Is this recyclable? Globally, only about 9 percent of plastic waste is currently recycled and about 12 percent is incinerated. The vast majority ends up in landfills or leaks into the environment. We need to do better.

As the beauty industry is making a concerted effort to clean up its act when it comes to sustainability, there is a tremendous amount of confusing and inconsistent information when it comes to plastic packaging and labeling. Research by Whelan and Kronthal-Sacco found in the US that 50 percent of growth in consumer packaged goods between 2013 and 2018 came from sustainability-marketed products.

The One Planet network is the multi-stakeholder network that was formed to support the implementation of the 10 Year Framework of Programs on Sustainable Consumption and Production. A collaborative effort led by Consumers International and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) led to the development of the Global Mapping and Assessment of Standards, Labels and Claims on Plastic Packaging, and this is what they uncovered:

Top Five Findings:

1. There is considerable room for improvement across the current landscape with wide variations in the reliability, relevance, clarity, transparency, and accessibility of labels and claims on plastic packaging.
2. Definitions about the content and reusability of plastic packaging need to be harmonized. One of the clearest messages from the consultation is that the current landscape of labels and claims is very confusing for consumers.
3. The definitions and technical requirements used in standards related to recyclability, compostability, and biodegradability should better reflect real-world conditions and be more attentive to accessibility and consumer understanding. There is currently a disconnect between these claims and what is likely to happen in reality.
4. The use of the “chasing arrows” symbol should be restricted to indicating recyclability. The design of labels and logos should seek to minimize the potential for misinterpretation.
5. Informative and verified recycling labels should be adopted and their proper use enforced. Well-designed recycling labels can be effective in increasing responsible consumer behavior in plastic waste disposal.

The Numbers:

• 65% of respondents in a poll by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and Earth911 found they do not understand what plastics are acceptable in roadside collection.
• 67% of respondents in a survey by the Carton Council of North America say they would assume a package is not recyclable if it did not have a recycling symbol or language indicating that it was.
• The survey also reveals that a majority of consumers (57%) first look at a product’s packaging for recycling information before turning to other sources.
• Research in the US found that 50% of growth in consumer packaged goods between 2013 and 2018 came from sustainability-marketed products (Whelan and Kronthal-Sacco 2019).
• In 2018, over 1 million people around the globe participated in activism based on reducing single-use plastic (Greenpeace International 2018).
• 18% of UK consumers admit that they’ve dropped “compostable” food and drink packaging outside, mistakenly thinking it’s okay to do so in the belief it will quickly rot down where it is (Packaging News 2019).
• According to European Bioplastics, “Bio-waste represents 40-50% of the municipal waste streams in Europe, but only about 25% are separately collected and organically recycled at the moment” (European Bioplastics 2018).

Effectively communicated labels and claims can have an important impact on consumer behavior, which is crucial for overcoming the attitude-behavior gap and driving more sustainable choices. The core function of labels and claims on plastic packaging should be to provide reliable, relevant, clear, transparent, and accessible information.

This commitment in packaging empowers consumers to be active partners in the transition to more sustainable consumption and production patterns and a circular economy.

Download the United Nations Environment Program report on Global Mapping and Assessment of Standards, Labels and Claims on Plastic Packaging.