Eleven years in the past, an bold new label, How2Recycle, emerged to make it simpler for U.S. shoppers to place their packaging in the correct place at end-of-use. It provides higher info than the options, and it’s rising.
But in that point, recycling charges haven’t dramatically risen; many activists consider that recycling, particularly for plastics, won’t ever work; and different labels proceed to confuse shoppers and hamper recycling.
On this difficult context, what’s it wish to swim upstream?
To search out out, I sat down with Karen Hagerman, director of the How2Recycle program. The nonprofit GreenBlue initially rolled out How2Recycle (H2R) in 2012 “to get extra supplies within the recycling bin by taking the guesswork out of recycling.” Aside from “a few one-offs,” no different nationwide system for labeling recyclable supplies exists both within the U.S. or Canada, she mentioned.
After greater than a decade, the H2R label has grown from a pilot program to at least one with over 500 model members together with Coca-Cola, Clorox and Basic Mills, a further 100 packaging producers or non-brand members and tens of hundreds of labels on packaging within the U.S. and Canada.
The improved info
How2Recycle has executed an amazing job of creating a extra detailed and useful label for recyclability as a result of, as the instance under exhibits, it breaks down a package deal by part — reminiscent of paper field or plastic tray — with particular directions for every.
![An example of a How2Recycle label for multi-component packaging. Credit: how2recycle.info](https://www.greenbiz.com/sites/default/files/2023-10/How2RecycleExample_700.jpeg)
It provides extra and higher info than non-standardized labels, such because the widespread chasing arrows image, which lacks the small print that will help you resolve the place to place a container — particularly as a result of the acceptance of sure supplies, reminiscent of polypropylene, varies by area, ZIP code and in some instances, which hauler companies your deal with.
The coverage dialogue
“One actually sizzling subject with the How2Recycle label, our membership and simply recyclability on the whole is all of the motion on coverage to manage recyclability messaging,” she mentioned, referring to California’s S.B. 343 fact in labeling regulation coming into impact in 2024. “It is actually difficult as a result of as we see that happen, (we’re) working at a nationwide scale, so determining how you can adapt to the totally different states whereas nonetheless speaking to a nationwide market is complicated.”
Backing up, How2Recycle is based on each the U.S. Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) Inexperienced Guides and the Canadian Competitors Bureau’s Environmental Claims and Greenwashing steering.
Hagerman described how H2R’s recyclability claims are primarily based on 5 pillars:
- Compliance with relevant regulation
- Recycling entry for the particular materials for not less than 60 p.c of households, a threshold outlined within the Inexperienced Guides
- Technical sortation of supplies
- Re-processability of the fabric
- The existence of an finish marketplace for the fabric
The difficult setting
To supply context for the setting wherein the H2R label operates, I regarded on the EPA’s most up-to-date knowledge about recycling charges, which is 5 years previous. Recycling charges for packaging general have risen from 38 p.c to 54 p.c between 2000 and 2018. However plastics recycling has barely budged, from 9 p.c to 14 p.c; it has remained at 14 p.c between 2010 and 2018. Aluminum recycling, in the meantime, has fallen from 44 p.c to 35 p.c.
It does not look like we’re shifting the needle in any respect. Why not?
As for these developments, in line with Hagerman, even the place supplies are collected and sorted, the info about what recycled uncooked materials feeds again into new merchandise is hard to return by.
![U.S. recycling rates, 2000-2018, based on EPA data.](https://www.greenbiz.com/sites/default/files/2023-10/USrecyclingrates2000to2018USEPA_600.png)
As well as, the privatized system within the U.S. for assortment, sorting and recycling leaves gaps. “The information exists,” Hagerman mentioned, “nevertheless it exists in such a fragmented manner.”
“I imply, I might love knowledge on the effectiveness of the How2Recycle label,” she added. “I might like to do bale audits and see: Does our label type accurately? Are shoppers really following the directions? Is materials making it to the correct place? What proportion of the cardboard bale has the How2Recycle label on it?
“These are issues we’re trying into and we’re making an attempt to extend our capability and assets to have the ability to get that knowledge, as a result of on the finish of the day I need to have the ability to inform companies and shoppers that sure, this label is efficient at rising the standard and amount within the recycling system. That is our mission.”
My takeaway is that you may solely enhance what you measure, and within the case of recycling, we’re not doing an amazing job of measuring.
What can we be taught from all this? Recycling is a programs situation. We will enhance packaging design, labeling, assortment and recycling infrastructure independently, however with out linking all of them collectively and creating finish markets, it’ll be troublesome to make headway.
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