UK-based recycling charity RECOUP Recycling and the British Plastics Federation (BPF) have launched new guidance to help packaging designers create easy-to-recycle plastic packaging.
Launched by RECOUP CEO Stuart Foster during the BPF's annual Packaging Seminar in London 28 Nov, the guide outlines which combination of closures, seals, labels and materials allows recycling plants to easily separate and recycle the plastics.
As part of the initiative, big brands are encouraged to use the guidance to ensure their packaging products can be easily processed at the end of life to avoid going to landfill.
The guide encourages manufacturers to opt for mono-material packaging, minimising colour, using separable closures, avoiding full sleeves and using “small, easily removable labels” in their design.
“We are very happy to collaborate with RECOUP on this project, and hope this step helps bring together stakeholders involved in the production of plastic packaging,” said Philip Law, director general of the British Plastics Federation.
According to Foster, the summary guidance was developed in response to the increasing interest in designing packaging for recyclability.
The UK has been at the forefront of an environmental campaign against plastics waste in the past 12 months. The country has set a target for plastic packaging to use at least 30% recycled content by 2022. The country is also planning to place a ban on unnecessary plastics, including straws and disposable cutlery.
Access the full guide at bpf.co.uk/eco-design