People Against Dirty, the San Francisco-based company that makes Method cleaning products, just joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s How2Recycle program, which aims to reduce confusion about recycling through clear standardized consumer labels.
A new line of Method dishwasher detergent packs sold in stand-up plastic pouches will soon have the How2Recycle label, the program said in an announcement this week. The mono-material pouches contain 20% post-consumer recycled plastic and will be recyclable at designated Store Drop-Off locations that include grocery stores. That means shoppers can put the empty pouches in dedicated store recycling containers along with plastic bags, films, and wraps. For the most part, these items can’t go in curbside bins.
People Against Dirty joins a long list of well-known companies that have adopted the How2Recycle labels. This month Nestlé Waters North America adopted the labels for half-liter bottles across all its major US brands. The How2Recycle completed a soft launch in 2012. By the following year, Kellogg Company and 11 other major companies had started using the labels. In 2014, Wegman’s Food Markets became the first grocer to participate, and McDonald’s became the first national restaurant chain to join the program.
Method isn’t the only cleaning brand to bear the handy labels. Procter & Gamble signed on in 2015 to add the recycling instructions to Dawn dishwashing liquid packaging.
Joining How2Recycle involves paying an annual fee based on the company’s gross revenue and may be pro-rated if needed. Sustainable Packaging Coalition members have discounted membership fees. Participants also pay a one-time $1,500 setup fee. How2Recycle works with each company to understand the brand and the goals. Then the program produces labels based on the company’s packaging specifications, which go through an easy proof process, which is basically a custom recyclability assessment for the company’s packaging that will have the label, How2Recycle says. Nearly 75 companies are currently participating.
