<div dir="ltr"><br><div><img src="cid:ii_m710cbfv1" alt="image.png" width="196" height="75" style="margin-right: 0px;"><br></div><div>One of the most frequent questions OKRA gets is <i><b>how do you know if a plastic can be recycled?</b> </i>The industry is moving toward changes to make plastic recycling much clearer for everyone.  OKRA  will be hosting a free Lunch & Learn on April 16th to talk about plastic recycling.  More information to follow. </div><div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_m710brl00" alt="image.png" width="471" height="141"><br></div><div><div class="gmail-rwh_post_content_inner" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:hidden"><div class="gmail-rwh_post_inner_box" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border-radius:8px;border:0px solid rgb(0,0,0);background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><h1 class="gmail-rwh_post_title entry-title" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-family:"Open Sans",Arial;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(7,127,76);font-size:24px;background-repeat:repeat;background-color:transparent"><a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/2025/02/11/some-plastics-could-see-recyclability-label-changes/" title="Permalink to Some plastics could see recyclability label changes" rel="bookmark" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(7,127,76);text-decoration-line:none;background-color:transparent;background-repeat:repeat">Some plastics could see recyclability label changes</a></h1></div><div class="gmail-rwh_article" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:"Open Sans",Arial;color:rgb(179,179,179)"><div class="gmail-postedon" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"><span class="gmail-meta" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Published: February 11, 2025<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Updated: </span>February 11, 2025<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"><span class="gmail-meta" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">by </span><span class="gmail-author gmail-vcard" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;float:none;max-width:74px"><a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/author/colinstaub/" title="View all posts by Colin Staub" class="gmail-url gmail-fn gmail-n" rel="author" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:middle">Colin Staub</a></span></div><div class="gmail-postcontent entry-content" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0);border-radius:0px;border:0px solid rgb(0,0,0)"><div id="gmail-attachment_25632" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-aligncenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px auto;padding:5px 3px 10px;clear:both;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;border:0px solid rgb(255,255,255);max-width:100%;text-align:center;width:1010px"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-25632" alt="" width="1000" height="667" class="gmail-wp-image-25632 gmail-size-full gmail-lazyloaded" src="https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/02/Coffee-pods-shutterstock_1077316451.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border: 0px solid transparent; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 400ms; border-radius: 0px; box-shadow: none; width: auto;"><p id="gmail-caption-attachment-25632" class="gmail-wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px 4px 5px;color:rgb(51,51,51);text-align:left;line-height:17px;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Single-use PP beverage pods, such as those used for coffee and tea, may no longer qualify for the “check locally” label, according to the latest data.</em> | <em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Primestock Photography / Shutterstock</em></p></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">The How2Recycle labeling initiative is considering downgrading four types of plastic packaging in response to recent acceptance data, it announced last month. The program also downgraded aerosol cans, upgraded composite containers and determined cartons are still “widely recyclable.”</span><span id="gmail-more-33042" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"></span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">For the U.S. market, polypropylene single-use beverage pods – such as the K-Cup coffee pods – as well as HDPE trays, HDPE thermoforms and bulky rigid plastics like HDPE and PP buckets were all flagged for review in the latest guidance, </span><a href="https://greenblue.org/2025/01/31/how2recycle-january-2025-guidelines/" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">published Jan. 31</span></a><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">. That means How2Recycle “has received and is reviewing data suggesting the potential need to upgrade or downgrade a material’s recyclability category.” Additionally, in Canada, some flexible PE packaging was flagged for review.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">All four packaging types are facing potential downgrades if further review confirms the materials don’t meet acceptance criteria for their existing labels. How2Recycle publishes updated guidance twice per year, with its last update in July 2024 and the next update slated for next July. A How2Recycle spokesperson told Plastics Recycling Update it sometimes takes multiple guidance cycles to review data and make a final decision on a certain packaging type. But in the case of PP pods, the organization will make its decision by this July, the spokesperson said.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">The recent guidance update is the first to use a new national dataset maintained by the initiative’s parent organization, GreenBlue, as well as The Recycling Partnership. They </span><a href="https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2024/09/25/groups-share-national-recycling-acceptance-data/" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">announced</span></a><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> the U.S. Community Recycling Program Acceptance Data project last fall, noting it will be updated twice per year and will aim to closely track local recycling program acceptance nationwide.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Besides the potential changes, How2Recycle also reported on previous reviews that are now complete. It found no upgrades were warranted for HDPE and PP squeeze tubes, which carry a “not yet recyclable” designation, or for the “check locally” labels carried by PP beverage cups and PET beverage cups in the U.S.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Outside of the plastics space, the guidance upgraded composite canisters with steel bottoms from “not yet recyclable” to “check locally,” and it downgraded aluminum and steel aerosol cans from “widely recyclable” to “check locally.” It also found no changes needed to the “widely recyclable” designation for fiber cartons.</span></p><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:12px 0px;padding:0px;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(20,36,61);font-size:1.43em"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-weight:bolder">Acceptance data contributes to potential changes</span></h3><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">PP pods and bulky rigid plastics are currently in the “check locally” labeling category, which requires that between 20% and 60% of Americans have access to recycling those materials. Those materials are facing downgrades to “not yet recyclable” due to the latest acceptance data, How2Recycle wrote.