Can 60% of consumers readily recycle the products in their homes?
The FTC Green Guides state that if a product and its packaging are marketed as recyclable, it must have recycling availability for a majority of the residents in the communities where the product is sold. Knowing that number is more complex than it seems, because recycling is complex. And with about 30% of the US left out of curbside, there is little margin for error. When the FTC comes calling, be sure your number is accurate. And when customers want to know how to recycle your products, be ready with the right answers.
Material Recycling Reports: Assurance and Qualified Recyclable Claims
Earth911 Material Recycling Reports give a factual picture for more than 350 materials (aluminum, #2 plastic, etc.) derived from comprehensive data within the Earth911 Recycling Directory. The Recycling Directory contains over 1.6 million ways to recycle and is updated consistently with local information and maintained by a dedicated data team. These reports show the availability of recycling to help determine the percentage of a population that can recycle a product and packaging.
Material Recycling Reports are Available in Two Formats
KNOW YOUR NUMBER
$2,000 per material
COMPREHENSIVE REPORT
$20,000 for one material +$8,000 for each additional material
Why You Should Act Now to Substantiate Recycling Availability Claims
GET IN FRONT OF THE PROBLEM.
“Please Recycle” or “100% Recyclable” are no longer acceptable without substantiation through data. As consumer interest in recycling accelerates, knowing the true picture of recycling availability of a material can help consumer product companies defend green-related marketing claims. With assurance and proof that a product meets the FTC’s guideline for recyclability, a company can confidently promote the green attributes of its products.
TAKE PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
Even if you know that a product has broad recyclability, knowing the true picture of recycling for a product is an opportunity for a brand to establish leadership. Once you know where the deficits in recycling are, a brand can take steps to educate consumers about a product’s earth-friendly benefits and teach them how to dispose of used items properly no matter where they live.
ENJOY A DISTINCT COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
When competing products make a marketing claim of recyclability without back up data, they open themselves up for scrutiny by the FTC. Be transparent about a product’s recycling picture and endear your brand to consumers who are searching out brands that consider their impact on the earth.
BRING CLARITY WHERE CONFUSION REIGNS.
Recycling across the US differs from corner to corner. Consumers struggle to understand what can and cannot be recycled in their own neighborhoods. With accurate data about recycling availability, brands can design and source products and packaging to maximize recycling–providing greater ability to recycle and improved likelihood that consumers will choose a proper disposal option.
NEW WHITE PAPER:
Know Your Number: Can Consumers Recycle Your Product?
Following the release of the updated “Green Guides” last year, the FTC put even greater emphasis on accurate representation of the recyclability of products and packaging. This white paper by Earth911 outlines the importance of location-based recycling availability data, challenges of gathering accurate data about recycling, and the most important things you need to know about the waste stream to know a true picture of recycling availability for a material. Understand the risks of an inaccurate assessment of recycling availability and learn how to be prepared to defent recyclability claims. (12 pp., PDF)