Consumer Brands Association, Recycling Partnership to add localized recycling data to product packaging

The Consumer Brands Association, Arlington, Virginia, and The Recycling Partnership (TRP), Washington, say they are teaming up to provide consumers with up-to-date, localized recycling instructions directly on product packaging through the Consumer Brands’ digital QR code labeling platform, SmartLabel.

The organizations say consumers can now scan the thousands of products already using SmartLabel to access TRP’s Recycle Check, a package-specific, data-driven solution to help navigate the recycling system.

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“Consumer confusion about recycling capabilities in their neighborhoods has been a longstanding challenge,” Consumer Brands Senior Director of SmartLabel Rishi Banerjee says. “The new ability to integrate Recycle Check local recycling information into SmartLabel means consumers can find out exactly how to recycle products in the zip code where they live—eliminating common questions about what is accepted for recycling and whether the cap should stay on, or a label should be peeled off.”

The organizations say SmartLabel products now integrating Recycle Check allow consumers to scan the QR code on the package, then enter their zip code or allow location permissions to access instructions on how and whether to recycle that product in their specific location.

The current, fragmented recycling framework nationwide has resulted in a patchwork of nearly 10,000 local recycling programs throughout the country, the organizations say, each with their own set of rules. According to a national research study conducted by TRP, 78 percent of respondents look at packaging labels to know whether a product is recyclable, but 63 percent still report confusion after looking at the label.

“Recycling confusion is a key factor in the two-thirds of household recyclables wasted each year,” TRP Chief Innovation Officer Sarah Dearman says. “With eight in 10 people saying recycling is worth the effort, we have an opportunity to provide clarity to combat the loss of recyclables.

“Providing clear, dynamic recycling information will be especially important as state-level policies change recyclability claims requirements,” she adds.

Consumer Brands says companies have already begun announcing plans to utilize Recycle Check, and the organization is encouraging the further adoption of SmartLabel.

“Consumer Brands appreciates The Recycling Partnership’s development of a new tool that can work in conjunction with SmartLabel to provide consumers with the information they need to ensure their recycling efforts line up with the rules specific to where they live,” Banerjee says. “I’m confident our collaboration on this issue will help move America’s recycling rates in the right direction, and I look forward to integrating even more valuable resources into SmartLabel in the future.”