While post consumer recycled resin seems to be the leading option to accomplish packaging sustainability in the industry, there are several considerations to make when sourcing PCR material:
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There are four main plastics used in packaging: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Currently, high density polyethylene (HDPE) and PET recycling are more common than others. The infrastructure is built to support the collection of these materials and many CPGs lead initiatives to educate consumers to recycle. PP is readily recyclable but needs more infrastructure and education around the material. Finally, PS is also recyclable as it is extremely tolerant to “re-melting,” but its collection presents difficulties due to its form factor.
Certain plastics are like oil and water—they don’t mix well. The contamination caused by their mixing, or worse yet, the addition of other factors (such as food, dirt, or other contaminants) can render the resins very difficult to reuse. The makeup of the post consumer resins can be a big obstacle in the industry’s endeavor to achieve a truly circular economy, which is a critical piece for packaging sustainability.
In addition, based on your company’s performance requirements of the product, the mixing of the materials can lead to further complications in achieving goals. Almost 60% of European plastics converting companies find it “hard” or “very hard” to reuse plastic scrap due to contamination, according to a European Plastics Converters Association study.
Then how can you ensure 100% purity for packaging materials?
The first step is to establish a set of recycled material goals for your product. Then, you need to partner with your supplier to evaluate and understand their sources and supply chain. They must have the appropriate quality controls and tests in place to ensure the material supplied meets your product’s specifications.
Therefore, it is imperative that you have full visibility into your supplier ecosystem and a strong understanding of how the post-consumer recycled plastic was sourced, processed and produced.
Not every type of recycled resin works for every use case or complies with applicable regulations.
In the United States, the FDA has guidelines for the use of recycled plastics in food packaging. Specifically, they have three concerns that:
Europe has more stringent guidelines. Under a regulation set over a decade ago, only “food-contact materials and articles that contain recycled plastic obtained from an authorized recycling process” may be used in the EU.
It is very likely that in the future more industry standards will be developed, and perhaps also government regulation, to ensure the material really is what it should be. Brands once again can partner with governments worldwide to help shape regulation and drive post consumer recycled content forward.
Over the long term, this area will become more like medicine or food—when we go to a grocery or drug store, we hardly ever think about whether the medicine or food is “good” or “safe.” We rely on the system in the background which ensures that it is.
Finding a steady source of high-quality post consumer recycled plastic is a difficult endeavor today. Consumers are not yet recycling enough plastic waste worldwide—which drastically impacts the supply. The reasons vary from geographically different regulations to the additional cost customers must occasionally incur to recycle. Furthermore, while many understand the importance of recycling, many are also confused on how to properly do it.
With such high demand for recycled materials, brands and packaging integrators must treat the sourcing of these resins as a partnership with their supplier, rather than a transactional exchange. Unlike sourcing virgin material, brands, converters and suppliers must work as a team and make the proper investments to build a viable infrastructure. Sometimes, that means launching community initiatives.
PepsiCo, for example, recognizes the importance of bringing all stakeholders together. To support the development of packaging sustainability, they launched PepsiCo Recycling, an initiative to improve plastics recycling infrastructure and raise awareness on the issue worldwide. With their partnerships through the program, they’ve provided recycling access to 33 million households across 700 communities in the U.S. since , collecting more than 115 million pounds of plastic bottle and recyclables.
These types of partnerships and investments can help you reach your sustainable packaging goals while making a big difference for the environment. Watch Jabil's documentary: The Sustainable Packaging Revolution for a better understanding of how integrators like Jabil, KW Plastics and Danimer Scientific are bringing innovative packaging solutions to the market.
While long-term partnerships and investments into the larger ecosystem will help to ensure a steady supply of post-consumer recycled resins, end-of-life must be addressed at the very beginning with product design. As it stands currently, approximately 30 percent of plastic packaging will never be reused or recycled without fundamental redesign or innovation, according to the World Economic Forum.
The current recycling infrastructure needs an overhaul, but brands can design their packages to optimize recyclability while working within the boundaries of the current infrastructure. This can be accomplished in different ways, such as making components out of a single polymer family, tethering a cap to a bottle or by minimizing how the packaging is assembled so it can be easily separated when necessary.
No, APR Design® Recognition is an assessment of the technical recyclability of a package or packaging component. In order to be considered “recyclable,” companies need to meet these design requirements, and also consider consumer access to recycling, acceptance of a package in the recycling stream, and the existence of end-markets for products made from the recycled plastic.
Costs vary depending on the program pathway, APR member status, and company size. For Critical Guidance and Responsible Innovation applications the fee is $6,000 for APR members and $9,000 for APR non-members. Preferred Design fees vary from $1,250 to $10,000. Please see the fee schedule within Appendix #2 of the operating procedures for more details.
No, as APR Design® Recognition is only a technical assessment, the logo is not to be used on any consumer-facing packaging. The use of the logo is allowed in Business-to-Business sales literature, advertising, and press releases when following the guidelines of use.
