Do you know what all of these symbols mean on your everyday packaging?

Labels on packaging are designed to be clear and concise, to easily inform consumers about the contents of their item and how to correctly dispose of the item. Some symbols are universal, whereas others apply only to certain regions. With the growth of e-commerce and international supply chains, many brands sell their products globally and so will display a host of symbols and logos to satisfy the regulations of various jurisdictions.

Here we explain the most commonly seen packaging labels and how they relate to recycling and composting.  

General Labels

Mobius Loop

The presence of the loop on a product or packaging shows that the item is capable of being recycled. Sometimes the symbol also contains a number and percentage to show that the item is also made of recycled materials.

The mobius loop is an internationally recognised symbol of recycling that has been in use since 1970. The symbol is in the public domain and there are endless designs and variants in use, always following the principle of three arrows in a triangle or circle shape.

Variations exist around the world: Taiwan uses a square version of the symbol using four arrows, with the negative space creating further arrows pointing outward.

Green Dot

The Green Dot symbol is not a recycling symbol, nor does it mean the packaging it’s applied to is recyclable. The presence of the symbol shows that a licence fee has been paid towards a recovery and waste management programme by the company producing the item.

The Green Dot is widely used in Europe, where the scheme is covered under the European Packaging and packaging waste directive. The cost of the scheme is intended to encourage companies to cut down on packaging.

More information: www.pro-e.org

Tidyman

The Tidyman symbol is commonly used in the UK, and is trademarked by the charity Keep Britain Tidy. Brands can use the icon on their packaging for a fee, which supports the charity and their campaigns which focus on reducing litter and waste, and promoting sustainability.

More information: www.keepbritaintidy.org

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)

The FSC symbol is used worldwide and is a certification that encompasses environmental and social concerns about the origin of the materials used. There are three FSC labels currently in use, which indicate that the materials used are from responsibly managed, FSC-certified forests, are recycled or are a mix of the two.

The labels do not indicate how a product should be disposed of or recycled.

More information: www.fsc.org

Plastic Resin Codes

Plastic resin codes have been in use since their introduction In 1988 and identify the type of plastic used. The symbol may display the abbreviation of the material below the triangle or just display the number inside. The symbols are used internationally.

The symbol does not mean that the product is recyclable, and in some cases the triangle is a solid triangle without arrows so as to not create confusion about the products recyclability.

Instructional Labels

How2Recycle

The How2Recycle label is used across North America and gives information on the material of an item and instructions for how to recycle. Where products are made of multiple materials the symbols can be combined to give instructions for each component, for example: a plastic food tray, with a film lid and an outer cardboard sleeve.

More information: www.how2recycle.info

On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL)

The OPRL system is based in the UK, and labels according to how and where they should be recycled - or not. Where products comprise multiple components, the symbols may be combined to give instructions for each part of the product, for example a plastic bottle, with a lid and a paper sleeve. The guidance of whether or not something is recyclable or not is based on what percentage of local authorities are able to process the item, for example the 'Don't recycle' label is applied to packaging collected by less than 50% of UK local authorities.

More information: www.oprl.org.uk

The Australasian Recycling Label

The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) is used in Australia and New Zealand gives information on the material(s) of an item and how it should be recycled or disposed of. Much like the US and UK systems, the label will contain multiple symbols for items comprised of multiple materials.

More information: www.recyclingnearyou.com.au

Triman

The Triman symbol is used in France and indicates the recyclability of a product, and is used alongside text or pictograms indicating how to sort and recycle the item. The harmonised system is colour coded and used across all waste streams, including paper, plastic, metal, glass, textiles and electrical goods.

The symbol has been in use since 2015, but an update in 2022 means that it is mandatory to be printed on all products and packaging sold in France. As the symbol is required for items imported into France, it is often seen on items in other countries and regions.

More information: www.citeo.com

Crossed-Out Trash Can

Used worldwide, this symbol indicates that the item should not be disposed of in general waste and indicates a special category of hazardous Universal Waste. Items within this category include electrical items, household batteries, lithium-ion batteries, fluorescent lightbulbs, mercury thermometers and pesticides.

It is important to follow guidelines in your region for these items; if included within general waste or recycling collections, batteries and 'disposable electrical' items (including vapes, light up birthday cards and balloons) can cause fires. In the UK, batteries discarded in household rubbish bins cause 700 fires every year in garbage trucks and at waste processing centres, costing £160million a year.

