Author: MK Moore

Look Here, Recycle There: Research Findings on Store Drop-off Signage from the How2Recycle Summit Marketplace 

Store Drop-off (SDO) recycling is one of the best ways to boost circularity for the films and flexible packaging that we see on everything from bread bags to beverage overwraps — but it only works if consumers know how to participate.  

“In a lot of our auditing, Store Drop-off has become more and more interesting. SDO bins are in thousands of stores, but the consumer understanding for it is so low,” said Shannon Anderson, Director of Client Research at Package InSight by Quad.  

 How can you boost consumer education and participation? You can start with research, which is exactly what we did during the 2024 How2Recycle Summit. At the How2Recycle Interactive Marketplace with Package InSight by Quad, we went to the source and tried to better understand how signage can improve SDO participation. Let’s dive into the research and the findings we can use to improve SDO through in-store signage.  

The Experiment: How Can We Use In-store Signage to Improve SDO Understanding? 

The problem: Store Drop-off is one of the best ways to boost circularity for some of the most common packaging materials (like flexibles and films), but consumer understanding, trust, and participation is low.  

The method: Participants were asked to complete three tasks: shopping for cleaning supplies on gondola shelves, selecting fresh produce, and recycling plastic bags at SDO bins. Participants shared eye-tracking data through eye-tracking glasses throughout each of the tasks, and they also completed qualitative surveys on their experiences.  

The variables:   

1. Three kinds of gondola shelves: The study included three gondola shelves that had varying setups, messages, claims, design emphases, and instructions.  

2. Two kinds of produce bins: The study’s produce bins included variations in prominence of signage, prominence of the How2Recycle label, and instructions.  

3. Three kinds of SDO bins: While each SDO bin had cut-out shapes of plastic bags, the emphasis on accepted materials and outcomes varied throughout.  

The goal: Understand the potential of different in-store displays as platforms for recycling instructions.  

The Results: How Can We Make In-store Signage Improve Store Drop-off Understanding? 

Through the research process, experts like Dr. Andrew Hurley and Shannon Anderson used three key metrics to determine the winning in-store signage: 

1. Attention Capture: Measuring how long it took for a participant to fixate on something.  

2. Sustained Attention: Measuring the time spent fixating on a specific item. 

3. Interest: Measuring the number of times a participant’s gaze entered an area on the design. 

The winners: 

Why they won: 

Across the three types of displays, patterns emerged in participants’ preference, indicating that: 

1. People wanted introductory, practical guidance

Even with participants in the industry, people still wanted introductory and practical guidance. We see this on Gondola A, where the heat map of views over the instructions saying “Recycle our plastic film in the bin at the entrance” outperformed other design areas. The research also shows a similar trend in the SDO bins, with lots of eyeballs on the instructions saying, “Recycle Plastic Bags, Films & Wraps Here.” 

2. People preferred clear design and messaging

On Gondola A, the research found that the combination of clear, prominent labeling and illustrative examples met the participants’ needs for instructions. Similarly, on the winning SDO bin, participants fixated on the images of accepted materials. The research also found that they, “rated clarity on accepted materials as the most critical feature for store drop-off bins.” 

3. Location (eye-level) was key

The research showed that positioning recycling information at eye-level significantly improved visibility, engagement, and comprehension. That was made most clear in the produce bins, where the winning bin (B) featured a pole topper sign that was the most effective for conveying recycling instructions across both the produce bins and gondola shelving. We also saw this trend in Gondola A, where, “eye-level H2R label and packaging examples that clarified recycling instructions,” proving eye-level design to be more effective at capturing attention and providing clear guidance compared to other placements.  

How Can We Extend These Findings for Better Recycling? 

While these findings provide valuable insights for improving Store Drop-off education through signage, it’s important to emphasize that the participants were largely packaging or sustainability professionals who are familiar with How2Recycle and (likely) with Store Drop-off recycling. Still, the results are incredibly helpful for SDO education and can serve as a launch point for extending similar research to larger audiences.  

 We don’t have to stop at SDO education, either. We can apply these findings — using practical guidance, clear messaging, and eye-level placement in store — beyond SDO to advance better general recycling education. How2Recycle labels are just one piece of what could be a thriving ecosystem of educating and empowering consumers to make the right disposal decision.  

If you’re interested in participating in a consumer education campaign to improve recycling behaviors, reach out to our team at marketingh2r@greenblue.org 

Managing Change in the Age of EPR: Three Lessons from the Spec Summit

By Christine Miklosko, Senior Manager, GreenBlue

When it comes to packaging and labeling legislation, if you think we’re entering a new era with no clear path ahead, you’re half right. It’s true that we are entering a new era of packaging policies in the U.S., but we’re not driving without a map. We have tools to guide our industry’s transition — now we just need to use them.

This month, I attended Specright’s Spec Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. If you’re not familiar with Specright, they’re a product and packaging data management company. At How2Recycle, where data drives every label assessment we make, the insights from the Spec Summit crystallized three key takeaways about our industry’s path forward in this new era of policy: 

  1. Sustainability initiatives aren’t “nice-to-have” anymore — they’re table stakes
  2. Adaptation will require creative thinking and collaboration
  3. And with the right approach, we can find opportunities in the challenge of change

Let’s dive in. 

1. Sustainability initiatives aren’t “nice-to-have” anymore — they’re table stakes

We all know that sustainability initiatives have evolved from nice-to-have to table stakes. But do we know how compliance in a new era of regulation will change our internal operations?

This year, as the first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging goes into effect in one of the five U.S. states with EPR laws, packaging sustainability and legal compliance are becoming intertwined. Plus, many states — and some of the EPR laws — are looking to regulate labels and on-pack education. 

The implications for these laws are shifting the paradigm for the packaging life cycle, and managing your packaging and materials data can make or break your adaptation to this new landscape. 

What can you do? Well, you don’t have to go it alone. “A new crop of packaging and software service providers such as Lorax EPI, Aura, Specright are ready to help companies get a handle on the data they will need to report their progress to countries and shareholders,” writes The Sustainable Packaging Coalition Director Olga Kachook. “Especially for professionals new to EPR, it’s important to lean on these service providers — and their wealth of knowledge from other markets — rather than going solo and starting from scratch.”

