Carton Recycling Information for Brands

Brands play a huge role in carton recycling!

90% of consumers say they expect food and beverage companies and brands to actively help increase the recycling of their packages.*

We’ve included here some helpful tips and resources for brands and companies to encourage carton recycling.

* According to a national survey of nearly 9,000 U.S. adults conducted for the Carton Council.

Benefits Overview

Your Brand Can Help Increase Carton Recycling Today

Uncertainty is the biggest barrier to consumers recycling their cartons.

Here are some simple steps your brand can take to help increase the number of cartons that get recycled:

Add the “Please Recycle” logo on your products
Use our messaging guidelines on carton recycling
Share information on carton recycling using our brand toolkit

Get Started

Packaging plays a critical role in driving recycling action

Packaging is the primary source consumers turn to for info about a product’s recyclability. Here are some tips on how to effectively communicate recyclability information on your product packaging:

1

Add the logo

Help spread the word that your cartons are recyclable by adding the “Please Recycle” logo to your product packaging.

The logo and usage guidelines are available in a variety of formats that can all be downloaded below:

2

Educate consumers

By adding the recycling logo to your carton packaging, you can educate consumers and reinforce your brand’s commitment to sustainability.

Cartons can carry the standard “Please Recycle” logo on-pack and are considered a mainstream recyclable commodity according to the FTC’s Green Guidelines.

3

Include our URL

We encourage you to include recyclecartons.com on your package so consumers can consult our address locator to see if cartons are accepted where they live.

Messaging Guidelines

Share information with your customers using this suggested messaging

DO use these messages:

This carton is recyclable! Once recycled, it may be used to produce new products like tissues, paper and building materials.
Help reduce litter by pushing the straw back into the pack/ reattaching the cap before you recycle it. This helps ensure it doesn’t become litter. For cartons with straws or caps.
Please recycle this carton! Learn more about carton recycling at recyclecartons.com

Avoid using these messages related to packaging materials.
DON’T use these messages:

This carton is 100% recyclable.
Using the statistic 100% is not recommended as we cannot guarantee every recycling facility recycled every portion of every carton.
This carton is biodegradable.
Food and beverage cartons are designed to protect liquid products for an extended period and are therefore not biodegradable.
Cartons are recyclable everywhere!
Carton recycling is available to most households in the U.S. and Canada; however, there are some areas that do not recycle cartons.
It’s easy to recycle cartons.
While carton recycling is an easy process for most consumers, curbside recycling is not available to all U.S. and Canada households, so this statement is not universal.
Flatten your carton before you recycle it.
In the U.S. and Canada, the unique shape of the carton aids in sorting. If cartons are flattened, there is a risk it will not be sorted correctly for recycling.

Resources

Resources for BrandsView All

Looking to establish a carton recycling program? Here’s how you can get started: