Danone Adds Refreshed How2Recycle with Dynamic, Localized Recycle Check

The research revealed that language matters, too. For instance, indicating that packaging waste simply “is recyclable” is not nearly as powerful as a verb or an action instructing them to “recycle this.”

“That’s why you bring the smart people in, to ask the right questions to inform the design. Our designers even had their favorites, and many times those didn’t prove out in the research. We followed the research,” Nowak says.

“We hope the chasing arrows will persist for [packaging formats] that are still considered widely recyclable, mostly for the 60% and over access threshold,” he adds. “We’re showing Canada and FTC the data first, and then we’re showing different states the data, and we hope they agree with us. But we comply, we don’t lobby. And if our goal is future-proofing How2Recycle, and if [states] suddenly say chasing arrows are illegal, then we have a second version that that relies on another iconography. But I’m hopeful. I think California, specifically, wants to do the right thing. The law wasn’t meant to be punitive. Still, we have a Plan B because we feel that instruction on-pack is more important than a legacy symbol. We’re not dying on the chasing arrows hill.”Consumers preferred designs where all label components were contained within the rounded rectangle.

How2Recycle Pro, with and without arrows

How2Recycle Pro represents a refreshed messaging hierarchy. The outgoing How2Recycle Legacy symbol usage will be sunset as member brands transition into the How2Recycle Pro iconography. The family of redesigns imagines two futures—one where chasing arrows are allowed to persist, and one where they’re regionally outlawed.

With that backdrop in mind, a major refresh goal was to be more inclusive, and to meet the consumer where they are in store aisles and at the point of disposal. To do this, stakeholders say they needed to understand what language, symbols, and layout worked best for consumers. Two major rounds of research were conducted; here were the findings.

First, SPC member Quad conducted quantitative consumer research of more than 800 respondents across the U.S. Establishing a control, the study aimed to see if the current How2Recycle label could meaningfully evolve.

The on-tile symbols were found to have the strongest impact on people’s perception of the label. As materials became less recyclable, participants responded strongly to corresponding changes in symbols. Overall, symbols were the most influential factor, affecting 55% of respondents, compared to the second most influential, the material + noun combination (Glass Jar) at 14%.When asked “Which of these means recyclable to you?” respondents favored the existing chasing arrows symbol (left).

People also preferred symbols that were affirmative. They liked conformational symbols that communicated which stream a material was meant to go into, rather than the negative chasing arrow symbol with a slash through it, indicating ‘no.’ The top two performing sample sets in this round lacked the slashes. These ranked highest out of the control and five variable sample sets.

People tended to respond to language like “Widely Recyclable” or “Not Yet Recyclable,” language that didn’t exist on the legacy labels. They preferred text that gave clear direction, included action words, was precise, and left less room for interpretation. For example, “Do Not Recycle” tested more favorably than “Not Yet Recyclable.”

As Nowak mentioned, researched found brand equity in chasing arrows. Respondents found the existing bold chasing arrows both visually appealing and recognizable—84% of respondents recognized the How2Recycle label, and 91.2% had memory recall of the chasing arrows recycle symbol. The How2Recycle label also encouraged or influenced a purchase decision in 51% of respondents.

Consumers wanted to see references to recycling, no matter the material’s recyclability category. For example, the legacy labels issued for materials that are only recyclable in some communities read “Check Locally,” without the word “Recycling.” Consumers wanted to see some form of the word “Recycle” and preferred verbiage like “Contact Local Recycler.”

Round two of research

In another round of consumer testing, SPC surveyed 1,000 consumers across the U.S. to understand equity in the current How2Recycle label, the symbols that resonate with consumers and comply with legislation, and the verbiage that instills understanding and inspires action.

When several different designs were tested, consumers preferred bold but encapsulated designs, meaning they wanted to see every element of the How2Recycle label as congruent and contained within a rounded rectangle. Respondents preferred this format from an aesthetic perspective, but 75% of respondents agreed that it also captured their attention faster. Most respondents also showed a preference for bold, fully capitalized text within the tile.