 

2 . Adapting to this new policy landscape will require creative thinking and collaboration

Why call the policy EPR when you could call it “Waste to Jobs”? That’s the question Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell asked the crowd at the Specright Summit during her session on advancing EPR in a “red state.”

Just to be clear, at How2Recycle we don’t lobby policy, we comply with it — but this presentation still shed light on the creative thinking that we’ll need to mobilize our organizations to adapt to this changing landscape. For her, advancing EPR in Tennessee would require a rebranding, elevating a popular value proposition (jobs creation), and identifying the industries that stand to benefit from more recycled materials. 

What does this mean for you? As you work to comply with EPR or labeling legislation, the lessons we can take away are: 

  • We can learn to speak the language of our colleagues in finance and legal.
  • We can identify and elevate the value to them as we adapt to these changes (most obviously no fees, no legal penalties!).  
  • We can find stakeholders that can help us champion the sustainable initiatives we’re hoping (or need) to advance.

 

3. We’ll need to overcome friction and fuel change

How are couch sales and packaging change management related? In a session by Clinical Professor of Strategy David Schonthal, we explored the competing ideas of “fuel” and “friction” in the context of change management (admittedly, a term our industry might tire of in the years ahead). 

According to Professor Schonthal, when we’re trying to drive change, all too often we focus too much on fuel. Most people get trapped in the idea that the best way to sell an idea is to “fuel” the idea by adding value and amplifying benefits until the intended audience can no longer say no.

But this foregoes the friction. There will always be friction working against the changes we seek — elements like inertia and the effort (perceived or real) required to make change are hard to overcome. He used a couch company’s sales strategy as an example. You can offer a sale, but when people aren’t sure what to do with their old couch, they opt to do nothing. The solution: The couch company started offering to take customers’ old couches away. Sales skyrocketed.

The key to thriving in this new regulatory landscape isn’t just about driving change forward — it’s about eliminating the roadblocks within our organizations to make swift, meaningful change. 

Want to learn more about how How2Recycle is adapting to the changing landscape? Check out our How2Recycle Forward campaign. 

Understanding Explicit Acceptance for Aerosols and How2Recycle’s Methodology

Packed grid of immaculate blank white aerosol cans under even studio lighting.

In the How2Recycle Guidelines for Use released on January 31, 2025, aluminum and steel aerosol cans were downgraded from “Widely Recyclable” to “Check Locally” in the U.S. How2Recycle would like to issue a clarification around the wording used to describe access to recycling for this format.

Explicit Acceptance Hasn’t Decreased

Current data does not show a decrease in explicit community acceptance of aerosols for recycling — in fact, explicit acceptance actually increased from the baseline established in the 2020-2021 SPC Centralized Access Study to the September 16, 2024 Acceptance Data published by The Recycling Partnership and How2Recycle. 

What’s Driving the Change? The How2Recycle Methodology Has Evolved

Our methodology for reviewing access has evolved from the days when we relied solely on the SPC Centralized Access Study for access data, which showed 29% explicit acceptance for aluminum aerosol containers and 30% for steel aerosol containers. How2Recycle now includes acceptance data from The Recycling Partnership’s semi-annual report, U.S. Community Recycling Program Acceptance Data, as a key source for our label assessments, which shows 39% explicit acceptance for both aluminum and steel aerosol containers as of September 16, 2024. 

Given the nature of aerosols, specifically the potential safety issues in MRFs when they’re not completely emptied by consumers, How2Recycle and The Recycling Partnership have aligned on their decision to only consider explicit acceptance towards the national acceptance rate. This means that a community must explicitly say that aerosols are accepted for recycling for it to count toward the material’s national acceptance rate. At this time, we will not count communities that do not mention acceptance of aerosols in their recycling program, or communities that only have generalized information, such as “accepts metal.” 

At this point, there is not sufficient evidence suggesting that communities with vague acceptance language around aerosols are in fact willing to accept aerosols. Because of these factors, we’ve made the decision to err on the side of caution and only consider explicit acceptance towards our national acceptance rate for aluminum and steel aerosol containers.

How2Recycle acknowledges that there is room for improvement in ambiguous community messaging around specific packaging formats. Given this ambiguity, we believe that this methodology is the most responsible way to interpret the data at this time. 

Acknowledgements

How2Recycle is grateful to the Aerosol Recycling Initiative for their continuous efforts to drive an increase in the acceptance rate for aerosols recyclability and also for raising awareness about how to properly dispose of this product type.

How2Recycle Releases New Guidelines for Use with Changes to Recyclability for Two Formats

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA Jan. 31, 2025 — Today, How2Recycle®, a project of GreenBlue, released our semi-annual Guidelines for Use, a guidance document instructing the program’s more than 800 members on proper use of North America’s most recognizable on-pack disposal instruction. The latest Guidelines include recyclability category changes for two packaging formats: 

1. Upgrade to “Check Locally” for composite canisters with steel bottoms in the U.S.

This format has moved from “Not Yet Recyclable” to “Check Locally” in the U.S and remains eligible for “Check Locally” labels in Canada.

2. Downgrade to “Check Locally” for aluminum and steel aerosol cans in the U.S.

This format has moved from “Widely Recyclable” to “Check Locally” in the U.S. and remains “Widely Recyclable” in Canada.

—

“We want to first commend our members on their ongoing work to improve material recyclability through design innovations, end market investments, and collaboration,” said How2Recycle Director Karen Hagerman. 

“We also empathize with the feeling of setback that comes with a downgrade,” she said. “Still, we trust that our members recognize the need for labels that reflect the realities of the recycling system today, and will use the change as an opportunity to invest in the design, infrastructure, partnerships, or end markets needed to improve recyclability.”

The above changes are effective as of January 31, 2025. How2Recycle members can find comprehensive instructions on updates in the full Guidelines for Use via their member portals. 

Four Packaging Formats Under Review

As part of our effort to provide as much runway as possible to members before official category changes, How2Recycle has outlined packaging formats whose recyclability designations are currently “under review.” When packaging is deemed “under review,” this means that our team has received and is reviewing data suggesting the potential need to upgrade or downgrade a material’s recyclability category. 

