Mar. 10, 2025
In today's environmentally conscious world, businesses and consumers alike are making a concerted effort to reduce their environmental impact. One powerful way to achieve this goal is by embracing post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) in packaging. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore what post-consumer recycled plastic is, how it can help you reduce your environmental footprint, its rising popularity, the manufacturing process, pros and cons, versatile applications, and how it differs from recyclable and compostable packaging. Discover the unique benefits of PCR packaging, the challenges in recycling post-consumer plastics, and why Bison Bag is your ideal partner for PCR packaging solutions.
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Post-consumer recycled plastic, often abbreviated as PCR, is a sustainable material derived from plastic products that consumers have used and discarded. Unlike traditional plastic, which is made from virgin materials, PCR is produced by collecting, cleaning, and processing plastic items such as bottles, containers, and packaging that have completed their intended lifecycle. These materials are then transformed into new products, including flexible packaging, which is the focus of our discussion.
Embracing PCR packaging is a meaningful step towards reducing your environmental impact. Here's why:
Resource Conservation: PCR reduces the demand for new plastic production, conserving valuable resources such as petroleum. This, in turn, reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and processing of raw materials.
Energy Efficiency: Creating PCR plastic typically requires less energy compared to manufacturing virgin plastic. This leads to lower carbon emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.
Waste Reduction: Utilizing post-consumer recycled plastic diverts plastic waste from landfills and the environment, helping to combat plastic pollution.
Circular Economy: PCR promotes a circular economy, where plastic materials are continuously recycled and reused, reducing the need for virgin plastic production.
In recent years, PCR packaging has gained popularity for several compelling reasons:
Consumer Demand: Savvy shoppers are increasingly seeking eco-friendly and sustainable products. Using PCR packaging demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that resonates with environmentally conscious consumers.
Corporate Responsibility: Major consumer packaged goods companies are recognizing the importance of sustainability in their brand image. Adopting PCR packaging aligns with corporate social responsibility goals and can attract environmentally aware consumers.
Regulatory Pressure: Governments worldwide are implementing stricter regulations on single-use plastics and encouraging the use of recycled materials. PCR packaging helps companies comply with these regulations.
The production of post-consumer recycled plastic involves several key steps:
Collection: Plastic items such as bottles, containers, and packaging are collected from recycling programs, curbside bins, and other sources.
Sorting: These collected items are sorted based on plastic type and color to ensure a uniform material stream.
Cleaning: The sorted plastics are thoroughly cleaned to remove contaminants like labels, caps, and food residue.
Shredding: The cleaned plastic is then shredded into small pieces or flakes.
Melting and Reprocessing: The shredded plastic is melted and reprocessed into pellets or resin, which can be used to manufacture various products, including flexible packaging.
PCR plastic is incredibly versatile and can be used in various applications, including but not limited to:
Flexible Packaging: PCR is ideal for creating eco-friendly flexible packaging solutions, such as bags, pouches, and wrappers.
Bottles and Containers: PCR is commonly used in the production of bottles for beverages, cosmetics, and cleaning products, as well as containers for food and non-food items.
Textiles: Recycled plastic fibers derived from PCR are used to make sustainable textiles, including clothing, bags, and upholstery.
Construction Materials: PCR can be incorporated into building materials like composite decking, roofing tiles, and insulation.
It's important to distinguish between these different eco-friendly packaging options:
PCR Packaging: Made from post-consumer recycled plastic, PCR packaging reduces the demand for new plastic production and minimizes waste.
Recyclable Packaging: Recyclable packaging can be recycled after use but is often made from virgin materials. While it reduces waste, it does not directly promote the reuse of existing plastic.
Compostable Packaging: Compostable packaging is designed to break down into organic matter in specific composting conditions. While it's a sustainable option, it requires specific disposal methods and may not be suitable for all products.
PCR packaging offers several unique benefits:
Sustainability: PCR supports a circular economy by reusing existing plastic materials.
Environmental Impact Reduction: It conserves resources, reduces energy consumption, and lowers carbon emissions.
Brand Image Enhancement: Demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, appealing to eco-conscious consumers.
Regulatory Compliance: Helps companies adhere to evolving environmental regulations.
When it comes to PCR packaging solutions, choosing the right partner is crucial. Bison Bag, based in Lockport, NY, stands out as a top choice for several reasons:
Are you interested in learning more about Post Consumer Recycled Resin? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Expertise: With years of experience in the packaging industry, Bison Bag has a deep understanding of PCR materials and their applications.
Quality Assurance: Bison Bag maintains stringent quality control standards to ensure that your PCR packaging meets the highest quality and safety standards.
Sustainability Commitment: Bison Bag is dedicated to sustainability, offering a range of PCR packaging options to help your business reduce its environmental footprint.
Customization: Bison Bag can tailor PCR packaging solutions to meet your specific needs, whether it's for food, retail, or industrial applications.
Plastic resin derived from fossil fuels is used to manufacture all types of plastics ' including plastic bottles and closures for packaging health and wellness products. However, many consumers want products packaged in more sustainable materials, and companies across many industries are noticing.
At Drug Plastics, we've made sustainability a top priority since . We've been exploring recycled resins made from alternative materials ' not from fossil fuels. We want to reduce our own carbon footprint, and help our customers do the same. That's why we offer many options to improve sustainability and your carbon footprint ' such as packaging made from more planet-friendly plastic resins.
But how do you know which resin option is right for your product ' virgin resin from fossil fuels, virgin resin made by using molecules derived from post-consumer plastic waste (Advanced Recycling), or resin made from the Mechanical Recycling process? There are notable differences between them and much to consider when making a decision:
It's important to know the differences between them, how the different resins are manufactured, and the specific required regulations for the product that will go inside the bottle.