People like written instructions. This round of testing substantiated and expanded on that insight, as consumers gravitated toward informative language that clearly, chronologically, told them what to do. For example, consumers preferred “Clean & Recycle” over the current “Recycle if Clean & Dry.” Researchers saw this trend—consumers’ preference for outlining their steps, in order—across several of the directions they tested.

The second round of testing further substantiated consumers’ preference for the chasing arrow. Respondents presented with a series of symbols and the word “RECYCLE” in tiles were asked, “Which of these means recyclable to you?” The winner was the existing chasing arrows symbol. The word “RECYCLE” came in second place, and the symbol that most closely mimicked the chasing arrows in third.How2Recycle Forward includes static How2Recycle Pro (right center icons) and How2Recycle Plus (far right) with Recycle Check.

How2Recycle Plus, powered by Recycle Check

In parallel to Pro, and under the same How2Recycle Forward umbrella, the new How2Recycle Plus tile designs feature data matrix or QR-based connectivity, letting consumers access The Recycling Partnership’s (TRP’s) database-backed Recycle Check platform.

Consumers scan the QR code, enter their zip code or allow location permissions, and receive a clear, yes/no answer on whether the material the label references is accepted for recycling in their community. How2Recycle Plus featuring Recycle Check draws from TRP’s National Recycling Database, which includes acceptance data across more than 9,000 unique community recycling programs, representing 99% of the U.S. population.

Recycle Check launched last year with two early adopters, Horizon Organic cartons and General Mills’ Pillsbury pie tray. Notably, those two pilots were also in collaboration with How2Recycle and Nowak’s team, indicating that a collaboration was likely in the offing early on.

“When we brought Recycle Check into the world, we absolutely had hoped that we could partner with How2Recycle,” adds Huded. Sure enough, “we’ve been working closely with the How2Recycle team and the SPC Label Design Collaborative headed up by Brandi Parker to ask, ‘What do they look like coming together?’

“We know that the industry doesn’t need another label,” she continues. “Eight in 10 Americans know the How2Recycle label. We just need to give them more support and more data with their local information. We’ve been focused on bringing the two together.”

Notably, TRP commissioned some consumer research of its own to validate consumers’ acceptance and usage of the Recycle check program. Early results, they say, are heartening.

“We’ve been seeing 1000s of scans across all 50 states,” Huded says. “We’ve been seeing people entering in their local information, getting those answers, and engaging in survey questions, so we have a captive and engaged audience. We see that people are hungry for their local recycling information.”

More specifically, research revealed that when people know that this QR code has their local recycling information inside of it, they’re 70% more likely to scan it versus just any generic on-pack QR code.

“With a How2Recycle label already inside nearly every home in America, the new label, featuring Recycle Check, delivers real-time information on what is accepted for recycling locally to people across the country,” says Huded. “Reducing confusion on what can be recycled is essential to improving the U.S. recycling rate. Real-time, location-specific education is a critical tool for recovering the 76% of what could be recycled but is instead sent to landfills or incinerators.”Thermoformed PET is known for having an evolving landscape of acceptance by MRFs. Consumers will be able to check locally to receive real-time, accurate information backed by the National Recycling Database.

Collaboration notes

“I keep hearing from our members that we need to move faster. Everyone, not just us, needs to move faster because the challenge of climate change is so real,” Nowak says. “So we shouldn’t duplicate (and charge more money to do) great work that’s already happening. Partner with those people who are already doing it.”

GreenBlue/H2R and TRP did a mapping exercise to determine what core competencies each brought to the table, what each organization did exceptionally well, and where gaps existed that would need addressing.

Nowak offers that none of GreenBlue, SPC, or H2R wanted to be the database managers. That’s just not their lane, and the decade’s worth of groundwork that TRP has done at the municipal level didn’t make sense recreate. From TRP’s perspective, H2R has its own decade of brand equity in a recycling label that it didn’t make sense for them to replicate.

“Could we do it? Could they do it? Both of us could have done it,” Nowak says. “But is going it alone really the mission, or what we need? You have to take your ego out of it and say, ‘let’s get going.’”  PW