Sustainable packaging: what the labels really mean

Customers increasingly ask what their packaging is made of. Getting the language right protects you as well as the environment.

Three terms, three meanings

• Recyclable means the material can be collected and reprocessed where your customer lives.
• Compostable means it breaks down under defined conditions, which are often industrial.
• Recycled content means part of the material came from used products.

Practical steps

Choose paper-based materials where you can, keep coatings and laminations minimal, and print clear disposal instructions on the pack.

A modest claim you can prove beats a big claim you cannot.

We are happy to note the material makeup on every quote so your claims match what you buy.