A DEEP COMMITMENT TO
SUSTAINABILITY
Green
Operations
Green Business certification for the past 10 years and a commitment to solar-powered manufacturing in 2023.
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Recycling
Leader
Leader in addressing plastic waste for over 20 years, actively helping to shape California’s recycling legislation.
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Active
Lobbyist
We lobby on behalf of produce growers and shippers with the Western Growers Association and the Western Plastics Association
Ellen MacArthur
Signatory
We’re one of the few packaging organizations that has joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
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Top retailers such as Walmart, Albertsons, Target and Aldi are leading the charge towards a greener future with a goal of at least 20% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in their packaging. Many retail brands are adopting recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging.
On-package sustainability claims are very complex as different countries, states, counties, and municipalities have different standards and regulations. Some claims require testing utilizing third-party entities prior to commercial launches. Entities for certification include:
PCR Resin
The Association of Plastics Recyclers (provides guidance on printing “recyclable” on the package)
Industrial Compostability
Home Compostability
Recycling
How2Recycle – reviews the final specs of a package and will confirm that the package can be recycled in most recycling facilities
Yes, inks and the percentage of ink coverage can impact recyclability. Generally speaking, the less ink used the easier a package will be to recycle. As recycling becomes more prevalent, the amount of ink used will likely impact the value of the material being recycled.
The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) promotes the development of the plastics recycling industry. They publish a comprehensive design guide that can be found here. In addition, APR has a PCR certification program to create greater transparency for buyers and sellers of PCR materials.
Post-consumer resin is made from plastic that has completed its intended purpose and reached its end of life, then it is collected, sorted, and reprocessed into resin.
Post Consumer Resin (PCR) is a good option. The supply of PCR resin suitable for food contact packaging is growing rapidly and is now available for use in a variety of loading percentages.
PCR materials with direct food contact require an FDA No Objection Letter (NOL). This is a physical document provided by the FDA, and it can be requested from your supplier. All virgin and PCR materials Emerald Packaging works with carry this NOL.
To acquire the NOL from the FDA the following is required:
- Independent certified 3rd party to certify the supply chain to yield Post Consumer Resin (PCR)
- Independent 3rd party to certify the PCR material is suitable for direct food contact
- The FDA then reviews the above two documents to issue the NOL
Compostable materials are an option although it needs to be determined what claims can be made on a given package, what the supply chain of such materials may be and whether industrial composting infrastructure exists in the region.
Generally speaking the answer is no. However, any value-add features such as a zipper closure would have to go through the same testing and claim confirmation process as the film itself.
Designing the right-size package and engineering the correct film thickness to meet the application at hand is the most cost-effective sustainable package. Simply reducing film gauge can eliminate a large amount of plastic being used.
We believe there will be a large increase in the use of Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) material in the coming years. This will be coupled with a reduction in the use of non-recyclable packaging, such as laminations incorporating dissimilar materials that cannot be recycled.
Learn the Language of Sustainability: Start with our Glossary of Terms >
