Recycling: Still a Thing

Having spent so many years blissfully working in the weeds of sustainable packaging — scrutinizing LCA data sets and exploring bio-based plastics — it became very easy for me to live in the future mentally. In this more perfect future, virtuous material cycles are the norm, and designing with the end in mind is always top off… well, mind.

Making ‘perfection the enemy of good’ isn’t wise however; better to always keep at least one foot on the ground and make the best of what is available with existing systems and materials. Exhibit A: recycling.

There isn’t a single packaging material that is recovered 100%, and with the pandemic there are concerning shifts towards seldom-recovered packaging items that need to be addressed. One example is packaging associated with take-out food ordering, which is a trend that has spiked as people responsibly seek to minimize their contact with others.

Some restaurants operating in the to-go space have already leaned into the need to enable recovery of their take-out packaging. I had the distinct privilege of working with McDonald’s on a Design for Recovery initiative, which covered the topics shown here:

Design for Recovery — Table of Contents

Beyond brining more restaurants into the conversation, it’s now time to engage the rest of the value chain to fill in the gaps — especially the end markets, because recycling is a business. Equally critical: effective communication to consumers so they know what to drop into their home recycling bins, and what to exclude. In an uncertain time, clarity brings even more comfort.