Determining a plastic package or item’s recyclability goes beyond whether a specific municipal program collects it, or whether it’s made from a particular plastic resin. APR’s Design Guide helps package designers measure each aspect of a package design against industry accepted criteria to ensure that it is truly recycling compatible.

The APR Design® Guide addresses design features or components commonly used with plastic packaging applications. Recyclability categories consider the impact of design features on the value as feedstock of a package, the productivity of the reclaimers, and the quality of the final post-consumer resin (PCR) or finished product application.

APR has recognized over 30 companies for approximately 50 innovations that have collectively improved plastic recycling feedstocks. Every year new innovations are recognized, and most of these are now commercially available and widely used by converters and brands helping to create a circular economy for plastic packaging.