Choosing post-consumer recycled packaging, or PCR packaging, is an efficient and effective way to protect both your products and the environment. Packaging manufacturers create new packing material from previously used plastics like high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to offer businesses a more sustainable option for storing or shipping their goods.
By reducing the demand for virgin materials, PCR recycling reduces landfill waste and better protects the environment from carbon emissions. Read on to learn more about how PCR packaging conserves natural resources and simultaneously brings your company closer to achieving a circular economy through more socially and environmentally responsible practices.
Post-Consumer Materials
Everything from waste sorting and recycling centers to residential recycling bins serves as a resource for PCR materials. The mass recycling of PET, HDPE, and other post-consumer plastics has made PCR packaging a more affordable and attainable solution for manufacturers requiring packing materials. Common PCR options include:
- Plastic beverage bottles for water, soda, juice, etc.
- Milk jugs
- Alcohol containers
- Trays for frozen foods and more
- Containers for preserves or jellies
- Cooking oil receptacles
- Medication bottles
- Clamshell packaging
- Cleaning product receptacles for laundry detergent and bleach
- Bottles for toiletries like shampoo and lotions
- Cutting boards
- Piping
By sending pre-used plastics to factories instead of landfills as part of smarter waste management, recycling enhances sustainability and keeps a significant amount of plastic out of the environment.
How PCR Packaging Helps Reduce Plastic Waste and Your Carbon Footprint
PCR packaging offers numerous benefits, the most important of which include:
- Reducing landfill waste. Landfills only have so much space, and recycling helps address that concern. Importantly, preventing plastic waste streams from ending up in landfills also directly leads to a healthier planet. Packaging manufacturers can obtain and find new uses for this plentiful, cost-effective material resource, a prime example of the principles behind a circular economy.
- Decreasing reliance on costly virgin materials. As companies transition to using PCR packaging, the market’s demand for raw, virgin materials will naturally diminish, lessening the burden on our natural resources. PCR materials like metal, plastic, glass, and paper have already undergone energy-intensive extraction and processing operations — some of which are potentially harmful to the environment — so using recycled materials instead can decrease your carbon footprint.
- Lowering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to the production of virgin materials, the process of making recycled materials typically uses less energy and generates fewer emissions. Thus, choosing PCR materials for packaging helps reduce stress on the environment for a smaller carbon footprint and maximized energy conservation.
- Complying with recycled material regulations. California, Washington, and multiple other individual states have considered or enacted laws mandating the set minimum amount of recycled material a plastic product must have in its construction. Such state-level packaging laws for extended producer responsibility (EPR) will hopefully compel business owners to embrace PCR materials, as well.
PCR Packaging at Alpha Packaging
PCR packaging offers businesses a more eco-conscious alternative to conventional packaging materials. Founded in 1987, Alpha Packaging, Inc. strives to be your one-stop shop for sustainable, customized packaging systems. Our 200,000-square-foot facility in Greenwood, Arkansas, is equipped with advanced packaging machinery that enables us to produce virtually any type of box or container for your storage or shipping needs.
We understand how the quality of your packaging ultimately contributes to positive customer engagement with your brand. From corrugated boxes to 3M® packaging tapes, our family-owned company specializes in tailored packaging solutions to address the challenges you face in your market. Our diverse client base covers sectors ranging from automotive and heavy equipment to retail and food/beverage.
Along with quality and customer satisfaction, Alpha prioritizes eco-friendly materials in our packaging solutions. With PCR packaging, we can assist you in meeting your company’s sustainability goals and green initiatives with high-quality packaging you can trust with your products. To learn more about our commitment to sustainable packaging and discover the Alpha difference, contact our team today.