OPRL’s ‘Do Not Recycle’ labels as important as ‘Recycle’ labels to avoid wishcycling

OPRL’s recycle and refill labels direct people to make the right recycling choices and give them confidence that they’re recycling the right materials. As an industry, we sometimes tend to focus on the people who are not participating but, sometimes, over-enthusiastic ‘wishcycling’ can prove just as problematic.

In most cases, if someone is uncertain about whether something can be recycled, they refer to the information on the packaging. But without labelling on every product, there are times when people just have to guess. Many try to do the right thing by placing non-recyclable items in the recycling bin. Officially known as wishcycling, this behaviour might also be referred to as ‘wing it and hope for the best’!

The intention behind wishcycling is positive – people want to avoid contributing to landfill and believe they are doing the right thing. Often, however, it leads to more harm than good. Non-recyclable items contaminate the quality of recycled materials, making them less useful or, in some cases, unusable. This could mean a whole consignment of material is sent to landfill or energy from waste rather than being recycled.

When people find out that what they’ve been ‘recycling’ ends up in landfill due to contamination, it can lead to cynicism and reduce participation in recycling programmes. That’s why at OPRL we include messages like ‘Do Not Recycle’, ‘Recycle With Large Bags At Large Supermarkets – Don’t Recycle At Home’, or ‘Recycle At Recycling Point – Check Home Collections’. These are as important and valuable as the ‘Recycle’ labels in directing people to place their packaging in the right container.

With the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) for Packaging, these labels will become even more important. Under this legislation, all producers of packaging will take responsibility for the cost of disposal of the packaging waste they place on the market. And for pEPR to work effectively, it is imperative that we capture as much material for recycling as possible.

On-pack labelling is the cornerstone of any successful recycling system, and the starting point to reducing waste and ensuring that the environmental benefits of recycling are fully realised. To achieve our goals and encourage greater recycling, it’s not enough to tell people when to recycle; they also need clear instructions on when to hold fire and head for the residual waste bin.

We Go Beyond The Label

At OPRL, we are more than just a source of recycling labels. We offer a whole range of related services.

To find out more about how we can help you and your business with your recycling labelling needs and the benefits of becoming a member of OPRL, click here.

Existing OPRL members can log into our Members Area to access our intuitive Labelling Tool, read our Labelling Rules, access exclusive webinars and information, and much more.

Get in touch with our team if you would like to discuss how we can support you.