• Provides component and packaging manufacturers 3rd party recognition for significant new technologies or package components that solve long-standing problems in sustainable package design, and encourages wide commercial use of such innovations
• Provides a path for testing the impact of any packaging design feature on the recycling system, available when a testing protocol exists but the design feature has not been detailed in the APR Design® Guide
• Applies to both specific package design components, and to packages incorporating the component
• Recognition makes a design feature eligible to be included in packaging assessed as Preferred Design for Recycling
• The path is generally completed within 3-6 months, including testing, and consists of:
• Conducting testing with an independent, 3rd party lab
• Submitting non-proprietary, non- confidential results demonstrating the design feature meets APR‘s testing criteria and pay program fee on APR website
• Completing an APR member webinar, technical panel review and stakeholder discussion of results
  NOTE: If the item will remain in recycled pellets at the end of the testing process, companies should conduct APR Application Guidance testing as well
• If successful, results in an APR Design® for Recyclability Recognition letter, certificate and marketing toolkit, and APR will promote item across its media channels and list on website.

Ready to apply for APR Design® Recognition for Critical Guidance?

• Review the Operating Procedures
• Submit the application