Recycled Content

The Federal Trade Commission defines recycled content materials as materials that have been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream. Recycled content can be broken into two categories - post consumer and pre-consumer, (which is sometimes referred to as post industrial). Post consumer content, as its name implies, is material that hs been used by consumers. Examples are clear plastic water and soda bottles made from PET that carry the #1 recycle symbol. Pre-consumer or post industrial is scrap that is generated during the normal manufacturing process that is recycled back into its raw material state.

At Genpak we began producing our clear Hinged Deli products using post consumer recycled content in early 2007. Since then we have expanded that program to include all of our clear APET products. To date we have successfully saved 3.6 million pounds of virgin PET resin.

We have also begun a very successful program that utilizes post consumer PE (polyethylene) material for some of our select flexible products. This recycled content mainly consists of plastic milk jugs that have been reclaimed and recycled back into usable raw materials for our bag production.

In terms of post industrial recycled content, Genpak has always used its own scrap. We have a very sophisticated system that captures our trim scrap and grinds it to be recycled back into its original raw material state. Once in this state it is used again in conjunction with virgin and in certain instances, post consumer raw material.

The EPA states “There’s more to recycling than setting out your recyclables at the curb. In order to make recycling economically feasible, we must buy recycled products and packaging. When we buy recycled products, we create an economic incentive for recyclable materials to be collected, manufactured and marketed as new products. Buying recycled has both economic and environmental benefits. Purchasing products made from or packaged in recycled materials saves resources for future generations.”

The following products from Genpak all have Post Consumer Recycled content.

• Clear Hinged Deli Containers
• Clear Hinged Bakery Containers
• Foodservice Lids
• Flexible Packaging

All Genpak products contain post industrial recycled content.

Continue to other section of The Green Room:

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Recycling

Source Reduction

Reuse

Biodegradable / Compostable

Sustainability

Polystyrene

Environmental Commentary