How2Recycle label on microwave popcorn box.

The How2Recycle label is used by 2,600 product brands. | Philip Rozenski/Shutterstock

Two hundred brand owners and retailers now use the How2Recycle labels on their product packaging. 

In a Dec. 4 press release, How2Recycle announced it reached the member milestone. How2Recycle is a program of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, which is part of the environmental nonprofit group GreenBlue. 

The How2Recycle label provides more detailed recycling information to consumers than the traditional chasing arrows symbol. 

“While labeling packaging for recyclability certainly won’t solve all our problems in how we use, value and manage materials in society, telling people how to actually recycle is frankly the least we can do,” Kelly Cramer, the How2Recycle lead at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, stated in the release. “We are thrilled that so many companies share this belief and together we can empower people to recycle more accurately.”

More numbers from the press release: 

  • 85,000: Number of packaging design improvement recommendations given by the How2Recycle program to member companies since late 2017.
  • 70,000: Number of different products currently using the How2Recycle labels.
  • 3,200: Number of unique labels in the How2Recycle library. 
  • 2,600: Number of product brands using the How2Recycle label
  • 175: Number of How2Recycle labels issued to brand owners each day.
  • 45%: Growth in number of How2Recycle members over the course of 2018. 

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