Both savvy shoppers and consumer packaged goods companies are placing more emphasis on sustainability, reducing waste, and using less energy. As a brand owner, your sustainability goals are more important now than ever, as consumers begin seeking out brands focused on the environment.
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When it comes to packaging, it’s no surprise that brands are looking for eco-friendly packaging. While recyclable or compostable packaging are the two most common types of sustainable packaging, there is a third choice gaining traction on the shelf – post consumer recycled (PCR) packaging.
Post-consumer recycled content, often referred to as PCR, is material that is made from the items that consumers recycle every day, like aluminum, cardboard boxes, paper, and plastic bottles. These materials are typically collected by local recycling programs and shipped to recycling facilities to be sorted into bales, based on the material. The bales are then purchased and melted (or ground) into small pellets and molded into new items. The new PCR plastic material can then be used for a variety of finished products, including packaging.
Need it fast? We can help. Rollstock orders can ship in as little as 10 business days after artwork approval. Formed pouches in as little as 15!
Though PCR, recyclable, and compostable packaging are all sustainable packaging options, they each differ in the way that they are processed and what they can offer consumers.
PCR packaging is manufactured with film that is made from recycled materials. In general, PCR packaging, such as post consumer recycled plastic, cannot be recycled again since it’s already made from recycled materials. This allows brands to fulfill their sustainability goals, without relying on the consumer to recycle or compost the package after use.
A package is deemed recyclable when the materials can be processed and used again. Once the package enters the recycling stream, it is broken down into raw materials and sold to manufacturers. One potential downside of recyclable packaging is that the benefits are dependent on the consumer actually recycling the package, and knowing where to recycle the package.
Lastly, compostable packaging is packaging that breaks down completely in a compost site and leaves no toxic residue. In order for a plastic to be called compostable, it must biodegrade, or break down into carbon dioxide, water, or biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper). One potential downside of compostable packaging is that not all consumers have access to industrial composting facilities.
While all eco-friendly packaging options are a step in the right direction for brands looking to be more sustainable, PCR packaging, in particular, has some benefits that are worth discussing.
In general, PCR films are a great packaging option for brands looking for eco-friendly flexible packaging, and can be developed into stand up pouches, lay flat pouches, and rollstock. These films can be used in most industries including confection, coffee, baked goods, snacks, pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies, pet treats, and sports nutrition.
PCR packaging also matches the quality of regular flexible packaging. PCR film can offer the same level of protection, barrier performance, and strength as regular plastic film. You can rest assured knowing that PCR film will still block light, oxygen, and other gases from penetrating the package layer and getting into your product.
Lastly, and quite possibly the most obvious benefit, is that using PCR material can help your company reduce its carbon footprint, lessen its impact on landfills, and meet its overall sustainability goals.
The best part? PCR packaging is a great option for brands who want to offer a sustainable solution for consumers, with no requirements or actions needed on the consumer end, unlike recyclable and compostable packaging.
As you examine your company’s sustainability goals, consider partnering with a PCR packaging manufacturing. At ePac, we offer PCR pouches, rollstock, and lay-flat pouches in varying percentages, for any of your project’s custom flexible packaging needs. Our PCR film is FDA-compliant for direct food contact and can accommodate high-impact, photo-quality graphics. It’s just one of our sustainable flexible packaging services that we deliver for our customers. Ready to get started, or want to learn more? Call us today or request a quote and see how using PCR can help you meet your sustainability goals.
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The term “biodegradable” when used for marketing purposes includes a time component regarding the length of time it takes for the plastic to fully degrade. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s “Green Guides”: “It is deceptive to make an unqualified degradable claim for items entering the solid waste stream if the items do not completely decompose within one year after customary disposal. Unqualified degradable claims for items that are customarily disposed in landfills, incinerators, and recycling facilities are deceptive because these locations do not present conditions in which complete decomposition will occur within one year."
Plastics are derived from organic products. The materials used in the production of plastics are natural products such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and, of course, crude oil. Crude oil is a complex mixture of thousands of compounds. To become useful, it must be processed.