At this time, our assessment of current recycling conditions has informed the need for four packaging formats to be considered under review for potential downgrades:

1. Potential downgrade from “Check Locally” to “Not Yet Recyclable” for polypropylene single-use beverage pods (as used for coffee) in the U.S.

While How2Recycle commends the significant efforts made to strengthen the end markets for polypropylene single-use beverage pods (PP beverage pods), acceptance rate data demonstrates the need to place the format under review for a potential downgrade. 

As part of the review process for this format, How2Recycle will pause the issuance of “Check Locally” labels for new PP beverage pods requests, consider the findings of a months-long data review conducted by The Recycling Partnership to better understand acceptance for this packaging format, and share a final decision on this format’s recyclability category with members in our July 2025 Guidelines for Use

For further information, members can review the full Guidelines for Use via their member portal. 

2. Potential downgrade from “Widely Recyclable” for certain flexible PE formats in Canada.

PE formats for stand-up pouches, metallized film, wrappers, and some other food packaging may not be eligible for a “Widely Recyclable” label in Canada due to more restrictive acceptance practices for recycling based on package format and product application. However, formats such as grocery store, bread, and newspaper bags remain widely collected. Further research is underway in 2025.

3. Potential downgrade from “Widely Recyclable” for HDPE trays, thermoforms, and other formats in the U.S.

These formats may be downgraded from “Widely Recyclable” to “Check Locally” in the U.S. in light of new access data numbers demonstrating that only HDPE bottles, jars, and tubs may be eligible for the “Widely Recyclable” label.

4. Potential downgrade from “Check Locally” for bulky rigid plastics in the U.S.

These plastics, such as three-gallon buckets, could be downgraded from “Check Locally” to “Not Yet Recyclable” in the U.S. in light of new access data.

Updates on Packaging Formats Previously Under Review

How2Recycle also announced decisions for packaging formats that were previously under review. At this time, our assessment of the current recycling landscape has led us to the conclusions that there would be: 

  • No change to the “Not Yet Recyclable” designation for HDPE & polypropylene squeeze tubes in the U.S. Based on current data, these formats will not be upgraded.
  • No change to the “Check Locally” designation for polypropylene beverage cups, PET beverage cups, and other formats in the U.S. After our review, these formats will not be upgraded to “Widely Recyclable.”
  • No change to the “Widely Recyclable” designation for aseptic & gable top cartons in the U.S., determined by a data source separate from The Recycling Partnership’s National Recycling Database. 

The Data Informing New Recyclability Changes

Composite canisters with metal bottoms, specifically steel, have been upgraded from “Not Yet Recyclable” to “Check Locally” in the U.S. due to collection, sortation, and end market data provided by our members and third party partners. An additional source of acceptance data was used to substantiate this decision separate from the data provided by The Recycling Partnership.

Aluminum and steel aerosol cans have been downgraded from “Widely Recyclable” to “Check Locally” in the U.S. following our review of new collection data demonstrating that fewer communities explicitly accept aerosol containers for recycling than meets our threshold for Widely Recyclable. Currently, How2Recycle is considering only explicit acceptance for this format. 

Learn more about How2Recycle’s data ecosystems and recent developments here, or in your member portal.

About How2Recycle

How2Recycle is the leading labeling program for packaging disposal instructions with the most recognizable on-pack label across the United States and Canada. Launched in 2012, How2Recycle was born out of a Sustainable Packaging Coalition working group aimed at providing consumers with clear, standard, and accessible on-pack disposal instructions. Today, with its more than 800 members, How2Recycle is on a mission to make sure that companies can give consumers the information they need to get waste into the right stream. Learn more at https://greenblue.org/projects/how2recycle/. 

About GreenBlue

Founded in 2002, GreenBlue is an environmental nonprofit on a mission to accelerate the transition to a regenerative, just, and sustainable materials economy. GreenBlue is the parent nonprofit of seven projects, including the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, How2Recycle, and the Recycled Material Standard. Through these projects and their hundreds of members, GreenBlue strives to be the most reliable and accurate source of truth compelling the packaging value chain to construct environmentally regenerative, socially responsible systems. Learn more at https://greenblue.org/. 

Media

Please direct any media inquiries to marketingh2r@greenblue.org

How2Recycle Prepares for 2025 Guidelines, Includes New Acceptance Data Source

Robot Arm empties Wheeled Recycling Bin.

Before How2Recycle releases our semi-annual Guidelines for Use — a guidance document on recyclability and labeling for our more than 800 members — we’re excited to announce the addition of a new source into our assessment data ecosystem. Through a joint initiative, we will include acceptance data from The Recycling Partnership’s semi-annual report, U.S. Community Recycling Program Acceptance Data, as a key source for our label assessments. 

How2Recycle members will see this new acceptance data source reflected as part of our recyclability assessments in our upcoming Guidelines for Use, which will be released on January 31, 2025. 

To determine a material’s recyclability for our label assessments, How2Recycle evaluates five pillars: 

  1. Applicable law
  2. Collection (access and acceptance)
  3. Sortation
  4. Technical reprocessability
  5. End markets 

Where access refers to a household’s ability to participate in community recycling programs, acceptance is determined by whether or not a recycling program communicates that a material will be accepted for recycling. 

The Recycling Partnership’s National Recycling Database captures acceptance data representing 9,000 local recycling programs, which covers 99% of the U.S. population. Now, the Database will inform The Recycling Partnership’s semi-annual acceptance report and, consequently, How2Recycle’s acceptance data evaluation. To learn more about how this acceptance data is collected and maintained in the Database, you can view the National Recycling Database Methodology Overview.

“Each pillar of our recyclability assessments is backed by industry-leading national data,” said GreenBlue Executive Director Paul Nowak. “With the inclusion of The Recycling Partnership’s acceptance data, we’re making sure that we’re evaluating the most up-to-date, actionable information as we determine a material’s potential to be collected.”

How2Recycle is grateful to its members and industry partners for their contribution of data that informs every pillar of our assessments. 

To review the acceptance factor of our assessments, How2Recycle will consider The Recycling Partnership’s data in addition to others; however, by 2026, we will move to reviewing The Recycling Partnership’s semi-annual report as our principal source specifically on acceptance data. 

