What is Post-Consumer Recycled Content, and How Can It Benefit Your Business?

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, plastic products account for 18% of municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfill systems. Plastic packaging, in particular, totals 10,090,000 tons of landfill waste—over 5 times the amount recycled.

If you run a business that ships products in poly mailers or serves single-use food packaging, you might be interested in exploring post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging.

PCR packaging refers to packaging partially made from discarded materials that would otherwise have gone to the landfill. PCR content is the norm for cardboard and paper packaging, supplying roughly 50% of the fiber in the production process. And increasingly often, companies are opting for PCR recycled plastic to meet their sustainability goals.

But what exactly is PCR within a broader recycling landscape, and how does it work?

Learn more about recycling terminology and the benefits of PCR packaging for your brand in this guide.

PCR material terms explained

Recycled content

All of the recycled material (both PCR and PIR) within a product.

Recycled content refers to materials recovered from the waste stream during production or after consumer use. It's the sum of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials used in a product. The more recycled content a product has, the fewer new materials it uses.

Some products label the recycled content used. For instance, a kraft mailer made from 20% manufacturing scrap trimmings (pre-consumer) and 45% curbside recycling bins (post-consumer) would disclose a total recycled content of 65%.

Post-consumer waste (PCW)

Waste generated from consumer use.

Post-consumer waste (PCW) refers to any waste that consumers generate. This can include packaging, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, aluminum cans, magazines, and toilet paper.

In the context of recycling, PCW refers to the source materials for products made from post-consumer recycled content. Thus, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably; you might hear “PCW products” in place of “PCR products” from time to time, but they both refer to products made with recycled materials from consumer waste.

Post-consumer recycled (PCR)

Recycled content that comes from post-consumer waste.

Post-consumer recycled content comes from post-consumer waste, or products that have reached the end of their life cycle and would have otherwise taken up landfill space. The term PCR refers to the makeup of recycled content within a recycled product.

Municipal recycling programs collect and transport PCW to recycling facilities. Because PCW needs to be sorted and may be contaminated with non-recyclable materials, it’s often more difficult and expensive to process compared to post-industrial waste. However, PCR products help keep trash out of the landfill, reducing environmental impact and adding value as sustainable packaging.

Pre-consumer content

Post-industrial waste material that manufacturers reuse for other products.

Pre-consumer content consists of materials discarded during production, including rejects and offcuts. As per ISO 14021, it doesn’t include rework, regrind, or scrap generated on-site and reused in the same or another manufacturing process.

So if a paper mill worker picks up some paperboard cuttings and feeds them back into the pulping process, it doesn’t count as pre-consumer content. That’s because the goal here is efficient production, not recycling. But if the company uses the cuttings to make new low-grade paperboard instead of discarding them, the material is considered pre-consumer content.

Post-industrial recycled (PIR)

Post-industrial recycled materials recovered from manufacturing waste.

Whether it's a legal mandate or a cost-cutting strategy, manufacturers now recognize the value of repurposing post-industrial waste. Post-industrial recycled content refers to recovered or reclaimed materials from manufacturing waste that never reach consumers before they are used in another product.

For example, take a plastic injection-molding plant that trims excess plastic from molded bottle caps. Instead of throwing the trimmings away, the plant collects and pelletizes them, then sells that raw material to a plastic container manufacturer. The trimmings are manufacturing waste that never reached consumers, so they qualify as post-industrial recycled material.

What are the benefits of PCR packaging?

Packaging accounts for about 36% of all plastic produced, of which 85% ends up in landfills.

Post-consumer recycled material reintroduces packaging waste into the supply chain. It reduces virgin material consumption, end-consumer waste, and overall carbon footprint. All in all, it’s a better option for the environment.

Business-wise, PCR packaging is also an effective way to reduce costs while helping your company achieve its sustainability goals. Here are some more reasons why PCR packaging is the right move from a business perspective:

• PCR packaging can boost your bottom line: 67% of customers prefer shopping for products that come in recyclable packaging. Switching to PCR can help attract these sales while reducing trash disposal costs, increasing your overall net profit.
• PCR packaging can help turn your customers into advocates: 77% of conscious consumers want to level up their sustainability efforts, with recycling being one of them. Thanks to PCR packaging, you can fulfill this demand and nurture them in the long run.
• PCR packaging can put you ahead of the competition. Customers pressure 75% of firms to take sustainability actions, but one-third have been slow to respond. Taking action with post-consumer material can build your brand and make it stand out among your competitors.

How does PCR packaging differ from compostable and recyclable packaging?

While ‘compostable’ and ‘recyclable’ refer to how you should dispose of the packaging, ‘PCR’ refers to what the packaging is made of. Some materials, like cardboard and paper, can tick all three boxes. Others, like plastics, get a bit more complicated.

Depending on the material’s chemical makeup and thickness, compostable plastics require a home compost pile or commercial facility to biodegrade. Some commercially compostable plastics include PLA (Polylactic acid) and PBAT (Polybutylene adipate terephthalate), while home compostable plastics include TPS (thermoplastic starch) and certain cellulose-based films.

The recyclability of plastic depends on local recycling programs. Common types of curbside recyclable plastics include PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (High-density Polyethylene), and PP (Polypropylene).

Consumers only need to put their plastic bottles and jars into the correct bins, and the recycling facilities take care of the rest. This process includes sorting plastics from other recyclable materials, cleaning them, and selling usable materials to plastic manufacturers to reuse in new PCR products.

PCR packaging raw material degrades with each recycling loop. To ensure quality while staying sustainable, most environmentally-friendly packaging companies use a combination of PCR content and virgin materials when manufacturing recycled plastic products.

Once the PCR packaging has reached the consumer and served its purpose, it can be disposed of in the correct recycling bin for its life cycle to begin again.

How to make the switch to post-consumer recycled packaging

Now that you know how post-consumer recycled packaging works, it’s time to learn how to make the switch. Here are a few factors to consider when choosing recycled plastic packaging.

Local recycling rules

Curbside collection rules can differ from region to region. To make things more convenient for your customer, especially if you run a local business like a coffee shop or restaurant, check which types of plastic your local recycling programs accept.

Material certifications

Look out for packaging companies that offer products made with GRS-certified (Global Recycled Standard) recycled plastics. This certification ensures the product is made with at least 20% recycled material and sets overall sustainability requirements around traceability, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions.

Brand identity

Opt for sustainable packaging with style! Far from boring, post-consumer recycled content can showcase your brand through custom printing and designs. Make sure to work with a supplier that uses soy- or water-based inks, as these can break down more easily in the recycling process.

That's a wrap

PCR packaging can keep plastic waste out of landfills while reducing the amount of completely new materials generated, lowering your impact on the environment.

If you’re interested in exploring recycled plastic products for your retail company or restaurant, check out noissue’s circular packaging solutions. With customizable poly mailers, cups, and pouches, we offer high-quality recycled and recyclable options that work for every industry. Take another step towards reaching your sustainability goals today!