Consumers: The solution to recycling?

Have we given up on changing consumer behavior around package material recycling? Or, are there tools that we can use to ‘move the needle forward.’ Earth911 thinks change is possible.

Sandra Lewis, Vice President of Government Relations and Industry Affairs, Earth911, Inc.
Sandra Lewis, Vice President of Government Relations and Industry Affairs, Earth911, Inc.

When it comes to the less-than-stellar recycling rates for packaging materials in the U.S., it’s not the recycling infrastructure that’s at fault; it’s the industry’s efforts at communicating to consumers how to recycle that is lacking. That’s according to Sandra Lewis, Vice President of Government Relations and Industry Affairs at Earth911, Inc., who spoke on “Emerging Trends and Technology in Food Packaging Recycling” at the 2013 Global Sustainability Summit. The summit, an annual event organized by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Assn. (GMA), took place this year in Seattle and was aptly titled, “Uncover the Possibilities.”

Lewis, a compelling speaker who has presented at numerous sustainable packaging-related events, made an excellent case to audience members on the confusion facing consumers today related to proper recycling, and on ways brand owners can begin “move the needle forward” in regards to packaging material recovery.

Setting the stage, Lewis used select examples from the Earth911.com recycling database to demonstrate how complex the issue of recycling is for consumers given the lack of consistency and standardization across municipalities and materials. For example, whereas a clear glass bottle may be recyclable in many parts of a given state, not so for colored glass bottles. The same may hold true for a rigid high-density polyethylene container with a narrow neck versus one with a wide-mouth opening, etc. “Now a consumer has to think, ‘What color is my glass? What shape is my container? What’s inside my container? What’s the number on my container?’” Lewis said. “And we wonder, ‘Why don’t more people recycle? Why is it only 30 percent? I don’t understand, it’s not like it’s that hard.’”

Lewis noted that many of the industry’s ideas around increasing recycling rates tend to focus on investments and changes in the country’s recycling infrastructure. But, as Ameripen’s recent 100 Cities study revealed, we have the necessary infrastructure; it’s just not being utilized. “Before we swap out our nation’s entire recycling infrastructure, let’s get consumers to utilize it,” Lewis advised.

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