Post-consumer resin (PCR), also known as post-consumer recycled content, is plastic material that can no longer be used for its intended purpose. It can be generated by households or by commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product. PCR is different than PIR (Post-industrial resin/recycled content). PIR is material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process.
The APR PCR Certification program provides transparency to support a reliable, robust PCR market. Reclaimers can choose from multiple APR-approved certification bodies (CB) to conduct an independent audit against the requirements of the APR standards and, upon successful completion, issue APR PCR certification. Brand companies and converters can commit to using certified PCR along with their APR PCR certification to promote a chain of custody along the supply chain. In addition to taking a leadership role in reducing plastic waste, certified companies are preparing for upcoming regulations and helping to protect against reputational and legal challenges.
The APR PCR Certification Program has three components:
The APR standard has been written in coordination with EU RecyClass’s Audit Scheme for Recycled Plastics Traceability and associated modules in an effort to provide needed global harmonization and more efficient processing for multinational companies. Interested organizations should be able to complete audits and receive certification for both standards at the same time while reducing costs as the standard requirements are harmonized. Please check with your selected Certification Body to confirm.
Companies currently certified to the APR guidelines will have a grace period to convert to the new updated APR PCR Certification standards over the course of an audit cycle. Depending on when a certified organization is due for recertification, they may opt to certify to the previous APR program or certify to the new standard.
The new program launched in November, , and has set the following transition guidelines:
Any organization generating PCR pellet, flake or a product containing PCR or performing a portion of the associated manufacturing processes can get certified through this program. Organizations who receive certification are recognized on the APR website in a directory of certified PCR. Any brand companies or converters can use our listing to find certified PCR.
Certifying companies can apply for endorsement from APR, to become an auditor.
The cost will vary based on the number of products being certified, the number and size of sites being audited, how much the certification bodies charge and several other factors. You can expect the cost for the certification process to begin at approximately $5,000 USD. Contact the APR-approved certifying bodies to request a quote.
APR charges an annual fee of $850 USD for members or $ USD for non-members, which covers APRs cost for administering the certification program. This fee will be collected at the time of the audit in conjunction with the certification body fees.
This Program was created to strengthen and increase plastic recycling. The APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability helps companies design packaging from the start so that it can be recycled, and the APR PCR Certification program builds on the APR Design Guide to promote and ensure a reliable, robust market for the production and consumption of recycled content in the form of postconsumer resin (PCR.) This program strengthens the demand for PCR by providing confidence to buyers that the PCR they seek is legitimate, while simultaneously promoting the legitimate PCR for sale by plastics reclaimers.
PIR (post-industrial resin) typically has a specification that is consistent and predictable, which means it already easily finds a market and has a strong demand. In order to move to a circular economy and help turn old plastic packaging into new recycled content, we believe the industry must focus on strengthening and promoting the PCR market
This program focuses on tracking the flow of PCR through the recycling process and subsequent sale to the next link in the supply chain. Although APR believes that chemical recycling can work alongside mechanical recycling to process plastics not easily recycled by mechanical means, the current version of APR’s standard focuses on mechanical recycling. APR will be releasing an addendum detailing circumstances where they may consider certifying chemical recycling.
Want more information on Post Consumer Recycled Resin? Feel free to contact us.
Yes. APR updated the program to provide the industry with standards for certifying the recycling process from the reclaimer through sales of converted and end products (finished goods). By certifying the process, it ensures that the goods produced through the certified supply chain links meet the requirements of the standard throughout the process.
PCR is becoming a requirement in many states. As of August , it has been added into content mandate laws in California, Washington, New Jersey and using PCR is an incentive in some states with EPR legislation, including Oregon, Maine and Colorado. APR has provided technical expertise and counsel to many state legislators as they discuss certification as a way to enforce these laws.
PCR is also a requirement of voluntary commitments– such as Ellen McArthur Foundation, US Plastics Pact, and the Canadian Plastics Pact. Buying or selling certified PCR can help to meet your company meet voluntary commitments and minimum content requirements as well as protect against possible reputational challenges.
Supporting PCR Certification is important for both buyers and sellers of recycled content. As a brand
company, you play an important role by requesting certified PCR from your vendors. You can start by making sure your procurement teams know what questions to ask when inquiring about PCR and you can go further by requiring certified PCR in your contracts. See additional PCR Certification Procurement Guidance.
Additionally, brand and packaging manufacturers can get final packaging certified through the APR PCR Certification program, to meet legislative and voluntary recycled content requirements.
Certification benefits the entire industry. PCR Certification will be a simple step for reclaimers that have
robust Quality Assurance (QA) procedures in place and are confident in their material sources, and it will
encourage positive change in those who do not. PCR Certification will help build a more stable and reliable
PCR industry.
Audits that support FDA and food-grade compliance are focused on the quality of materials for health
purposes. PCR certification audits focus on the source of the materials for circularity purposes. Both are
important, but the process is different. PCR certification is a relatively simple process and much of the supporting documentation for your FDA audits can be used to fulfill PCR certification requirements.
