APR publishes Design Guide in French

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has published its Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability in French in an effort to align package design guidance for industry producers across North America and expand their access to technical design guidance that is compatible with the recycling system.

The APR notes that a “new era of curbside recycling” is now underway across the Canadian province of Quebec, managed by producer responsibility organization (PRO) Éco Entreprises Québec (EEQ) and supported by Recyc-Québec. Industry producers there now are responsible—both operationally and financially—for recycling their product packaging. The APR says that to make the system more effective and efficient, it is critical that producers design packaging that can be recycled by the system so Quebec can reduce scrap to landfills and realize a circular economy for plastics.

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“APR is pleased to work with Éco Entreprises Québec and Recyc-Québec to ensure that Quebec companies have access to all the technical design information required in French to optimize their plastic packaging for recyclability,” APR President and CEO Steve Alexander says. “By working together, we can create a robust and effective recycling system across North America in support of a circular economy for plastics.”

The APR says its Design Guide is the leading resource in North America for plastics packaging design guidance and includes the technical details that can help producers meet recycling targets set by the Quebec government. The organization says it is supporting the work of EEQ and Recyc-Québec by:

• Translating the APR Design Guide into French.
• Working with EEQ to ensure that its Packaging Recyclability Guidelines for plastics are aligned with the detailed technical guidance in the APR Design Guide and advances good eco-design practices.
• Adding a new section to the APR Design Guide to reflect Quebec recycling of flexible polypropylene (PP) packaging.
• Working with Recyc-Québec to support efforts directing companies to both the EEQ Packaging Recyclability Guidelines and APR Design Guide for packaging advice and guidance.
• Providing APR Design Guide training in French for companies looking to make informed decisions about their package design choices.

“Eco-design of plastic packaging is a critical requirement for creating an effective and efficient recycling system in Quebec,” says Maryse Vermette, president and CEO of EEQ. “Our team is pleased to work with APR to bring producers the leading technical guidance in French to inform the development of their packages.”

Emmanuelle Géhin, president and CEO of Recyc-Québec, says the organization “engages with companies to ensure that recyclability is at the heart of their packaging design. With APR’s technical guidance now available in French, we can ensure that Quebec companies have the technical information necessary to meet their obligations.”