Technological watch
APR creates catalog to help with global plastics recycling
U.S.-based Association of Plastic Recyclers is launching a new global design catalog to help companies navigate various plastics recyclability guidelines around the world.
APR frequently updates its own Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability, but has often talked about the difficulties for companies to navigate different guidelines around the globe.
So the Feb. 17 launch of the APR Global Design Catalog creates what the trade group calls "comprehensive resource to access the most current plastic packaging recyclability guidelines for countries and regions around the world."
"Due to the differences in operational recycling systems and EPR [extended producer responsibility] requirements among countries, harmonizing design for recyclability across the globe is a challenging endeavor," APR CEO Steve Alexander said in a statement. "APR's Global Design Catalog gives you all the design requirements at your fingertips, to assist in comparing and contrasting best design practices in different countries."
Recycling and processing systems vary from country to country and region to region, APR said. "Many of them oversee complex extended producer responsibility programs that hold manufacturers and suppliers accountable for the end-of-life fate of packaging materials. EPR programs in virtually all jurisdictions reference some design for recyclability index to encourage companies to design more sustainable packaging."
APR's new catalog contains information from the European Union, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Plans are to add additional countries in the near future.
Resins covered in the category include rigid PET, rigid high-density polyethylene, rigid polypropylene and flexible PE film.
"Design for recyclability is key to creating a circular economy for plastics packaging," said Alexander, who sees the catalog as a complement to APR's own design guide.
More information about accessing the online catalog through a subscription is available on APR's website at www.plasticsrecycling.org/apr-global-guidance. The subscription is free to APR members.
APR frequently updates its own Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability, but has often talked about the difficulties for companies to navigate different guidelines around the globe.
So the Feb. 17 launch of the APR Global Design Catalog creates what the trade group calls "comprehensive resource to access the most current plastic packaging recyclability guidelines for countries and regions around the world."
"Due to the differences in operational recycling systems and EPR [extended producer responsibility] requirements among countries, harmonizing design for recyclability across the globe is a challenging endeavor," APR CEO Steve Alexander said in a statement. "APR's Global Design Catalog gives you all the design requirements at your fingertips, to assist in comparing and contrasting best design practices in different countries."
Recycling and processing systems vary from country to country and region to region, APR said. "Many of them oversee complex extended producer responsibility programs that hold manufacturers and suppliers accountable for the end-of-life fate of packaging materials. EPR programs in virtually all jurisdictions reference some design for recyclability index to encourage companies to design more sustainable packaging."
APR's new catalog contains information from the European Union, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Plans are to add additional countries in the near future.
Resins covered in the category include rigid PET, rigid high-density polyethylene, rigid polypropylene and flexible PE film.
"Design for recyclability is key to creating a circular economy for plastics packaging," said Alexander, who sees the catalog as a complement to APR's own design guide.
More information about accessing the online catalog through a subscription is available on APR's website at www.plasticsrecycling.org/apr-global-guidance. The subscription is free to APR members.
This project has been co-funded with the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union [LIFE17 ENV/ES/000438] Life programme
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