There are three types of resin that we use to manufacture plastic bottles:
Virgin HPDE, PET, and PP resins made from fossil fuels: These resins are made from natural resources, like oil and natural gas. They are very versatile and used for a variety of plastic packaging, and are well-suited for many types of health and wellness products. Traditional resins are easily recyclable; and, recycling helps to keep plastic out of landfills. Although recycling plastic made from virgin resin is on the rise, demand for virgin resin remains high due to strict regulatory requirements for certain products like medications, food and beverages, etc.
Virgin HDPE resin obtained through Advanced Recycling: Advanced Recycling is a game-changing process for sustainable packaging. Post-consumer waste is used along with several other feedstock sources to generate identical ethylene molecules that create new batches of a current specified virgin resin. In essence, virgin resin can be made by using molecules derived from post-consumer waste.
Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) HDPE and PET resins:
PCR resins are made from post-consumer recycled waste through Mechanical Recycling. In this process, plastic waste is sorted, washed, shredded, and heated back into plastic resin pellets to be used again. However, resin made using this process cannot be recycled indefinitely because the strength of the plastic degrades each time it is recycled.
Cost
When you select traditional virgin resin made with traditional fossil fuels, price fluctuations in the petroleum industry can affect the cost of oil and natural gas. In addition, production costs to manufacture plastic bottles (like electricity for machinery, natural gas for flame treatment, etc.) can also increase costs.
The Advanced Recycling method of producing virgin resin can use fossil fuels, bio-based materials, or pyrolysis oil feedstocks. Each batch of resin can vary in the amount of ethylene molecules derived from these sources. Since plastic will be made from multiple feedstock sources, the feedstock content will be managed by an accounting technique known as Mass Balancing. Advanced Recycling is an infinite loop. Plastic recycled this way can be processed over and over again without any reduction in physical properties. This moves us to a Circular Economy, where we can continuously use plastic waste as raw materials for new plastic containers.
Mechanically recycled resin has been less expensive than virgin resin, but as consumer demand for more sustainable packaging has increased, the price for recycled alternatives has also increased, raising the cost. In addition, mechanically recycled plastic can only be processed a limited number of times, and the process does not ensure that the resulting resin will perform the same way as virgin resin.
Contaminants
We know that the purest resin is virgin resin. Plastic resin can be obtained through the traditional manufacturing method using fossil fuels or through the Advanced Recycling process described above.
Regulations in the pharmaceutical industry often require certain medications to be packaged in virgin plastic. One of the key benefits of Advanced Recycling is that it offers a solution to transform difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into molecular feedstocks that can be used to create virgin plastics. Those plastics include polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, PET, and more. If your product needs to meet specific regulatory and/or safety requirements, choose either traditionally manufactured virgin resin or resin produced through Advanced Recycling.
Advanced Recycling creates ethylene molecules by transforming post-consumer plastic waste into a pyrolysis oil feedstock. Ethylene molecules obtained from multiple feedstocks are mixed together to create the final virgin plastic resin. The ethylene created through this process is indistinguishable from fossil or bio-based ethylene, since it has the exact same molecular composition (four hydrogen atoms bound to a pair of carbon atoms). Similarly, the polyethylene that can be produced from these molecules is identical to virgin resin created through fossil or bio-based ethylene.
Bottles produced with mechanically recycled resin, offer an alternative to virgin resin; however, this process has limitations since it requires the raw materials used to be as clean and pure as possible. Moreover, not all plastic waste is compatible with Mechanical Recycling, and there is an increased risk that the recycled plastic resin may contain contaminants. Additionally, color may vary by batch because the original plastic pigmentation is not removed. And, as mentioned above, mechanically recycled resin can only be processed a limited number of times.
Sustainability
Consumers are more aware of the environment than ever before. They are increasingly concerned about conserving natural resources for future generations. Think about it'what if post-consumer plastic waste did not have to be placed in a landfill or incinerated? What if all the negative environmental impacts associated with the way we dispose of plastic waste could be reduced? There would be less contamination from leaching, less ingestion of micro-plastics, and less greenhouse gas emissions. Finite natural resources could be conserved on a larger scale.
Many companies are realizing that small changes in the materials they use to produce packaging can have a big impact on the environment.
Advanced Recycling: If regulations for your products require virgin plastic resin, then resin produced through Advanced Recycling is a great choice. As we've discussed, the Advanced Recycling process creates an infinite loop: plastic waste is processed over and over again without any reduction in physical properties. This is the definition of sustainable.
Mechanical Recycling: Plastic packaging made from mechanically recycled resin is also more planet-friendly. Bottles made from this process help to keep PCR waste from being incinerated or disposed of in landfills ' which keeps plastic waste to a minimum and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. FDA-approved PCR resins retain similar properties, performance, and application versatility to traditional virgin resins. But this process only allows for plastic waste to be recycled a limited number of times before the physical properties of the plastic degrade past the point of usability, so it cannot be used infinitely.
Resin made from Fossil Fuels: Plastic packaging made from traditional virgin resin can be recycled easily in the current recycling stream; however, it does not contain any recycled content. Recycling virgin plastics does help keep plastic waste out of landfills.
Need more information?
We know that designing plastic packaging for your product can be intimidating, and all the options can be overwhelming. That's why our knowledgeable team invests the time to understand your product and what you need to package it properly. We can guide you through all of the choices and help you decide which resin type is the best choice for your product.
Read more about our sustainable options and how Drug Plastics can help you design more planet-friendly plastic packaging. Call 610-367- to speak with someone immediately.
For more information, please visit Recycled Plastic Products.
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