For all other pillars of our assessments (applicable law, sortation, technical reprocessability, and end markets), we will continue to review the data contributed by our incredible network of members and partners. 

What’s Next? Harmonizing Acceptance Data by 2026

As we transition to prioritizing the evaluation of The Recycling Partnership’s data for our understanding of material acceptance, we encourage our members and the industry to harmonize their own data with The Recycling Partnership. Collaborating and harmonizing acceptance data with The Recycling Partnership will ensure both that your data is included in future How2Recycle acceptance assessments and that the data informing our assessments is as accurate and comprehensive as possible. 

To begin harmonizing your access and acceptance data with The Recycling Partnership, please reach out to their Data Team at datateam@recyclingpartnership.org. 

How the “Not Yet Recyclable” Label Builds Consumer Trust in Recycling

Man putting papers in a blue container to recycle.

People want to recycle. They want to recycle right. And as consumers become increasingly skeptical about whether the materials they place in recycling bins are truly recycled, being transparent isn’t just an option — it’s our responsibility.

What do we owe consumers then? Convenient, clear, and transparent information on what to do with the products or packaging they’ve purchased from us. 

Convenience, we have figured out. With on-pack labels, we’re putting disposal instructions where 78% of people look for them. Clarity is improved too — we’ve found that 83% of consumers recognize How2Recycle instructions as instructions, and we just refreshed our designs to make those instructions even clearer. 

Transparency is where our members come in. By putting the right label on packaging, be it “Widely Recyclable” or “Not Yet Recyclable,” you’re fulfilling a responsibility to consumers — you’re giving them the tools they need to make the right disposal decision. That’s what makes both of these labels equally important. No matter the recyclability designation, your use of a How2Recycle label contributes to a better, clearer, more trustworthy recycling system. Let’s explore why and how we can build that system together. 

Empowering the Right Recycling — or Disposal — Decision

If 94% of people support recycling, but some research shows that only 35% of people actually recycle, we’re seeing a breakdown between consumer intention and action. Of course access to recycling programs is a huge factor, but we can’t overlook the role of consumer confusion. 

One study found that 62% of Americans worry that a lack of knowledge is causing them to recycle incorrectly. This doesn’t mean that they’re failing to seek out that information, either — in fact, the opposite is true. They’re looking to packaging to tell them what to do. And an uptick in interest around understanding “wishcycling” tells us that they want to recycle right.

So our team studied the best ways to tell them how to do just that. We researched different design hierarchies, different symbols, and different terms to create labels that quickly and effectively tells consumers what they need to do. That’s why, on our new Widely Recyclable labels, you’ll see the chasing arrows symbol that 91% of consumers recognize instructing people to recycle the material. Then in our Not Yet Recyclable labels, you’ll see a trash bin symbol and instructions telling people: “do not recycle.” In these and all our labels, we see an opportunity for members to help prevent the wishcycling consumers want to avoid and empower them with the information they need to make the right recycling or disposal decision. 

We’re Meeting Consumer Demands on Transparency 

It’s no secret that consumers value transparency from organizations and reject greenwashing. Nearly a third of them are good at spotting greenwashing claims, too. Pair this all with the fact that 69% of Americans hold companies responsible for the end-of-life disposal of the products they manufacture, and a transparent disposal instruction becomes table stakes. 

This is why, at How2Recycle, we believe that printing a Not Yet Recyclable label on designated materials is just as important as printing Widely Recyclable labels on your packaging. When we commit to telling consumers what they can recycle, we’re also responsible to tell consumers what they can’t recycle. When we do, we’re fueling a virtuous cycle: A consumer looks to the label, finds clear instructions, strengthens their association with the label, but most importantly, they make the right disposal decision and better understand what to do with that material next time. 

The End Result: We Get Waste into the Right Streams

When we print “Not Yet Recyclable” labels on-pack, we’re fortifying consumer trust in a system where brands communicate honestly about the end-life of products and packaging. 

And what’s the point of all this? From a PR perspective, it’d be pretty nice to make sure that your packaging isn’t on the cover of an article about wishcycling or litter. We know though that our members care about much more than PR. We’re in this together because we want to make sure that our products and packaging find their way into the right stream — no matter if that’s a landfill or a recycling facility — and stay out of our natural environment. 

So ahead of our upcoming Guidelines for Use and our roll out of refreshed label designs, we encourage our members to use their platform to improve our recycling system with communications that are consistently convenient, clear, and transparent. Log in to your member platform to get the ball rolling on new labels today. 

The Path to Higher Recyclability: How Collaboration Can Advance Recyclability

Four boxes of strawberries in PET thermoforms.

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.

Turning the Tide on Plastic Pollution: Lessons from The Blue Paradox

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. 

America’s Most Recognized Recycling Label to Offer Real-Time, Localized Disposal Instructions on Packaging Across the U.S. 

How2Recycle Launches Dynamic Label Utilizing Data from The Recycling Partnership’s National Database to Simplify Recycling 

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.  

 

How2Recycle Launches How2Recycle Forward Campaign, Evolving the Program Behind Nation’s Most Recognizable On-pack Label

GreenBlue to Power How2Recycle Forward: The Dynamic, Data-Driven Future of On-Pack Labeling

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

Updates: Findings from the Second Round of Consumer Testing the How2Recycle Label Refresh

Woman looking at label on dairy products at supermarket.

To meet the changing needs of the recycling system, the How2Recycle team has been hard at work in collaboration with The Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Packaging Design Collaborative to refresh our label. 

Now, we’re excited to share that we’ve wrapped our second round of consumer testing designs for the refreshed How2Recycle label—but first: Why are we refreshing the label design? And why are we doing it now? To learn more about the case behind our consumer research, check out our findings from our first round of consumer testing. 

In this article, we’ll unpack learnings from our latest round of consumer testing. In this round, we surveyed 1,000 consumers across the U.S. to dive deeper into understanding the equity in the current How2Recycle label, the symbols that resonate with consumers and comply with legislation, and the verbiage that instills understanding and inspires action.

Check out the four biggest takeaways from the latest round of consumer testing the How2Recycle label.

