A trade group representing plastics recyclers is out with new information to help people understand recyclability design guidelines for packaging and containers.
The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers has published design guidelines for 14 years, but the group expects a new executive summary will help reach a broader audience.
The guidelines “describe how a package design might impact conventional mechanical plastics recycling systems, be improved to avoid recycling problems, and be optimized to make plastic packages more compatible with current recycling systems,” the group said in a statement.
Many non-technical audiences, consumer products companies, packaging design experts and marketing and brand managers have sought a summary version of the guidelines, the group said.
“Recyclers tend to be the last to know about the impact of a new product or package design on the ability of the package to be recycled. Hopefully, this summary will help a broader audience consider the downstream implications of the recyclability of a package during the conceptual development stage,” APR's executive director, Steve Alexander, said in a statement.
The executive summary, as well as the full version of the design guidelines, is available at www.plasticsrecycling.org/technical-resources/apr-design-for-recyclability-guidelines.
The Washington-based association also has scheduled a webinar for Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. Eastern time to discuss the use of the guidelines. To register for the webinar, visit attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/443533447537141504.