Leading CPGs like Danone, Duracell, and Once Upon a Farm shared strategies for sustainable packaging at the Packaging Recycling Summit, emphasizing that consumers only value 100% recycled content and that successful transitions require comprehensive, collaborative approaches.
- Consumers only recognize and reward 100% recycled content in packaging; partial progress like 50% PCR doesn't influence purchasing decisions
- Duracell switched from 1963 plastic blister packaging to paper-based alternatives, reducing material by 45% while improving recyclability and customer experience
- Once Upon a Farm collected over 120,000 pouches through a mail-back program with Recyclops, demonstrating how emerging brands can achieve circularity through partnerships
- Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) provide critical data on packaging performance; CPGs must engage directly with MRFs to improve recyclability
- How2Recycle labels are being updated to include store drop-off, municipal drop-off, and subscription services beyond curbside recycling
Speakers from Danone, Duracell, and more shared insights on everything from consumer perceptions on PCR to the challenge of switching to sustainable alternatives at the Packaging Recycling Summit Thursday in Dallas, Tex.
It's all or nothing with PCR
Kory Nook, VP packaging R&I at DanonePackaging World
At the Summit, Nook explained how partial progress like 50% recycled content often doesn’t register with consumers. Even if a brand reaches above 50% without achieving full PCR content, consumers will wonder why that brand didn’t go the extra mile.
Said Nook, “If I were to recommend anything today for any big CPGs or companies pushing recycled content, try to get to 100%. It costs more, we get it, but consumers will react, they will care and want to buy more, and it will set you up in a better position for your brand reputation.”
Potential updates to How2Recycle Labels
Paul Nowak, Executive Director, GreenBluePackaging World
"So today, we are happy to announce that we'll be creating a new collaborative at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) to study the evolution of the "Store Drop-Off" label. The goal of this is to combine everything that is not curbside recyclable, so that will go beyond Store Drop-Off. It will include Store Drop-Off, Municipal Drop-Off, and subscription services; everything but curbside recycling collection.
"It's an SPC collaborative, so, similar to the structure behind our refresh of the How2Recycle label from the previous design to How2Recycle Pro designs. We're now also taking a deeper dive, just in the Store Drop-Off label.
"Whenever you do a refresh, you want to make sure you're doing it very thoughtfully, and meeting the consumer where they are. This way, we're also bringing all the stakeholders to the table to make sure we're making changes that are truly scalable across the industry."
Partnering up for circularity
Achieving circularity can be a daunting task for emerging brands, but they can get by with a little help from a friend.
Madeline Tien, sustainability specialist at Once Upon a Farm (left), and Ryan Smith, CEO at Recyclops (right)Packaging World
Since beginning a packaging mail-back program with Recyclops in May 2023, Once Upon a Farm has welcomed over 1,600 participants and collected over 120,000 pouches just last year.
Tien explained that the challenges CPGs may face in moving toward recyclability are no reason to give up.
“We are an emerging brand with limited leverage in the supply chain and a very small sustainability team," said Tien. "All this really limits the influence that we can have in the industry alone. But we don’t let complexity equal complacency, which is why we partnered with Recyclops, to be able to offer our program as we continue to explore other ways to improve our impact.”
Duracell's comprehensive approach to a paper packaging switch
Brandon Barr, VP/GM of front-end innovation, DuracellPackaging World
The resulting paper-based blister packaging is not only curbside recyclable but also solves a customer complaint about difficult-to-open plastic blisters, adds a reclosable function, fits twice the packages in the same space, and uses 45% less package material by volume.
“We wanted to change our packaging, but this is not a packaging project," Barr said. "This is a category reinvention project, of which a sustainable package is mission-critical to enabling it. It was a mindset shift to something bigger and broader, where packaging was a key piece.”
Engaging with MRFs for recyclability insights
Jim Marcinko of WM (L), Justin Davis of AMP (CL), Joaquin Mariel of Balcones Recycling (CR), and Jeff Snyder of Rumpke (R).Packaging World
Snyder explained how MRF innovation can impact CPGs’ packaging recyclability along with Jim Marcinko of WM, Joaquin Mariel of Balcones Recycling, and Justin Davis of AMP at the Summit. He shared about past collaboration with CPGs like Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo, and the opportunities those connections provided for improving circularity.
“If the packaging companies don’t understand what happens to their package when it shows up in one of our facilities, then it’s very difficult for them to go back and make changes to make something more recyclable," Snyder said. "From my perspective, as many times as I can get a packaging company into one of our facilities and help them understand how it flows through our MRF, I’m all in.”
Don't miss the next sessions at the Packaging Recycling Summit's final day Friday. Register to livestream the event for free.
