APR expands Meets Preferred Guidance Program

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), Washington, has announced new packaging components that are eligible for its Meets Preferred Guidance (MPG) Program as well as a new program director. The MPG Program recognizes products that are considered Preferred according to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability.

In addition to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) base resins and near-infrared- (NIR-) detectable dark color concentrates for HDPE and polypropylene (PP) packaging, the following candidate packaging components have been added to the MPG Program:

• closures and dispensers
  • all plastic dispensers for use with PET, HDPE and PP containers;
  • closures, fitments, liners and safety seals for PET containers; and
  • closures, fitments and liners for HDPE containers.

“We are pleased to announce the continued expansion of the MPG Program and commend the companies that step up to the plate to develop packaging that is designed for recyclability,” APR President and CEO Steve Alexander says. “We look forward to recognizing many more companies that demonstrate their commitment to improving and expanding plastics recycling.”

The APR also has added Ruben Nance, formerly a senior sustainability engineer at Dart Container Corp., Mason, Michigan, as the new MPG Program director.

“I look forward to utilizing my cross-functional experience in plastics packaging, polymer science, product stewardship and reclamation technologies to manage the execution and growth of the MPG Program,” Nance says. “I am honored to be spearheading this impactful program and joining the APR team to improve the recyclability of plastic packaging.”

The APR Design Recognition Program celebrates and showcases innovations in packaging design. MPG and Critical Guidance Recognition (CGR) are APR’s flagship Recognition programs. For more than 20 years, the CGR Program has recognized significant new technologies or package components that solve long-standing problems in sustainable package design, the APR says. The recycling compatibility of these innovations is verified through APR test protocols performed by an independent third-party testing laboratory.

The MPG Program was developed more recently to recognize packaging that meets the APR Design Guide Preferred criteria for circularity. Full Critical Guidance testing is not required for package designs that use standard materials, components and complete packages that are considered Preferred. APR says it verifies the recycling compatibility of these standard items through a more expedited review process.

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The APR is hosting an educational webinar, Continued Expansion of APR’s MPG Recognition Program — Creating Packaging That is Circular by Design, April 26 from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT. Those interested in attending can register here.