Author: MK Moore

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. Plus, we’ll give members the option to pair the refreshed label design with a dynamic QR code on their packaging. 

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 when members opt to add a dynamic label onto their packaging, we’ll continue to pair it with a standard label to 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 most 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 live news page, Packaging Dive tracks everything from PFAS policy to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bills across state legislatures. You can check out this page to see the latest updates from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon, this page lists legislation based on the date it was signed into law. You can also filter by state, policy area, status, and year approved to narrow in on any specific packaging policy news. 

SPC’s EPR Guide

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

EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Page

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

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC)

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

Monthly Packaging Policy Roundup

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

Resource Recycling

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

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

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

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

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

Global Plastic Laws

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

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

 

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

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