Although many Americans put their discarded packaging in household recycling bins for roadside pickup, this action does not automatically mean that the packaging will be recycled.

Packaging recycling is not simple. This is a complex process and interdependent system that requires the participation and cooperation of consumers, materials that can be recycled on a commercial scale, a collection system that can handle most of the recyclable materials, the reprocessing of sorted materials into the form of manufacturing raw materials, and End-the market where recycled materials will be purchased and used.

If any part of the system fails or is insufficient, the package is likely to end up in landfills, incinerators, or worse—as pollutants in the environment.

In addition, recyclable packaging materials may not always be advertised as recyclable. Polypropylene (PP) is a good example. Although polypropylene is easy to recycle, only about 55% of American households can recycle polypropylene. According to the Green Guidelines of the US Federal Trade Commission, in order to make a non-conforming recyclable claim on packaging, at least 60% of consumers or the community that sells the packaging must have access to recycling facilities.

Let's take a look at the difference in recycling rates of various packaging substrates.

Plastic Packaging. EPA estimates that 14.5 million tons of plastic containers and packaging were produced in 2018. Plastic packaging products are composed of different plastic resins, such as PET, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PS, PP, etc. The recovery rate of PET bottles and cans is 29.1%, while the recovery rate of HDPE milk and water bottles is 29.3%.

However, the overall recycling rate of plastic containers and packaging is only 13.6%. Nearly 17% of waste is burned through energy recovery, and more than 69% of plastic container and packaging waste ends up in landfills.

Glass packaging. In 2018, more than 30% (3.1 million tons) of glass containers were recycled. Approximately 13% of glass containers are burned through energy recovery, and the rest (55%) are landfilled.

Steel packaging. EPA estimates that 1.6 million tons or about 84% of steel tanks (mainly food tanks) were recycled in 2018. Approximately 5% of steel containers are burned due to energy recovery; the remainder (21%) is landfilled.

Aluminum packaging. About 670,000 tons of aluminum beverage cans were recycled, accounting for about 50% of the total production of aluminum beverage cans. Approximately 13% of aluminum container and packaging waste is burned through energy recovery, while the rest (52%) is landfilled.

Paper and cardboard packaging. The EPA pointed out that the recycling rate of corrugated boxes in 2018 was about 96%, while the overall recycling rate of paper and cardboard packaging was close to 81%. Approximately 4% of paper and cardboard packaging is burned through energy recovery, and the rest (15%) is sent to landfill.

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