Not for profit sustainability organisation GreenBlue has announced details for a 2012 national pilot of the new Packaging Recovery Label System, a voluntary label developed by the organisation’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) to communicate to consumers how to recycle a package after its use.
The following companies have agreed to implement the label on select packaging nationwide: ConAgra Foods, Costco Wholesale, Microsoft, REI, and Seventh Generation.
The goals of the labelling system are to reduce confusion for consumers with clear instructions on how to recycle a package after its use, and to develop a consistent, accurate labelling system for companies that adheres to the Federal Trade Commission ‘Green Guides’ and uses nationally accurate recyclability data.
“Consumers are faced with a confusing landscape of recycling messages and instructions that are often inconsistent or misleading,” said GreenBlue project manager, Anne Bedarf, who has led development of the labelling system for the SPC. “We believe this label will create a harmonised system that will help consumers and companies contribute to more effective resource recovery.”
Given that recycling systems vary significantly by municipality across the country, each package component is labelled as widely recycled, not yet recycled, or limited recycling with instructions for consumers on how to check locally. The system was based on the successful OPRL system in the UK and developed through over three years of research, including extensive consumer testing and a national effort to collect updated recyclability data.
GreenBlue has launched a website for consumers as part of the labelling system, which provides information on how to check locally, including information for local governments and companies interested in getting involved. Following the conclusion of the pilot phase, the label will be available to any interested companies to use.
GreenBlue also released its new Labelling for Package Recovery report, which details the current challenges with inconsistent and misleading labels on packages, evaluates two international packaging recovery labelling systems, and discusses how an effective labelling scheme could address shortcomings of the US recycling and recovery system.
The Labelling for Package Recovery report is available free to download at: www.greenblue.org/publications.
Source: GreenBlue
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