Education on recyclable packaging remains priority

The packaging industry has an important teaching mission, in terms of recycling its products, marketers say.

“It’s important for corrugated materials to include recycling information,” said Nicole Lipson, segment marketing manager with Atlanta-based box maker WestRock.

Consumers most likely are aware that corrugated packaging is recyclable and are only limited to what recycling programs in their area offer, Lipson said.

“It’s important to recycle because that’s how WestRock and other companies make more packaging,” she said.

WestRock’s folding carton division has excelled at keeping consumers’ needs in mind while leveraging what a sustainable package can do for a brand, said Kris Lyon, strategic marketing manager.

“Our designs provide more billboard space, help tell a brand’s sustainability goal, can help ‘protect’ and display their product and can differentiate them from their competition on shelf,” Lyon said.

With this additional advertising space, brands can educate their consumers that their packaging is recyclable through graphics or even QR codes, Lyon said.

“By utilizing some of our substrates that look natural, consumers are more likely to recycle their package at home because it already looks recyclable,” she said.

“Adding additions of graphics, labels or QR codes which confirm this to be true is added confirmation.”

Informing the public

Customers need information about recycling, said Karen Reed, marketing and communications director with Union Gap, Wash.-based closure maker Kwik Lok Corp.

“It all starts with educating our customer so that they are aware of the variety of solutions we offer and choose the one that aligns with their regulatory environment and their values,” she said.

“This is also where we benefit from collaboration.”

Working with private organizations, regulators, partners and even other packaging segments is important, Reed said.

“Consumers are confused about what is recyclable, what is compostable and what needs to go in the garbage bin,” she said.

“Recycling doesn’t work if the waste stream is not clean and some recyclable solutions have very high carbon footprints.”

A viable option for educating consumers across North America is to use the How2Recyle labeling system, which is designed to convey recycling instructions in simple terms, Reed said.

“It standardizes the labeling system and clearly communicates the instructions,” she said.

Wenatchee, Wash.-based fruit grower-shipper Stemilt Growers LLC employs the How2Recycle labeling, said Brianna Shales, senior marketing manager.

“It goes through a certification process that looks at every component of the package, from the handle to the ink, and of course the package materials, to determine if it is recyclable or not. Once we get H2R label approval, we can put the label on the bag and it directs consumers what to do with the package at home,” Shales said.

“For instance, our paper Farm & Famous tote bag is fully recyclable as long as it is ‘clean and dry.’ It makes it very easy for the consumer.”

Plant City, Fla.-based berry grower-shipper Wish Farms is focused on using recyclable plastic as part of a comprehensive sustainability effort, said Nick Wishnatzki, marketing projects manager.

“The plastic used in our clamshells is 100% recyclable PET No. 1,” he said.

Currently, some material recovery facilities discard clamshells because the labels do not wash away during the recycling process, but Wish Farms has come up with a solution to that problem, Wishnatzki said.

“In an effort to make our plastic packages more recyclable, we will begin trials this Florida strawberry season on a new label that washes away during the recycling process,” he said.

“If it passes our stress tests, we will be looking at transitioning to that label permanently.”

Wish Farms, along with the California Strawberry Commission, recently came together behind a resolution to use 100% recyclable clamshells by 2025, Wishnatzki said.

“This industry effort also includes education for consumers and for recycling facilities,” he said.

Collinsville, Ill.-based bag maker Sev-Rend Corp. also participates in How2Recycle and is active in the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, said Jeff Watkin, graphic and marketing manager.

“These are ideal outlets that work to help place icons on qualified packaging that gives the consumer clear understanding on the proper recycling options,” he said.

“We are a firm believer in the coalitions and have had a great experience with them on some of our client’s projects. The key to making recycling effective is to properly educate the public.”

Educating the public on recycling remains a challenge, however, said Michael Hayford, general sales manager-GP Corrugated, with Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific.

“As long as what is accepted for recycling varies from one community to the next, we will continue to have consumer confusion,” he said.

“New labeling like the How2Recycle label helps provide guidance to consumers on what is recyclable and how to recycle it.”

Recycling is a multifaceted issue that needs to be addressed in numerous ways, Hayford said.

“We also help our customers think about end-of-life for their packaging when determining their needs,” he said.

“Whether primary or secondary packaging, having that discussion up front yields better decisions that help customers meet their objectives.”

There is a good understanding of the recyclability of corrugated packaging, which has helped the industry maintain a collection rate around 90% for the past several years, Hayford said.

“Georgia-Pacific’s new Juno technology can help increase recycling in commercial settings without the need for consumers to sort what they throw away,” he said.

“Waste from airports, stadiums, office buildings and restaurants that isn’t currently recycled can be taken as-is and processed to extract the fiber for re-use. The remaining recyclables are sorted for their respective streams.”

Corrugated

It is helpful that consumers already are versed in recycling corrugated boxes, said Rachel Kenyon, senior vice president at the Itaska, Ill.-based Fibre Box Association.

“They have been doing it for 30 years, and there’s nothing complicated about it,” she said.

“Since the 1990s, the message has been reinforced with the ‘Corrugated Recycles’ emblem printed on the bottom panel of most boxes, too, providing consistent reminders that corrugated boxes can and should be recycled.”

Changes in the supply chain, specifically with the rise of e-commerce, however, make it more important than ever to maximize recovery via household recycling, Kenyon said.

“We learned in a recent study that urban, non-English-speaking and multifamily residential buildings are a largely untapped source where the recycling rate for corrugated can be improved,” she said.

“Public education will be needed to raise awareness and participation; information will have to be tailored to include local program criteria and communicate clearly in multilingual, increasingly diverse environments.”

Education on recyclable packaging remains priority

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