Pia Baker, Director of Marketing at the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), appears in our event series Delivered to discuss why recycling starts with package design and how it can benefit brands, consumers, and the planet.
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face today, yet most of us don’t think about what happens to a plastic cup once we throw it away. We’ve become a society of consumption, accustomed to the convenience and affordability of plastic — from takeout containers to online deliveries packed in multiple layers. But unlike other materials, plastic doesn’t just disappear. It takes hundreds of years to decompose, which is why we need a better plan for its end of life. While recycling isn’t a silver bullet, it can prevent billions of pounds of plastic from ending up in landfills and oceans.
To give this important issue the attention it deserves, we invited Pia Baker to join us in our online event series Delivered. With over two decades of experience in marketing for major brands like Nestlé Waters North America, Timex, and Unilever, Pia is now the Director of Marketing at the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) — an international nonprofit focused exclusively on improving recycling.
Appearing on Delivered, Pia explained how recycling actually works, why it matters, and why it all starts with package and product design. She also shared free resources to help companies create packaging that can truly be recycled while discussing industry best practices, emerging regulations, and the biggest misconceptions about recycling.
Busting the biggest recycling myth
You might have heard of the statistic “only 9% of plastic gets recycled”. Not only is it alarming, but it’s also misleading. The number actually includes all plastic ever produced, from car parts to medical equipment to children’s toys, most of which was never meant to be recycled in the first place.
Unfortunately, headlines containing such information fuel skepticism and discourage people from recycling. In reality, the majority of recyclable plastic waste we put in the bin, such as shampoo bottles, milk jugs, or yogurt containers, actually does get recycled.
In 2022 alone, the U.S. recycled 5 billion pounds of plastic — that’s the equivalent of keeping 340 truckloads of waste out of landfills every single day.
PIA BAKER, MARKETING DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATION OF PLASTIC RECYCLERS
Recycling works, but only if we keep doing it. However, the process is not as simple as tossing something into the right bin.
What does ‘recyclable’ really mean?
Recycling is a complex process involving sorting facilities that use magnets, optical sensors, and conveyors to separate different materials. Small design choices, like the wrong glue on labels or a plastic bottle with a metal cap, can prevent an item from being properly recycled. That’s why designing for recyclability from the start is so important.
For something to be truly recyclable, it must meet four key criteria.
1
Recycling access
If recycling isn’t accessible, the item is unlikely to be properly processed. People need to have convenient access, whether through curbside pickup or a nearby drop-off facility.
2
Acceptance
Not everything labeled ‘recyclable’ can actually be processed at every recycling facility. Different facilities have different capabilities, and materials that don’t fit their criteria may be rejected.
3
Market demand
Many people are not aware of it, but recycling is a business. For materials to be recycled, there must be buyers willing to purchase and repurpose them.
4
Design for recyclability
Packaging should be designed to move efficiently through the recycling system, avoiding issues like contaminating other materials, disrupting sorting equipment, or being too difficult to process.
To help companies navigate this, APR offers a free digital tool, the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability, which helps brands assess whether their packaging or individual packaging components will successfully make it through the recycling system.
Designing for recyclability
The APR Design Guide is a go-to resource for anyone involved in plastic packaging, especially packaging engineers and sustainability professionals. Originally a simple document focused on PET plastic, it has evolved over 30 years into a comprehensive, easy-to-use online resource. The latest redesign, performed in collaboration with Infinum, made the guide more streamlined and user-friendly.
APR’s guide has already led to major industry improvements. One standout success story is its role in solving the black plastic issue. Optical sorting machines in recycling facilities couldn’t detect black plastics, meaning they often ended up in landfills. APR was one of the first organizations to flag this issue and developed a test to help brands determine whether their packaging could be correctly sorted and recycled.
This led to a wave of innovation, with suppliers developing NIR-identifiable black colorants that recycling machines could detect and process. Thanks to this, Unilever’s brand Axe was able to keep its iconic black bottle while ensuring it could be properly recycled.
The business case for sustainability
The idea that sustainability and profitability are at odds is outdated. The latest data proves that sustainability isn’t just good for the environment. It’s good for the business.
NYU Stern has a sustainable market share index that tracks the growth rate of products that have been labeled and marketed as sustainable. The latest report shows that these products have a 50% higher growth rate.
PIA BAKER, MARKETING DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATION OF PLASTIC RECYCLERS
Younger consumers, especially those in urban areas with higher education and disposable income, are driving the demand for sustainability. They expect brands to take responsibility for their packaging and environmental impact.
“If your company is taking action, how you communicate matters just as much as what you’re doing. Avoid greenwashing, but don’t be afraid to share your progress. If customers aren’t aware of your efforts, they can’t support you with their purchases. The key is finding the right balance of telling the story in a way that works for your brand, that’s meaningful to your consumer, and that supports the actions that you’re taking,” Pia explained.
Some brands are stepping up in unexpected ways. Instead of just focusing on 100% recycled plastic bottles, they’re reimagining packaging altogether. Sainsbury’s, for example, swapped plastic trays for shrink-wrapped film in their meat packaging. Some customers weren’t thrilled at first, but sales didn’t drop, proving that sustainability doesn’t have to hurt business.
Other brands are rethinking packaging entirely. Grove Collaborative offers household cleaners in reusable glass bottles with small concentrated refills to cut down on plastic waste. In the U.S., DeliverZero is creating a system for reusable takeout containers that customers can return, wash, and reuse, helping tackle the huge plastic waste problem from food delivery.
Beyond consumer expectations, recyclability is becoming a legal requirement. Governments are introducing new regulations that require companies to include a minimum percentage of recycled content in their packaging. Businesses that don’t start preparing now risk falling behind.
One of the biggest policy changes in the U.S. is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This law shifts the financial burden of packaging waste back onto companies, requiring them to invest in recycling infrastructure, design packaging for recyclability, and use post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. Several states have already passed EPR laws, and more are on the way.
For more insights on how you and your organization can become part of the solution, watch or listen to the full conversation with Pia. And if you’re looking to bring a digital product to life or redesign an existing one, let’s talk!
