to the research in this round, they preferred copy that gave clear direction, included action words, was precise, and left less room for interpretation. For example, “Do Not Recycle” tested more favorably than “Not Yet Recyclable.” 

There’s Brand Equity in the Existing Recyclable Symbol

Our first round of testing revealed that people found the existing, bold chasing arrows both visually appealing and recognizable. Nearly 84% of respondents recognized the How2Recycle label, and an impressive 91.2% had memory recall of the chasing arrows recycle symbol. Plus, the How2Recycle label was shown to encourage or influence a purchase decision in 51% of respondents. 

What’s Next for the How2Recycle Label Refresh?

With findings from our first round, we’ll refine our designs and embark on at least one more round of consumer testing to determine which label designs communicate disposal instructions most effectively. We’ll do a deep dive into symbols to ensure compliance with EPR policy. We’ll also seek to strengthen our understanding around evolving the symbology, whether to embolden the design, and reversing the copy to maximize the compatibility for printing. 

We’re not stopping with the label design, either. We’ll also research long-term marketing strategies to drive consumer education and help mobilize our members around EPR-mandated consumer education efforts. We’ll explore the potential of in-store signage to encourage awareness around proper disposal behaviors and provide access to Store Drop-off bins. And together with our members, we’ll meaningfully evolve the How2Recycle to give consumers the information they need to get waste into the right streams.

By MK Moore, Communications, Content & Design Manager, GreenBlue

Across the country, packaging policy is changing. From EPR legislation in several states to recyclability label design laws in California, it can be hard to keep up. No matter if you’re a packaging designer, a sustainability officer, or an engineer, we’ve gathered trustworthy sources that you can use to keep up with all things packaging policy. 

Because when we’re all better informed, we can build a better recycling system. So check out nine resources for keeping up with recycling policy across the state and federal landscape. 

Keeping Up With Recycling, Materials, & Policy: 9 Resources

Packaging Dive’s Tracking US State Packaging Policies

On this live news page, Packaging Dive tracks everything from PFAS policy to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bills across state legislatures. You can check out this page to see the latest updates from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon, this page lists legislation based on the date it was signed into law. You can also filter by state, policy area, status, and year approved to narrow in on any specific packaging policy news. 

SPC’s EPR Guide

To track the changing landscape and do a deeper dive into EPR legislation, you can check out our sister nonprofit’s guide on all things EPR. SPC has everything from EPR 101 covered to more granular information, like what “Covered Products” (paper, beverage containers) are included in a bill. You can also filter through state-by-state to see a bill’s status and even compare EPR bills across states. 

EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Page

If you’re interested in keeping an eye on the national landscape, the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management site has resources, information, and federal strategy. You can also check out their Laws & Regulations page, and if you’re interested in getting regular updates, they have an “In the Loop with EPA” newsletter, where you can get the latest from the EPA on circular economy updates. 

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC)

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) is a nonprofit that drives research and outreach on issues associated with recycling, source reduction, composting, and more. The Council covers 11 states in the Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. You can follow NERC on social media, or subscribe to their newsletter to get the latest information for state-specific recycling intel across the region. 

Monthly Packaging Policy Roundup

Every month, our sister nonprofit, SPC, identifies and breaks down three of the most pressing packaging policy changes across the country. They cover everything from a bill’s status in the Legislature to what the policy would look like if implemented. You can keep up with them on SPC’s website or their newsletter. 

Resource Recycling

Resource Recycling magazine has covered recycling in America for the past 40 years. Today, the publication still helps shed light on everything from MRF updates to EPR implications across the country. You can subscribe to their print magazine or newsletter to keep up, too. 

Waste Dive’s Tracking the Future of US Recycling Policy in Congress

Waste Dive’s federal recycling tracker opens with: “Spurred by market challenges, the Hill has seen a historic influx of big bills.” Similar to Packaging Dive’s state legislation tracker, this page is regularly updated with the latest recycling changes in Congress. You can filter by policy, status, or session, or subscribe to Waste Dive’s newsletter to keep up with the latest on federal legislation. 

National Conference of State Legislatures’ Environment and Natural Resources Legislation Database

If you’re interested in being taken straight to the source, the National Conference of State Legislatures lets you filter based on policy area (from PFAS to plastic recycling legislation) to find legislation. From the homepage, you can find the full text of a bill as well as its history of passage (or lack thereof) through a state’s legislature. 

Global Plastic Laws

If you need to keep an eye out on legislation regulating plastic across the globe, the Global Plastics Laws website is an excellent resource for mapping and searching laws across countries. The website serves as a database and resource library covering plastic policies passed internationally. The resource is organized into nine “topics,” ranging from maritime sources and microplastics to waste management. 

Of course, you can also keep up with any How2Recycle relevant legislation by attending our events, following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, subscribing to our newsletter.

By: MK Moore, Communications, Content & Design Manager, GreenBlue

If you were on a boat, and water started rushing, would you try to plug the hole, steer away from the waves, and bail the boat out by yourself? Or, would you focus on one of those tasks and ask the other people on board to help?