Compostable Labels

Compostable Seedling

The Compostable Seedling logo indicates that an item is compostable and certified to EN 13432, which means that the item will fully degrade in an industrial composting plant. The seedling logo is a registered trademark owed by European Bioplastics, and certification is offered by DIN CERTCO and TÜV Austria Belgium. The logo has to be used with a registration number which corresponds to an online database to provide traceability of the certification scheme.

More information: www.tuv-at.be

OK compost

There are two OK compost labels and certifications: OK compost HOME and OK compost INDUSTRIAL, both are commonly used in Europe.

OK compost INDUSTRIAL certifies a product complies with EN 13432, which means that a product will fully degrade in an industrial composting facility. Products with this label can be included in organic or food waste collections.

OK compost HOME does not explicitly comply with a single standard, and tests at lower temperatures and for longer periods to simulate a home compost environment. Items with this label can be disposed of in a home compost bin or with organic/food waste collections.

More information: www.tuv-at.be

BPI Compostable

The BPI Compostable certification mark is commonly used in North America and tests items to ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868, which confirms items are suitable for commercial composting facilities. Items labelled with the BPI label will fully degrade in industrial facilities and can be included with organic waste collections.

More information: www.bpiworld.org

Home Compostable Logo

The Home Compostable Logo was launched by the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), and certifies products compliant with the AS 5810-2010 standard. The AS 5810-2010 goes further than the EN13432 or ASTM D6400 standards, and indicates that a product is suitable for composting in home compost bins as well as in industrial or commercial settings.

More information: www.bioplastics.org.au

Composter Approved

The US based Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) has introduced its own certification scheme, which builds on the ASTM D6400 and D6868 standards to test products in real world industrial composting processes. The certification shows that a product is suitable for commercial composting and has been tested in a live environment.

More information: www.compostmanufacturingalliance.com

Biobased Labels

The BioPreferred Program

The BioPreferred Program is managed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and measures the biobased content of a product using ASTM D6866. The USDA has established minimum biobased content standards for many product categories, and products outside of these categories must contain at least 25% biobased content to use the label. The label identifies which part of the product or packaging is certified, and displays the percentage of biobased content. The label does not relate to an items recyclability or compostability.

More information: www.biopreferred.gov

TUV OK Biobased

The OK Biobased label certifies that a product contains a minimum percentage of renewable raw materials. The label displays between one and four stars, items with a minimum of 20% biobased content show one star and items with a minimum of 80% biobased content display four stars. The label does not relate to an items recyclability or compostability.

More information: www.tuv-at.be

DIN Geprüft Biobased

There are three labels available from DIN Certco which relate to the proportion of biobased carbon content of a material: Biobased 20-50%, Biobased 50-85% and Biobased > 85%. The certification is based on a number of standards to determine the organic content, and indicates that the material contains renewable raw materials. The label does not relate to an items recyclability or compostability.

More information: www.dincertco.de

NEN Biobased

This certification system is based on the European standard EN 16785-1 which determines the biobased content of an item, and refers to biomass not just biobased carbon. The certification is managed by NEN, the Dutch standards body. The label does not relate to an items recyclability or compostability.

More information: www.biobasedcontent.eu

Other Labels

Prevented Ocean Plastic

Prevented Ocean Plastic is a programme run by a company called Bantam Materials, who collect and recycle plastic ready for reuse from areas at risk of polluting oceans and waterways. The company defines Prevented Ocean Plastic as being found within 50km (30mi) distance of an ocean coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean, in a country or region that lacks waste management infrastructure, or whose infrastructure is overwhelmed by tourism or population growth. The programme and the label is intended as a trust mark to consumers that the product has been made of ocean bound plastic, with full traceability of the materials chain of custody and point of origin.

More information: www.preventedoceanplastic.com

European Single Use Plastic

Certain single use items sold in the EU must display labelling that informs consumers if the item contains plastics or is made of plastic. These items include wet wipes, sanitary towels, tampons and tampon applicators, cups for beverages and tobacco products with filters. This labelling has been in use since July 2021, following the European Commission's Single Use Plastic Directive (2019/04), and does not differentiate between traditional fossil-fuel based plastics and compostable or biodegradable biobased plastics.

More information: www.environment.ec.europa.eu

Using clear, unambiguous language and being honest about what each of these labels mean helps to build consumer confidence, and in turn boost demand for green solutions and products leading to a more sustainable, circular economy. 

This is just a selection of the most commonly used labels seen on packaging, which others would you like us to explain?

Let us know on social media - @solinatra!