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">The </span><a href="https://recyclingpartnership.org/recycling-data/" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">publicly-available dataset</span></a><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> maintained by The Recycling Partnership – which How2Recycle noted is a key data source but not the only one considered in its assessment – shows PP pods carry a 3% acceptance rate in the U.S., HDPE bulky rigids carry a 13% acceptance rate, and PP bulky rigids have 10% acceptance.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">For PP pods, How2Recycle noted in the </span><a href="https://how2recycle.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/How2Recycle_GuidelinesforUse_Abbreviated.pdf" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">guidance document</span></a><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> that the potential downgrade comes “despite significant efforts that have been made to strengthen the end market for all PP and provide technical recyclability data for this format. While the current data shows low explicit acceptance, (The Recycling Partnership) is conducting a data review to more thoroughly distinguish format acceptance nuances for this package category. During this process, How2Recycle will not be issuing any new Check Locally recyclable labels to pods in the U.S.”</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">HDPE trays, thermoforms and other formats – excluding bottles, tubs and jars – are facing a downgrade from “widely recyclable,” which indicates over 60% acceptance in the U.S., to “check locally.” HDPE trays have a 54% acceptance rate, according to the dataset. Bottles, tubs and jars would retain their “widely recyclable” labeling.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">In Canada, specific flexible PE packaging including stand-up pouches, metallized film, wrappers and other food packaging may be downgraded from “widely recyclable,” which in Canada indicates over 50% acceptance, to “check locally.” The potential change is “due to restricted acceptance for recycling based on package format and product application,” How2Recycle wrote. Other flexible PE such as grocery bags would retain “widely recyclable” labels.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">In a statement, How2Recycle Director Karen Hagerman praised member companies for their efforts to increase material recyclability, acknowledging that labeling changes can be frustrating.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">“We also empathize with the feeling of setback that comes with a downgrade,” Hagerman said. “Still, we trust that our members recognize the need for labels that reflect the realities of the recycling system today, and will use the change as an opportunity to invest in the design, infrastructure, partnerships or end markets needed to improve recyclability.”</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">The potential change in PP pod labeling comes as those materials are a key focus for companies such as Keurig Dr Pepper and groups including the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, a TRP project. </span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Keurig switched its K-Cups from multi-material to solely PP in 2020 and </span><a href="https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2024/06/26/keurig-dr-pepper-pursues-coffee-pod-recyclability/" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">recently reported</span></a><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> reducing the amount of plastic used in each pod. But PP pod acceptance in local programs has been challenging, the company acknowledged in its latest sustainability report, even as PP in general maintains over 60% access across the U.S.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)">Charlie Schwarze, senior director of sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper, told Plastics Recycling Update the existing How2Recycle labels on the company’s pods will remain unchanged. He added it’s ultimately up to communities to decide the materials they accept for recycling, as well as how to communicate their accepted materials to residents</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)">“Throughout the data review period, we encourage the Sustainable Packaging Coalition to consider all of the different ways communities tell people what and how to recycle,” Schwarze said this week. “We will also continue to work with recyclers and communities to increase the collection and explicit acceptance of items like beverage pods, as we have over the last several years.”</p><p class="gmail-p1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.42;background:padding-box padding-box rgba(255,255,255,0)"><i style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">A version of this story appeared in </i><a href="https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2025/02/05/coffee-pods-bulky-rigids-may-lose-check-locally-label/" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent"><span class="gmail-s1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"><i style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Plastics Recycling Update</i></span></a><i style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> on Feb. 5.</i></p><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:12px 0px;padding:0px;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(20,36,61);font-size:1.43em"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">More stories about PP</em></h3><ul class="gmail-lcp_catlist" id="gmail-lcp_instance_0" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1rem 30px;padding:0px"></ul><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;clear:both"></div></div><div class="gmail-postedon" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"><span class="gmail-meta" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px">Posted in </span><a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/category/news/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:middle">News</a>, <a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/category/news/top-stories/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:middle">Top stories</a><span class="gmail-meta-sep" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> | </span>Tagged <a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/tag/hdpe/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:middle">HDPE</a>, <a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/tag/industry-groups/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:middle">industry groups</a>, <a href="https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/tag/pp/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(40,130,50);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:middle">PP</a><span class="gmail-meta-sep" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px"> |</span></div></div></div><div class="gmail-rwh_block" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:10px 5px;padding:0px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:0px;border:0px solid rgb(211,211,211);background:padding-box padding-box rgb(243,243,243)"><div class="gmail-remove_collapsing_margins" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;height:0px;width:0px;overflow:hidden;color:rgb(33,37,41);font-family:"Open Sans",None,Arial;font-size:14px"></div><div class="gmail-rwh_block_header" style="box-sizing:content-box;margin:4px;padding:0px;border-radius:0px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(149,149,149);border-width:0px 0px 1px;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:padding-box;min-height:30px;color:rgb(33,37,41);font-family:"Open Sans",None,Arial;font-size:14px"><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div></div></div>