Takeaways from Testing the How2Recycle Label Refresh with 1,000 Consumers

People Wanted to See Recycling Referenced 

In this round of testing, we learned that consumers wanted to see references to recycling, no matter the material’s recyclability category. For example, right now the Check Locally labels issued for materials that are only recyclable in some communities say just that: “Check Locally.” In this round of testing, consumers wanted to see some form of the word “recycle” and preferred verbiage like “Contact local recycler.” 

People Liked Bold, Contained Design

Caption: Consumers preferred designs where all label components were contained within the rounded rectangle.

When we tested several different designs, we found that consumers preferred bold but contained designs, meaning they wanted to see every element of the How2Recycle label as congruent and contained within the rounded rectangle. Respondents both preferred this set up from a design perspective, but 75% of respondents agreed that it also captured their attention faster. A majority of respondents also showed a preference for bold, fully capitalized copy within the tile. 

People Preferred Informative Language for Disposal Directions

In the last round of testing, we saw preference for written instructions. This round of testing substantiated and expanded on that insight, as we saw consumers gravitate toward informative language that clearly—chronologically—told them what to do. For example, consumers preferred “Clean & recycle” over the current “Recycle if Clean & Dry.” We saw this trend—consumers’ preference for outlining their steps, in order—across several of the directions we tested. 

The Brand Equity in the Recycling Symbol Remained Strong

When asked “Which of these means recyclable to you?” respondents favored the existing chasing arrows symbol.

In our first round of testing, we saw that people recognize and prefer the chasing arrows symbol. In this round of testing, we saw that insight further substantiated. Respondents presented with a series of symbols and the word “RECYCLE” in tiles were asked, “Which of these means recyclable to you?” The winner was the existing chasing arrows symbol, with the word “RECYCLE” in second place, and the symbol that most closely mimics the chasing arrows in third. 

What’s Next for the Label Refresh?

Having sampled more than 1,800 consumers, we’ll take our findings from these first two rounds and refine our designs. With EPR compliance and label laws in mind, we’ll also be sure to consult relevant legislative and regulatory bodies, continue using the FTC’s Green Guides, and present our progress to members at the How2Recycle Summit this October 2 – 3 in Chicago. If you haven’t already, How2Recycle members can register here to attend. And if you’re interested in becoming a How2Recycle member, you can sign up here.

The Future of Recycling Depends on These Three T’s: Technology, Transparency, and Trust

Man Emptying Household Recycling Into Green Bin

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. 

Findings from First Round of Consumer Testing the How2Recycle Label Refresh

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

The Recycled Material Standard Announces Standard Updates and Revisions

Approval of International Market and Developmental Criteria Pilot Certification

The Recycled Material Standard (RMS) is expanding its certification scope for pilot testing in developmental criteria and international markets. 

In line with the ISEAL Code of Good practice, the RMS intends to conduct pilot audits to assess ideal criteria for fully expanding the scope of certification. To support requirements in US EPR policies, developmental criteria will also focus on the development of a holistic Responsible End Market Certification. The RMS will also conduct pilot certification audits to gather essential feedback and education, ensuring the development of practical yet rigorous criteria for traceability and responsibility. 

The temporary expansion was approved by the RMS Advisory Committee. International certification and developmental criteria evaluation will be conducted on a temporary basis, with permanent adoption in Q1 2025 after standard revisions are published and reviewed through the appropriate stakeholder and public comment periods.

The RMS welcomes new participants and certification bodies in markets outside of North America to apply for accreditation as part of our international expansion. The RMS team will work with CBs and auditors to assess additional audit criteria based on geography and participant operations. 

Approval of Rule Revision Request: Multi-Site Mass Balance Minimum Input

As defined in the RMS Standards Maintenance Policy, certified participants and stakeholders may request revisions to RMS rules and standard clauses. 

A participant recently submitted an official request to review and remove the minimum facility input requirements for multi-site mass balance as defined in the RMS Framework 6.4.5.9(b). After consideration by the RMS Advisory Committee, the request was approved, and the minimum 10% certified input requirement has been removed. 

This allows facilities included in a multi-site certificate to make RMS mass balance output claims on materials without physically transferring certified inputs to that site. All other requirements for mass balance accounting remain the same for multi-site certificates. Mass Balance cannot be conducted across product groups, and the accounting balance for each product group using mass balance must remain positive, accounting for system losses.

 This update will be reflected in a full standard revision, open to stakeholder and public comment, in Q1 2025.

For questions, please contact rms@greenblue.org

Updated Process: Requesting a Second Look at Your Label Assignment

We’re excited to announce that How2Recycle has updated the process to request a Second Look. The form is now built into the Member Platform and will be linked to the label request. The previous version of the form will no longer be available as we upgrade this feature. Older submissions for Second Look forms will not be transferred into the Member Platform, but we will maintain our historical records. 

Requesting a Second Look is a process intended for a How2Recycle label assignment that you would like to double-check. As this form and process may be new to some of you, you can view this guide or read about the full steps for of how to submit the form below

View the Second Look Request Step-by-Step Guide

Note that submitting a request for a Second Look doesn’t guarantee that a different How2Recycle label, recyclability designation, or other feedback will be provided. We offer this process so that our members may apply the How2Recycle label assigned with full confidence and float any concerns to our team before moving forward. If you have questions about turnaround time or the overall label request process, please email us at how2recycle@greenblue.org. If you have questions about a specific label request that has not yet been assigned a How2Recycle label, please leave a comment on the request.

What You Should Know About This New Process

There are two stages in which you can request a Second Look: the Proof Needed or Approved stages. A How2Recycle label and recyclability feedback must be assigned to use this feature. You will find the link to the form by scrolling down to the assigned label. Click ‘Request a Second Look’ and you will be guided through a series of questions.

After you’ve answered all of the necessary questions, a record of the Second Look form will be kept within the label request in the comments section. If you are signed up to receive email notifications, you will be notified when the status of your request changes. 

Once you submit a Second Look form, the label request will be entered back into our queue to be reviewed. If we find that the label needs to be changed, we will do so and send the request through the remaining process as normal. If no updates are needed, we will send the request back to the status in which the Second Look request was submitted.