At How2Recycle, we’re working to protect the health of our planet by improving recycling and keeping waste out of our environment. But we know that this task is bigger than us—it’s bigger than any one organization. And it needs to be solved at a pace that no one organization could achieve alone. 

That’s why, when we think about our partners, we think of them as mission critical teammates: people and organizations pulling together with us, with urgency, toward fixing our recycling system and solving our global waste crisis. 

So we’re taking a moment to explore how partnerships in the recycling space are vital for advancing our mission—and likely your mission too if your work involves protecting the planet in some capacity. Let’s explore the current and potential partnerships that advance our mission, and along the way, we encourage you to think about your own role in joining our efforts to improve recycling. 

Why Do We Form Partnerships?

At How2Recycle, we know that no one organization can be all things to all people. Since 2012, we’ve specialized in creating labels to advance clear disposal instructions and increase recycling. And in the past 12 years, that niche of ours has seen tremendous growth. We’ve grown the program from our original handful of members to more than 700 members and thousands of SKUs. 

We’re proud of the impact we’ve had on recycling outcomes across North America through the niche that we’ve carved out for our organization—but this work is just one piece of the puzzle. When we recognize the strengths of our peers and partners, we can open the door to a system where we’re all pulling together toward our goal of improving recycling. These partnerships mean that we’re getting more experts together, solving these issues with urgency, accuracy, and accountability in mind. Because partnerships don’t just put more seats at the table, they create a system of checks and balances—a real-time peer review process for the solutions that our planet so desperately needs. 

Take our work to assess a material’s recyclability, for example. When we base assessments on data from organizations with third-party verification systems in place, we’re building a more credible system. And with a more credible system comes trust in recycling, increased recycling, and better environmental outcomes. 

What Kind of Partnerships Do We Form?

In working with a diversity of experts and organizations whose skills and specialties differ, our work becomes additive rather than redundant (in other words, we’re not rowing in circles). 

At How2Recycle, we’re science-based. We root our work to assess materials and provide labels on data—but that data comes from partners and peers. That’s why, one avenue for partnership that we’ve pursued is working with experts in data and analytics. Take our work with The Recycling Partnership (TRP). TRP focuses on mobilizing people, data, and solutions across the supply chain to improve the recycling system. Recently, we’ve partnered with TRP to leverage the combined power of our label and their data, pairing the How2Recycle label with a Recycle Check QR code to provide localized recycling instructions. 

We also assess materials, but we don’t produce or reprocess them. That’s why we partner with groups like the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), the Carton Council, and Recycled Materials Association (ReMa, formerly ISRI), whose collections of data and protocol guidance on different materials are invaluable for the work we do to determine recyclability at How2Recycle. 

With data in tow, we also seek out partnerships with organizations that excel in their operations. At How2Recycle, we have hundreds of members and thousands of SKUs to keep track of, so our partnerships with groups like Specright, Aura, and Marks will allow us to build out work flows and harmonize data points. Working together, we can scale the high standards of How2Recycle’s assessment and labeling work. But that’s just a practical benefit. Better, more efficient systems reap the benefits of more labels on packaging, more materials in the recycling bin, less waste in landfills or the environment. So the benefits of scaling these systems to our mission—to making recycling clear for consumers and improving the recycling system—are profound.

What Do We Hope to Achieve Through These Partnerships?

Working better means working together when you’re solving an issue as urgent as our waste crisis. So, at How2Recycle, we’re not looking to compete—we’re looking to collaborate. When we build a team of partners interested in strengthening our recycling system and protecting our environment, we’re interested in working together. Because when we do, the finish line looks a lot like a better world for the generations that follow us. 

Whether you specialize in anything from data or design to operations and audits, if your organization is interested in partnering with How2Recycle to advance better recycling, reach out to us or our Director of Strategic Partnerships, Tom Pollock at tom.pollock@greenblue.org. 

By MK Moore, Communications, Content & Design Manager, GreenBlue

Back in 2008, members of our sister project at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) got together to solve a problem: How do we create a packaging label that consistently, clearly, and effectively communicates disposal instructions to consumers? 

Today, How2Recycle has flourished into its own labeling program with more than 525 brand and retailer members and more than 200 manufacturing members. Of course, a big part of the power of the label is its widespread adoption in the U.S. and Canada. More members means more on-pack labels—and, critically, more recognizable instructions for consumers. From packaging on Yoplait containers to REI products, every glance at a How2Recycle label can help reinforce the signal that: Hey, you’re looking at disposal instructions. 

And while the How2Recycle label has provided labels for hundreds of thousands of packages thus far, right now we’re at the middle of a crossroads. The recyclability landscape is changing. States are adopting EPR legislation across the country. And California’s SB 343 is redefining the laws around labeling. 

To meet the moment, the How2Recycle team is going back to our roots. We’re working with our partners at SPC’s Packaging Design Collaborative to solve a new problem: 

Can we refresh the How2Recycle label to not just meet new legislative requirements, but to also increase consumer understanding and advance innovation? 