PCR supply is low today and that is a challenge for many companies. And when buyers signal more demand,
that is often what helps to change the market and lead to increased production and supply. This is true for
certified PCR as well. Many reclaimers are waiting for buyers to demand certification. The purchasing
practices of converters and brand companies are integral to developing a stable PCR market. Long term
contracts provide reclaimers with the certainty to invest in increasing the supply and quality of the PCR they
manufacture. And reclaimers will also make the investment to get certified, which helps build a more stable
and reliable PCR industry.
Creating a reliable, transparent and robust market for PCR is necessary to build a truly circular economy, and
taking the first steps today—whether it is giving procurement teams a list of questions to ask, or requiring
certified PCR—will enable you to achieve long-term goals.
The new updated APR standard focuses on certifying the production processes throughout the supply chain to ensure accurate, consistent and robust accounting of the PCR content at every step. Although there may be different or additional items in each of the standards such as environmental or process elements, the overall focus on traceability of the PCR content remains the same and many of the elements of the standards are consistent or similar throughout all the standard documents.
As many as you want! We encourage APR members to get many employees involved from a variety of roles and departments. You will be able to add up to 20 users initially, but please contact us if you need more seats.
When you add an employee to your company membership, you invite them to create an individual login and profile. They can use this to access member benefits such as:
This will also add them to the APR member distribution list to receive APR newsletters and updates on events and programs. All recipients can unsubscribe at any time.
Only your company’s primary contact has permissions to add and remove individual users from your company membership. If you don’t know who your company’s primary contact is, please contact us—we can direct you to the appropriate person with instructions they can use to add new users.
Please reach out to your company’s primary contact—this is the person with permissions to invite you to create a profile under your company’s membership. This will get you added to the distribution list for APR newsletters and other updates on APR events and programs. Creating a profile under your company’s membership also gives you access to members-only resources in the APR Member Hub.
Not sure who your primary contact is? Please contact us.
There could be a few reasons for this. Most likely, APR’s emails are being caught in your company’s firewall. Please check with your IT department to ensure emails from [ protected] are allowed and not flagged as spam. You can also check your spam or junk folders, and add [ protected] to your address book or safe sender list.
If you’ve unsubscribed by accident, you can click the “unsubscribe” link in one of our emails again to re-subscribe.
Yes, a member or non-member registration fee applies for each attendee, and rates increase as the meeting date approaches. Registration fees include access to all sessions, receptions, and meals.
Hotel and travel costs are not included in the registration fee. A discounted hotel rate is available if you book using the reservation link APR provided by APR on the event webpage.
You need to have an individual profile under your company’s membership. You will be required to sign in to your member account to complete your registration.
Need access? Only your company’s primary contact can manage which individuals have access to your company’s membership. Please contact us to find out who your primary contact is and how that person can add users.
If your company is considering becoming an APR member, you may attend one (and only one) APR member meeting for the purpose of evaluating APR whether membership would be a good fit for your company. You are welcome to send as many people from your company as you’d like; there will be a non-member registration fee for each person.
To complete your non-member registration and learn more about APR membership, please contact APR Member Services Manager Rachel Nathanson.
We welcome and encourage attendees from different departments and roles at APR member meetings. Due to the nature of member meeting space and scheduling requirements, it us unfortunately unavoidable that some committee meetings will overlap. To determine how many and which people should attend, you may want to consider:
Approximately one week after the member meeting, APR members receive a recap with links to all meeting materials. These materials can also be found in the APR Member Hub, where you can also find materials from past Member Meetings.
If you attended the meeting as a non-member, you will receive access to all available meeting materials after joining.
Thank you for attending! We hope you found the meeting valuable. To access meeting materials, continue attending APR Member Meetings, and get involved in committees and working groups, your company will need to become a member. Please feel free to contact us to learn more about membership.
Registered member meeting attendees will receive the attendee list as part of a digital attendee packet in the pre-meeting that typically goes out the week before the meeting, as well as in the daily emails that go out each morning during the meeting.
Only your company’s primary contact has permissions to add and remove individual users from your company membership. If you don’t know who your company’s primary contact is, please contact us. Primary contacts can use the instructions here to add and remove users.
Please reach out to your company’s primary contact—this is the person with permissions to invite you to create a profile under your company’s membership. This will get you added to the distribution list for APR newsletters and other updates on APR events and programs. Creating a profile under your company’s membership also gives you access to members-only resources in the APR Member Hub.
Not sure who your primary contact is? Please contact us.
There could be a few reasons for this. Most likely, APR’s emails are being caught in your company’s firewall. Please check with your IT department to ensure emails from [ protected] are allowed and not flagged as spam. You can also check your spam or junk folders, and add [ protected] to your address book or safe sender list.
If you’ve unsubscribed by accident, you can click the “unsubscribe” link in one of our emails again to re-subscribe.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of recycled abs plastic granules for sale. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.