Please also note if a label request is submitted for a Second Look, it does not expedite the request process or shorten the turnaround time. Please do not use the Second Look feature to request an expedited assessment on your label request. While we strive for an average turn-around time of 5 business days, many factors such as holidays, our queue size, unique packaging structures, or if your team did not submit all of the information needed, can significantly impact the timeline. We recommend setting the internal expectation of submitting all label requests at least three weeks prior to your team’s deadline.

If you have any questions or feedback to share, please contact us at how2recycle@greenblue.org.

How2Recycle Updates Canadian Check Locally Labels, Complying with Québec’s Charter of the French Language

How2Recycle has completed the Check Locally label update for products sold in Canada to comply with the strictest interpretation of Québec’s Charter of the French Language.

The updated dual language design co-locates all French and English text and provides equal language prominence. Going forward, all label requests for products sold in Canada with a Check Locally component will be assigned the redesigned label.

All outdated Check locally labels have been updated. If you believe a label has been missed during the update, please contact us at how2recycle@greenblue.org with the direct URL to the label request. We urge members to update their labels on-pack as soon as possible to comply with the law today and avoid potential penalties.

As a reminder, submission of an updated artwork proof is required before printing the label on-pack.

To view your labels affected by this update, log in to the Member Platform and filter by Geography (Canada) and Component Recyclability (Check Locally).

Screenshot of member portal for Canada check locally

Members can filter for “Geography” and “Check Locally” to find the label.

 

Additional label changes may be deemed necessary due to emerging legislation from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and ongoing program work with the SPC Design Collaborative.

Want to learn more about the rules spurring the label change? Check out these resources:

Empowering Adaptation: How2Recycle’s Role in a Dynamic Recycling Environment

No company can control all the changes in our current recycling landscape. At How2Recycle, we know that in the world of recycling, change will be constant in the coming years. 

What we can’t change, we can adapt to—it’s like the difference between moving a mountain and learning to climb it instead. With How2Recycle membership, we’re working to empower companies to adapt to the constant changes in the legislation and recyclability ecosystems. 

Through the How2Recycle label, our Guidelines for Use, and our assessments, we’re making sure that member companies receive the tools they need to make the clearest on-pack disposal instructions, backed by the best possible data and comprehensive assessments. And we’re doing that to ensure that packaging materials make it into the right stream, no matter the changes in the legislative or recyclability landscape. 

Right now, as we prepare to release our semi-annual Guidelines for Use and refresh the design of the How2Recycle label, we’re taking a look back at our history of evolving with our members to meet the changing legislative and recyclability landscapes. 

How Did the How2Recycle Label Start?

In 2008, our sister program, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), got together to address a change in our understanding of consumer behavior: according to SPC consumer testing, people didn’t understand Resin Identification Codes (RICs) as disposal instructions—and RICs were actually never intended to be a tool for consumers.

Larger cultural changes were brewing too, as environmental concerns rose and interest in recycling spiked. But SPC’s findings were clear—people didn’t understand what RICs meant on packaging. So SPC members came together with a simple yet powerful idea: to give consumers clear, concise, standardized disposal instructions on packaging. 

Together, 12 companies took inspiration from the OPRL Label in the United Kingdom and used the FTC Green Guides to inform a label design and recyclability designations. And when they did, they created the working group that flourished into the How2Recycle program. 

In the years that followed, How2Recycle grew from its 12 founding members to more than 800 members, comprising consumer-facing brands and packaging suppliers across the packaging supply chain. Today, the How2Recycle label is the leading on-pack disposal instruction for consumers across the U.S. and Canada. From the boardrooms where companies decide on sustainability initiatives to the classrooms where children follow How2Recycle disposal instructions, the label is the only on-pack signal guiding consumers and getting a piece of packaging into the right stream. 

But what happens upstream of these disposal decisions?

The How2Recycle Label & Guidelines for Use

Before a piece of packaging is deemed widely recyclable, recyclable in some communities, or not yet recyclable, the How2Recycle team conducts a thorough assessment. We analyze materials, leverage data, use the FTC’s Green Guides, and review other substantiating recyclability information to determine the appropriate label.

Historically, the label has sought to make disposal instructions as clear as possible for consumers. But to make sure that members knew how to use the label properly and could meet changes in recyclability, How2Recycle began developing the Guidelines for Use more than a decade ago. Since then, the Guidelines for Use have served as a core part of membership (members are required to review and comply) as well as a bellwether—making the changes in recyclability and legislation clear to brands.

These changes, of course, can be scary and intensive. Larger changes could mean changing the artwork on thousands of products for brands. But they can also serve as more than just a reflection of the landscape—they can serve as a company’s guide for determining their progress toward achieving their sustainability goals as well as the materials they want to use in their packaging design. And ultimately, they can help us make sure that no matter the label, we’re getting a piece of packaging into the right stream.

Embracing Change for a Better Recycling System

Right now, we’re in the middle of a watershed moment for recycling, as states pass Extended Producer Responsibility legislation and California redefines the laws around labeling. As we look to the future of How2Recycle, we’ll continue to make sure that our label and our Guidelines for Use help members meet these and future changes. 

  • With our Guidelines for Use, which you can look out for later this month, we’ll make sure that we’re sharing industry, legislative, and recyclability shifts so that brands can issue accurate labels—and use the information to inform their sustainability goals and packaging design. 
  • With the scoping of a refreshed How2Recycle label this Fall, we’re working to make sure that a new, data-backed, dynamic label will let companies readily adapt to recyclability changes while letting consumers know exactly what to do during disposal. 

At How2Recycle, we’ll keep adapting to these changes with you, because that’s all we’ve ever done. And together, with clear instructions and accurate assessments, we’ll do our part to keep waste out of our environment and get it into the right stream. 

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

 

Moving the Mission Forward: Building a Stronger Team and a Better Tomorrow at Our Staff Retreat

GreenBlue staff engages in staff building exercise

At GreenBlue, we’re on a mission to advance sustainability alongside our partners and members because we believe that together, our work can build a stronger, safer natural environment for generations to come. 