The Shifting Label Landscape: How Will Policy Change Labeling? 

Historically, the How2Recycle team has used national data to assess recyclability. Whenever we complete a recyclability assessment, we’ve weighed the following factors:

• Applicable law
• Access to collection
• Sortation
• Technical reprocessability
• End markets

Our label is one of the most stringent, data-backed labels on the market. We use national-level data to conduct our assessments and consistently update our guidance to ensure we are reflecting the current state of recyclability. We also consult with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to confirm that our labels responsibly communicate to consumers, and are closely following the changes led by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to ensure our label continues to comply with guidance at the federal level.

States are raising the bar now and adopting legislation to advance recyclability beyond federal requirements. Several states, California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon, have adopted EPR legislation, which assigns producers responsibility for products’ end-of-life management. 

California has also adopted SB 343, which restricts the use of the “chasing arrows” on packaging. SB 343 requires that products with the chasing arrows meet two key criteria: 

• The materials have to be collected by recycling programs encompassing 60% of California’s population
• The materials need to be sorted for recycling processes by a minimum of 60% of California’s recycling programs

So, what does this all mean for brands? It means that we’ll need to understand a material’s recyclability in compliance with California’s state standards before applying the chasing arrows to packaging. We’ll need to make sure that labels comply with SB 343 and other state-specific labeling laws for brands with national footprints. 

And it means we’ll need to refresh the How2Recycle label. 

“How2Recycle has always been and needs to be a living program,” GreenBlue Executive Director Paul Nowak said. “We’ve adjusted the program before as new policy and data came forward. This is the next natural step and shows that the founders of How2Recycle built a flexible program that can take us into the future.”

So alongside the SPC Packaging Design Collaborative, we’re working to advance a label that is flexible enough to meet state-specific requirements, makes room for labeling innovation, and still accurately, clearly communicates instructions to consumers.

Refreshing the How2Recycle Label

If you’re not familiar with SPC’s Collaboratives, they’re issue-specific, action-oriented working groups covering everything from policy to compostable packaging. The Packaging Design Collaborative, which comprises experts in branding, on-pack ‘real estate,’ consumer education, and design, is the perfect partner for this project. 

Headed by SPC Packaging Design Collaborative Program Lead Brandi Parker, who brings more than 20 years of experience from the packaging and design industry, the Collaborative has embarked on two phases of research so far toward a refreshed, better label. 

In the first phase, they’ve identified the myriad catalysts for changing the label and developed initial direction and concepts to guide a new label. With experts on consumer packaging design involved, they broke down what catches a person’s eye, what people are likely to read, and, critically, what they’re likely to miss. 

We surveyed recycling labels in other regions, like the UK. Photo: London Recycles

In the second phase, the Collaborative took the How2Recycle team’s feedback and consolidated concepts into themes to be researched and tested with consumers. In these and future phases, we’re looking at everything from compliance with California standards to consumer understanding of the slash-through chasing arrows. And we’re not just looking at our own label. We’re also drawing insights from labels across the globe that clearly communicate disposal instructions to consumers. 

Next up for the Collaborative is consumer research and testing. From there, we’ll continue iterating towards a refreshed design for the label that meets the moment. Members of How2Recycle can look out updates about this work in our July Guidelines for Use and at our How2Recycle summit, and expect an announcement in the fall about the new label design.

One of the concepts that the SPC Packaging Design Collaborative is exploring is How2Recycle’s first scannable label. We’re leveraging the consumer brand equity in the How2Recycle label and combining it with a dynamic, QR code label. From there, the QR code connects consumers to audited databases that give them more localized information for disposal. Our first pilot project on a dynamic label is currently running in parallel with the SPC Packaging Design Collaborative work and The Recycling Partnership’s Recycle Check program. 

Looking Ahead: How Can We Design a Recognizable, Future-Proof Label?

“Throughout this process, we’re asking ourselves: If we refresh the chasing arrows, will consumers recognize that our label is the place to look for disposal instructions?” said Karen Hagerman, How2Recycle Director.

“There’s an information hierarchy in design. Chasing arrows aren’t just arrows. They’re a cue to consumers saying: Look here for disposal instructions.” 

So far, our consumer research indicates that 87% of tested consumers found the How2Recycle label helpful. These results speak to the tremendous brand equity in the current How2Recycle label, used by brands from Costco to Estee Lauder. 

Beyond that brand equity though, this moment marks an excellent opportunity to create a label that’s not just recognizable, informative, and innovative—but to create a label that’s future-proof. A label that can meet future changing legislative requirements and consumer needs. Together with some of the best and brightest minds in the packaging and design industry, we’ll keep working toward a dynamic solution while never losing sight of our mission: to get more materials in the recycling bin by taking the guesswork out of recycling.

Learn more about How2Recycle, follow us for label design updates, or get involved with the SPC’s Packaging Design Collaborative.

By: MK Moore, Communications, Content & Design Manager, GreenBlue