APR Tools
No matter where you are in the plastics recycling value chain, APR tools and programs make it easier to design for recyclability, use post-consumer resin (PCR), and build stable PCR markets.
APR Design® Guide
Widely recognized as the authority on how to design plastics packaging for recyclability in North America, the APR Design® Guide lets you assess every component of a package design based on industry-accepted criteria. By minimizing contamination from the start, good design reduces costs throughout the recycling value chain and improves productivity. It also ensures high-quality post-consumer resin (PCR) that can reduce the need for new plastic.
APR Global Compliance Catalog
Due to the differences in operational recycling systems and EPR requirements among countries, harmonizing design for recyclability across the globe is a challenging endeavor. APR’s Global Compliance Catalog allows you to have all the design requirements at your fingertips, to assist in comparing and contrasting systems in different countries. This tool is free to APR members, and available to non-members as a subscription.
APR Design® Recognition
APR Design® Training
APR firmly believes that companies want to design packaging that is recyclable and sustainable—but recycling can be complicated, and the rules are always changing. Demystify the recycling process and align internal teams on why and how to design for recyclability, led by an APR executive with over 30 years of experience building and operating recycling facilities across the US.
APR PCR Certification
Build trust with transparency and support stable PCR markets. APR’s PCR Certification provides third-party verification that your recycled resin comes from post-consumer sources. Start our simple certification process, and be part of the program providing a way for companies to meet both voluntary commitments and legislative requirements.
Buyers & Sellers Directory
Browse the wide variety of materials and services APR members purchase and sell. This directory now lets you search not only resins and forms, but also pigments, sources, and company types. To be listed here you must be an APR member.
Model Bale Specifications
Developed by APR’s Technical Committees and reviewed by the MRF Sub-Committee, APR’s model bale specifications provide industry guidelines for bale quality. While individual recyclers have their own specifications, these benchmarks reflect common market practices. Understand market acceptance of contents, sizes, and other features of various post-consumer (and some post-commercial) recycled plastic bales.
APR Demand Champions
Without a reliable end-market, recyclers can’t cover the cost of sorting and processing used packaging and plastic. This program recognizes companies that commit to long-term use of post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR)—a critical pull-factor for a healthy recycling system.