We’ve found that, for our organization, being fully remote is one of the key ways we advance our mission. As a dispersed organization, we can hire and support the best person for a role no matter where they live—and with staff spanning two continents, we can connect with our broad network of members and stakeholders in their own communities. Being fully remote also empowers our team to both skip commutes and maintain their roots, bringing the full power of their personality and expertise to our work. 

But every pro has a con, and being fully remote comes with the opportunity cost of losing valuable in-person bonding with our teammates. That’s where our retreat comes in. Once a year, we all get together in person and make space to share ideas, open the floor to feedback, embrace learning opportunities, and discuss topics like diversity and conservation—and of course, we strengthen bonds and reconnect with old friends. 

This year, in Charleston, we gathered to reap the benefits of in-person time with our team, and along the way, we learned more about ourselves, each other, our shared history, and the world we want to build. Let’s dive into what our team learned and gained during the GreenBlue staff retreat in Charleston, South Carolina. 

 

We Learned About Ourselves During Our Staff Retreat

At my first staff retreat, I quickly realized that GreenBlue isn’t just invested in us as employees. The organization is invested in us as whole people—people with relationships, passions, and responsibilities completely outside of work.

This realization manifested largely in our work with the lifestyle consultancy led by Saya Hillman and Pete Aiello, Mac & Cheese Productions℠. Throughout our first morning, Saya demonstrated how we can better structure and organize our lives in ways that play to our own individual strengths. She did this by discussing frameworks for setting personal and professional goals, methods for monitoring and achieving those goals, and encouraging us to identify our own actionable takeaways. 

One of the most memorable moments of learning about ourselves took place during the “blueprint” session. In this session, we identified a goal that we wanted to achieve—be it more exercise, more down time, more creative writing. Then, we had to think about the steps needed to achieve that goal. From there, we were tasked with visualizing those steps and our eventual success, scrapbooking with magazines to build a “blueprint” for achieving our goal.

Of course, the time spent working on what felt like arts and crafts was a great mental reset—but the magic of the exercise amplified when we broke into small groups to share our blueprints with one another. 

We Got to Know the Person Behind the Screen

To have a goal is to acknowledge that you’re not satisfied with a situation. Whether your goal is to sleep more or run a marathon, when you name a goal, you’re naming an area of your life that you want to change. In sharing our goals with each other at the retreat, we were forced to be vulnerable—to share what we hope to change in our lives. And together, we broke down the walls that divide our work selves and our personal lives, inviting our teammates to see another side of ourselves. 

While sharing these blueprints with the team was a great way to break the ice, so much bonding took place in less formal settings throughout the retreat. Be it the meals we shared together, the walks around town, or the relief of re-entering air conditioning, these little moments made all the difference. Because at the end of the day, an organization is as strong as the relationships and the people it comprises. When we can get together to see the person behind the computer screen, we create bonds that strengthen the fabric of our organization and increase our chances of accomplishing our mission. 

We Learned About the Systems That Shaped Our Lives

Throughout our time in Charleston, we weren’t just optimizing our lives in the hotel—we were exploring the city and its history. We started that exploration with a walking tour of Charleston, exploring its downtown to build a foundational understanding of the city’s history. 

To build on that foundation, we met with authors of Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery, Herb Frazier and Joseph McGill. Together, they helped share the stories of rebellion and resilience that define the history of slavery in Charleston. 

This learning began by tracing the trail of the Stono Rebellion, the largest, most significant slave rebellion before the American Revolution. We also visited the Caw Caw plantation, where we saw the lasting environmental impact hundreds of enslaved people had on the land, having turned a barren swamp into fertile rice fields. Lastly, we visited the memorial of Denmark Vasey, a freed man and community leader who died because of his revolutionary plans to free enslaved people. 

In these tours, we were reminded of the relationship between black Americans and environmental injustice—the legacy enslaved people left on shaping the land into wellsprings of profit that they never saw. Today, of course, we still see descendant communities suffering from environmental justices, from experiencing the extreme weather of climate change first and worst to communities like Cancer Alley in New Orleans. The city’s history and its legacy of injustice served as a stark reminder for us to continue using these lessons as we advance just solutions for our environment. 

We Saw the Ecosystems that Depend on Work Like Ours

I’m sure you’ve heard the stats around marine pollution, like that plastic pollution makes up 80% of all marine pollution, and that hundreds of marine species—from turtles to tarpon—have been impacted by plastic pollution. But if we continue to improve sustainability and reduce pollution, the impact of our work could span farther than I’ll ever travel and last longer than any one generation. 

As part of our retreat, we got to visit one of the thousands of ecosystems whose health hinges on our ability to reduce pollution: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. One of Charleston’s natural wonders, the refuge spans 22 miles of barrier islands with sinuous waterways and thriving salt marshes. 

We marveled at the birds, dolphins, horseshoe crabs, and other critters that depend on the fragile salt marsh ecosystems of Cape Romain. As we walked together along the pristine shoreline—free of straws, cans, bags, or caps—I thought to myself: This is part of what mission accomplished looks like. 

At the GreenBlue staff retreat, I remembered why I joined GreenBlue and why so many of us do this work: because if we as an organization can continue advancing sustainability, we can build a cleaner, safer world for the people, places, and ecosystems that depend on us—today and tomorrow. 

By: MK Moore, Communications, Content & Design Manager

Where Can I Track Recycling, Materials & Packaging Policies? 9 Resources

Legal building with columns

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 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

Mission Critical: Our Planet Needs Us to Work Together 

Trash spreads across a beach.

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

How Will Policy Change Labeling? Updates on Refreshing the How2Recycle Label

How2Recycle labels against pink background.

How Will Policy Change Labeling? Updates on Refreshing the How2Recycle Label

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: 

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. 

Three UK recycling logos.

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

Reflections on Earth Day: Recycling’s Gaps & Opportunities

A black and blue bin stand in front of trees.

Reflections on Earth Day: Recycling’s Gaps & Opportunities

April 22, 2024

Before the first Earth Day in 1970, the natural environment across the United States seemed to be in tatters. Oil splurged across the shores of Santa Barbara, smog blanketed skies in Los Angeles, and oil-coated rivers caught fire in Ohio. Dennis Hayes, an organizer of the first Earth Day, helped turn those tatters into action, “Earth Day gathered up those strands, and dozens more, and knitted them together in the public consciousness as ‘environmental’ issues.”

