Today, Store Drop-off (SDO) collection for films and flexibles is the most viable path for diverting these materials from landfills and our environment. Ideally, films and flexibles would be collected curbside for recycling, but in the current state of film recycling, significant barriers would need to be overcome before consumers could send their films to the curb for recycling.  

Building on the National Access Study to Store Drop-off (SDO) for films, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) recently conducted a deep dive into consumer awareness about Store Drop-off (SDO) programs in the United States.  

The research, supported by Quad, sought to define U.S. consumers’ understanding of film and flexible packaging recycling, understand their level of awareness of Store Drop-off programs, and explore the motivations behind bringing films and flexible packaging back to SDO bins for recycling. 

 The study found that: 

• The majority (73%) of U.S. consumers are aware of Store Drop-off as a path to recycling for films. 

• The vast majority (80%) of SDO-aware consumers claim to participate in SDO recycling. 

• SDO bin signage and packaging labels are the top two tactics influencing consumer awareness about Store Drop-off collection. 

• Consumers indicate a noticeable change in planned behavior after they have been made aware of Store Drop-off collection.

To access the full analysis report and dataset, SPC members can visit their Member Dashboard. 

The majority of U.S. consumers are aware of Store Drop-off recycling for film 

We surveyed respondents across the U.S., with a majority of respondents living in suburbs in the Southern half of the country. Respondents had an average income of $50,000 and were primarily between 25 and 44 years old.  

This sample demonstrated that the majority of U.S. consumers (73% of surveyed consumers) are aware of Store Drop-off recycling for film. Throughout the survey, these consumers answered that they have mostly seen collection bins for films in grocery stores and big-box retailers.  

Although these results are encouraging, they also reveal that close to one-third of Americans (27%), or 90 million U.S. consumers, are not aware that SDO recycling is available for flexible packaging materials. Increasing this awareness could have a significant impact on film collection.   

In the study, we also found that consumers’ lack of awareness can lead them to recycle these plastic materials in regular curbside bins, where they cannot be processed and risk contaminating recycling streams. Close to half of the respondents who were not aware of SDO collection incorrectly believed that all flexible plastic items can be recycled in curbside recycling bins.  

The vast majority of SDO-aware consumers claim to participate in SDO recycling 

Consumers that were aware of Store Drop-off recycling for film were then asked about their actual SDO return behaviors. Of these consumers, the vast majority (nearly 80%) claimed that they bring film and flexible packaging back to stores’ SDO bins, while the remaining 20% revealed that they don’t bring these materials back, despite knowing this option is available.    

According to the research, consumers who do participate in Store Drop-off recycling are  more likely to research and notice SDO bins in the stores. They are also more familiar with Store Drop-off recycling locations and more confident that they are placing materials in the correct bins. The survey results indicate that this consumer group demonstrates consistently higher levels of interest and engagement across all recycling activities compared to other groups. 

Across respondents, both frequency of Store Drop-off recycling and the percentage of SDO eligible materials returned compared to materials consumed varied significantly. Over half of the respondents (53%) claimed to bring back at least half of the eligible film and flexible packaging consumed. According to the survey, respondents in the age range of 18-24 years old are more likely to recycle 25% or less of their eligible materials, while respondents aged 65+ are more likely to recycle 75% or more of their SDO eligible materials.  

Bin signage and packaging labels are the top two tactics identified to raise consumer awareness on SDO collection 

1. In-Store Drop-off signage and bins with clear messaging  

Across all three consumer groups, respondents identified bin signage as the most effective awareness tactic. Respondents also identified convenience as an important motivating factor driving consumers to bring films and flexible packaging to stores for recycling.   

To increase participation in SDO recycling, respondents request clear signage and instructions at drop-off points. They also cited ease — making drop-off accessible by allowing consumers to deposit plastic items during regular shopping trips and by establishing additional, convenient locations close to home or work — as a motivating factor.  

These takeaways reinforce lessons learned from the SPC National Access Study, which showed significant differences in how retailers manage their programs, including the type of signage used and bins locations.  

2. Product packaging labels indicating that the item is recyclable in-store  

Product packaging labels were ranked as the second most valuable tactic to raise consumer awareness. This aligns with GreenBlue’s How2Recycle program, which aims to clearly communicate disposal instructions to the public through an on-pack labeling system. 

 The new How2Recycle Pro SDO label tested in the survey proved to be effective at educating consumers. Across all three consumer groups, 50% of respondents selected the correct answer when prompted with an image of the label and the question: “What would you do with packaging with the following disposal instructions?”  

 Across all consumer groups, most respondents would correctly recycle clean and dry plastic bags in designated Store Drop-off locations as directed on the label; however, it’s important to note that to ensure compliance with California’s SB 343 law, How2Recycle has since updated its SDO label to remove all instances of “recycle,” “recyclable” and “recycling.” The label’s symbol, which is proven to be the most influential factor on the label, will remain the same and continue to direct consumers to return via Store Drop-off. 

Consumers indicate a noticeable change in planned behavior after they have been made aware of SDO  

After completing this survey, more than half of the respondents that were previously not aware of Store Drop-off collection (53%) say they are now at least somewhat likely to start bringing film and flexible plastic packaging back to grocery or retail stores going forward.  

What’s remarkable is that this survey itself became an intervention. By simply asking consumers about the topic, the research process educated participants and could motivate action to close the circularity loop for these materials. 

These findings demonstrate that there is a tangible opportunity to increase consumer participation in SDO programs for film through strategic awareness campaigns. 

Conclusion 

The research reveals a promising foundation for expanding film and flexible packaging recycling through Store Drop-off programs. There is clear evidence that these programs can be effective when properly communicated. The study demonstrates that targeted awareness efforts — particularly through improved bin signage and clear packaging labels like How2Recycle — have the potential to support behavioral change.  

Moving forward, retailers and packaging companies can prioritize clear, consistent messaging at collection points and on product packaging to increase circularity. Through the SDO Film Recovery Collaborative, SPC will continue to bring sustainable packaging stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to Store Drop-off programs.