Recyclable

Recyclable definition

Recyclable materials, when disposed of correctly, can be broken down into a rawer form and turned into new material. Recyclable products may be mixed with other recycled materials or virgin material to be turned into a new product. All municipalities in the EU [1] are required by law to offer recycling bins to residents and recycle the materials accordingly. 

Why you should use recyclable materials

Recyclable materials lower the demand for virgin materials and the energy needed to produce them. Recyclable materials may be important to a brand in order to lower their own carbon emissions or because they value using and being a part of a circular economy. 

If end users don’t have access to municipal recycling facilities, recyclable cardboard can be used in a home compost [2] heap. 

Why you shouldn’t use recyclable materials

There is no real drawback from using recyclable materials. However, your company and customers need to be aware that not all recyclable materials are actually recycled, because of a lack of infrastructure on the country level or because of greasy food remains (e.g., pizza boxes).

Combining materials in the same packaging can also prevent it from being recyclable: for example, plastic film, aluminium foil and paper. They provide a high barrier, as each material has different properties, which means they protect the product better and extend their shelf life. Globally, it’s still best to use recyclable rather than non-recyclable material.

Packhelp and recyclable materials

Packhelp products with the recyclable eco property have been tested and certified recyclable by Intereseroh, one of the leading providers of services for the take-back and recycling of transport packaging.