In the years that followed, the passage of legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water acts and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency marked seismic shifts in our country’s environmental response. Throughout that same decade though, a more mundane shift that would help curb pollution, save energy, and conserve water was underway.

Recycling was picking up steam.

Throughout the 1970s, communities across the country rolled out curbside recycling programs, they built the first MRFs, and importantly, they helped make recycling a mainstream concept.

Today we know the potential that recycling—and other solutions like sustainable design, reuse, and compostable packaging—have on our environment, energy, and water. In the decades since that first Earth Day, the recycling system has seen incredible innovations, from large-scale curbside recycling programs to robotic sorting machines. But we’ve also seen the recycling system struggle to keep pace with production.

I’m sure you’ve heard statistics like this: Only 9% of plastics are recycled, or maybe that plastic waste makes up 80% of marine pollution. These widely dispersed statistics are emblematic of the public conversation about recycling—a conversation that’s focused on the system’s shortcomings. Take the perspective of Wasteland author, Oliver Franklin-Wallis:

“Recycling has been called a myth and beyond fixing as we’ve learned that recyclables are being shipped overseas and dumped (true), are leaching toxic chemicals and microplastics (true) and are being used by Big Oil to mislead consumers about the problems with plastics.”

Franklin-Wallis has traveled the world to investigate and research the global waste system, meeting with waste pickers and MRF administrators alike. In his research, he found what rang true to the first Earth Day organizers: We have one Earth, it’s connected, and consequently, the waste we produce doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it has repercussions that ring around the world.

In his latest piece for The New York Times, Franklin-Wallis helps characterize the public sentiment around recycling, but, more vitally, he outlines the solutions toward fixing a system with incredible potential.

So this Earth Day, the How2Recycle team is breaking down Franklin-Wallis’ insights and following his lead. We’re looking clear-eyed at the gaps in the recycling system to inform concrete solutions. In doing so, we hope that by next Earth Day, recycling—at least our corner of the system—will reap better outcomes for our environment.

The Gaps in Recycling

In his opinion-editorial, Franklin-Wallis points out several prominent flaws in the recycling system.

For starters, one of the most often discussed flaws in the recycling system is that plastics are recycled much less frequently than the public assumes. Franklin-Wallis cites statistics showing that the PET recycling rate is about 30%. He points to other plastics that fare worse, with recycling rates below 10%. To consumers, the takeaway from these statistics could be that 70%-90% of the waste they recycle isn’t getting recycled. The reality is that these gaps exist largely because 79% of recyclable waste never even enters the system—which needs to be solved. And the effect is that trust in the system is eroded.

Franklin-Wallis also sheds light on the fact that, in the United States, landfilling is quite prominent compared to other major economies: “According to the E.P.A., America’s national recycling rate, just 32 percent, is lower than Britain’s 44 percent, Germany’s 48 percent and South Korea’s 58 percent.” Together, a low recycling rate and a high landfill rate create a sort of one-two punch, undermining trust in the system.

However, what might be most visible to the public is the pervasive downstream effects of low recycling rates paired with high landfill rates. In his book, Wasteland: The Secret World of Waste and the Urgent Search for a Cleaner Future, Franklin-Wallis points out that, with time, landfills pose greater environmental threats, “Over time, they erode, until inevitably they spill their contents.” The combination of low recycling rates, high landfill rates, and the addition of any polluted waste, paves the way for marine waste and microplastic pollution, both of which garner significant attention.

Taken together, Franklin-Wallis creates a clear narrative throughline: The recycling system is “broken,” the alternative (landfilling) is dangerous, and the consequences to our health and our environment are pervasive.

He identifies the gaps in the system but looks to the past to inspire improvement rather than abandoning recycling: “Yes, recycling is broken, but abandon it too soon, and we risk going back to the system of decades past, in which we dumped and burned our garbage without care…”

And so, we turn to the promise of an improved recycling system.

The Promise of an Improved Recycling System

Recycling has untapped—or perhaps less noted—potential. From an economic point of view, as Franklin-Wallis points out that more recycling means more jobs: Recycling creates as many as 50 jobs for every one created by sending waste to landfills.

Of course, from an environmental perspective, recycling has incredible benefits. When we recycle instead of landfill, we can reduce landfills’ methane emissions. Franklin-Wallis points to improved energy efficiency and water conservation as well, with steel recycling saving 72% of the energy and 40% of water it would take to produce new steel.

So, how can we meet that potential?

In his editorial, Franklin-Wallis proposes several solutions for improving the recycling system, including:

  • Government intervention
  • Responsible design from companies
  • Transparency around recycling rates
  • Clear labeling

Labeling is where we come in. Clear labeling leads to clear decisions. Our research shows that 87% of consumer participants found the How2Recycle label to be helpful for informing their disposal action.

Of course, we also hope that this clarity—understanding what you can and can’t recycle—does more than inform one person’s disposal decision. Clear labeling can increase consumers’ participation in the recycling system, and directly impact broader recycling rates. Plus, at a deeper level, we want consumers to feel empowered in their informed decision-making so that we can help to restore trust in the recycling system’s potential to improve environmental outcomes.

Our labels help to demystify the recycling process for consumers, but our work doesn’t start—or end—there. The team at How2Recycle helps members improve packaging design and the quality of recycled materials. We also conduct rigorous recyclability assessments and consumer research to ensure that our labeling is both accurate and actionable.

From the moment a piece of packaging crosses our desks for assessment to the time of disposal for a product, we’re working to make sure that we capitalize on the potential in the recycling system.

Still, our work isn’t over. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far as an organization, but we won’t ignore the problems still looming in the recycling system. That’s why, this Earth Day, we’re looking at the problems directly that expert Oliver Franklin-Wallis outlined, and we’re promising to continue working toward solutions—like improved packaging design, on-pack labels, and consumer education tools—alongside our members to address these problems and drive better environmental outcomes.

Learn more about our work to drive responsible recycling and design or become a member to help your organization reach your recyclability potential.

 

By MK Moore, Communications, Content & Design Manager