The production of plastic begins with a distillation process in an oil refinery involving the separation of heavy crude oil into lighter groups called fractions. Each fraction is a mixture of hydrocarbon chains (chemical compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen), which differ in terms of the size and structure of their molecules. One of these fractions, naphtha, is the crucial element for the production of plastics.1
Most petroleum-based plastic is not readily biodegradable; ie. it is not consumed by microorganisms and returned to compounds found in nature. What this means is that unless the petroleum-based plastic has been specifically designed to biodegrade, and although it may partially degrade, the plastic may last in the environment for tens to potentially hundreds of years, depending on the type of plastic and its disposal environment. The two major processes used to produce plastics are called polymerisation and polycondensation, and they both require specific catalysts. In a polymerisation reactor, monomers like ethylene and propylene are linked together to form long polymers chains. Each polymer has its own properties, structure and size depending on the various types of basic monomers used and that influence properties such as moldability and rigidity.
Plastic that is compostable is biodegradable, but not every plastic that is biodegradable is compostable. Whereas biodegradable plastic may be engineered to biodegrade in soil or water, compostable plastic refers to biodegradation into soil conditioning material (i.e., compost) under a certain set of conditions. In order for a plastic to be labeled as commercially “compostable” it must able to be broken down by biological treatment at a commercial or industrial composting facility. Composting utilizes microorganisms, heat and humidity to yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass that is similar in characteristic to the rest of the finished compost product. Decomposition of the plastic must occur at a rate similar to the other elements of the material being composted (within 6 months) and leave no toxic residue that would adversely impact the ability of the finished compost to support plant growth. ASTM Standards D and D outline the specifications that must be met in order to label a plastic as commercially “compostable”. There are currently no ASTM standard test methods in place for evaluating the ability of a plastic to compost in a home environment.
Biobased plastics are manufactured from plant materials instead of being made from oil or natural gas. Because they are plant based, there is a tendency to assume that this type of plastic must be biodegradable. However, biobased plastics can be designed to be structurally identical to petroleum based plastics, and if designed in this way, they can last in the environment for the same period of time as petroleum based plastic. Just as with petroleum-based plastics, biobased plastic can be engineered to be biodegradable or to be compostable.
The ability of biobased plastics to be recycled varies. Some forms of biobased plastic cannot be recycled together with petroleum-based plastics due to chemical structure incompatibility, while other biobased plastics may have compatible chemical structures that allow for recycling together with petroleum-based plastics. In order to determine what waste disposal options are available for a biobased plastic item, it is necessary to read the product’s label as to its compostability and recyclability.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International) sets definitions and standards, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for enforcement against false or deceptive product labeling.
No. Unless the label indicates that the product is okay for home composting, you should not try to compost it at home. Plastic that is labeled as compostable is generally intended to be sent to an industrial or commercial composting facility which has higher temperatures and different breakdown conditions than those found in a typical homeowner’s compost bin. If your community has a residential compost collection program, check with your local government or recycling company to find out if they will accept compostable plastic under this program.
No. Compostable plastics are not intended for recycling and can contaminate and disrupt the recycling stream if intermixed with petroleum-based plastics that are non-compostable. If your community does not have a composting recycling pick-up program that accepts compostable plastic, contact your garbage/recycling company or local government to find out if there are any drop-off locations for your compostable plastic items.
Until recently, many consumers were advised to take the caps off and dispose of them in the garbage can before placing the bottle in the recycling bin. However, processing technology has improved to the extent that the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers now recommends that plastic lids be left on the containers as they are placed in the recycling bins. At facilities with newer processing technology, the bottles (with caps on) will be ground into flakes before being washed and the cap flakes separated from the bottle flakes during a water bath float/sink process and then both types of plastic can then be captured and recycled. Note, however, that due to the fact that not all recyclers may have equipment that enables processing of the bottles with caps left on, that you should check with your local recycling facility to see what their policy is with regard to disposal of the bottle caps.
Contact your local government or recycling company to find out whether this practice is allowed, as policies on this vary. Loose plastic bags are difficult to handle in the recycling stream and can clog equipment. Some recycling companies allow recycling of single use bags if they are bundled together in a tight, tied package. Many supermarkets and “big box” stores have recycling bins for the collection of single-use plastic bags.
The Pollution Prevention Act establishes a national objective for environmental protection: “[T]hat pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible.” Similarly, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act sets the order of preference for managing materials as: source reduction, reuse, recycling, and disposal.
With these objectives in mind, a number of communities are initiating bans of plastic bags that are intended for single use, such as those commonly provided in grocery stores. The rationale behind the bag bans includes the following:
The various bag bans differ but typically contain many of the same elements:
Contact us to discuss your requirements of pcr plastic recycling company. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.