Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCR) in EPR
Explore where post-consumer recycled content in packaging is included within EPR laws, including PCR targets, eco-modulation, and source reduction.
Explore SPC’s Resources
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. Our mission is to bring sustainable packaging stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to packaging systems and lend an authoritative voice on issues related to packaging sustainability. We have curated a diverse collection of resources to help you navigate the realm of sustainable packaging.
Here you can search or filter by topics and resource type to find a wealth of knowledge and practical tools to support your sustainability journey.
SPC Materials Decision Matrix
Key Considerations When Choosing Single-Use Packaging Materials.
How Material Recovery Facilities (MRF’s) Work
This document identifies the main challenges regarding acceptance of materials and offering a call to action for companies to support MRFs in overcoming the identified challenges.
2025 Trends Report
In this second-annual Trends
Report, we focus on important shifts in policy and innovations that impact everything from material health and selection, reuse implementation, and curbside collection of materials.
Framework for Reuse
Designed to help companies drive successful, scalable reuse initiatives.
The Business Case for Reuse
Reuse is more than just an environmental option for sustainable packaging – refillable and returnable packaging will be a key strategy for lowering costs, complying with extended producer responsibility schemes, and driving business growth.
Evaluating Alt & Non-Wood Fiber Use in Packaging
Assesses myths and trade-offs around packaging from alternative fibers.
Chemical Recycling Q&A
A resource designed to explain chemical recycling technologies relevant to packaging.
2024 Packaging Innovation Trends Report
This trends report calls attention to innovations we’re seeing from both our Member companies and the international packaging community.
Glossary of LCA and Environmental Trade-off Terms
This short resource provides a single point of reference for terminology and acronyms frequently used when discussing life cycle assessment, environmental trade-offs, carbon footprints, and related topics.
Composting and Compostable Packaging in State EPR Laws
Provide an overview of policy, industrial composting and compostables in the EPR programs across the five states that had passed packaging EPR.
Definition of Sustainable Packaging
The principles of sustainable packaging aid the value chain in approaching sustainable packaging systematically, minimizing negative impacts, while improving performance and purpose.
Guide to Recycled Plastics: Part 3
This guide to recycled plastics aims to empower brands and their suppliers with an expanded knowledge of policy and legislation.
Guide to Recycled Plastics: Part 2
This guide to recycled plastics aims to empower brands and their suppliers with the knowledge to improve sourcing of recycled plastic.
Guide to Recycled Plastics: Part 1
This guide to recycled plastics aims to empower brands and their suppliers with the knowledge necessary to expand usage of recycled plastic.
Designing Packaging to Prevent & Divert Food Waste
Reduce food waste at the consumer and retailer levels by prioritizing food waste prevention and deploying the right packaging design.
Intro to Flexible Packaging Recovery
Despite the benefits, flexible packaging is a challenge. Improved recovery is key to closing the loop for this material.
How to Know If Your Paper Packaging Is Recyclable
An introduction to paper packaging recyclability test methods & specifications to serve as a guide for overall packaging design.
Guide to EPR Proposals
Identify the differences between the various proposals while also developing a deeper understanding of the components of EPR policy.
Understanding the Role of Compostable Packaging
The guide helps brands prevent problems down the road by evaluating which applications are the best fit for compostable packaging.
Guide to Verifying Responsible Sourcing of Fiber
This guide provides a primer and resources for paper and paper-based packaging
Legislative Landscape for Chemical Recycling
Covering PCR Recycled Content, Chemical Recycling Legislation, EPR, Recovery and Policy.
Can Packaging Help Divert Food Waste?
Case studies of two quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains in Vermont & New York.
Paper Packaging Design Guides
Covers currently available and in-development paper packaging design guides for recyclability.
Evaluating Store Drop-off as a Pathway for Film Recycling
This resource evaluates the current state of the Store Drop-off program and explores potential solutions and strategies to address the gaps identified.
Degradability Additives in Petroleum-Based Plastics
The SPC does not support the use of any kind of degradability additives in packaging, including additives that seek to make packaging more degradable.
Problematic Materials
The Problematic Materials workstream worked with The Plastics Pact Activators to to eliminate problematic and unnecessary resins, components, and formats by 2025.
“Biodegradable” Packaging
The SPC recommends that packaging companies do not use the term biodegradable to market their products to suppliers, retailers, or consumers.
Greenwashing
The SPC recommends a definition of greenwashing to enable more fruitful conversations about environmental marketing, on-pack eco-labeling, and consumer education.
Packaging Policy
In the context of the SPC, packaging policy is a term referring to political efforts from governments, corporations, or other organizations working in the sustainable packaging field on a global scale.
Reuse
To enable successful reusable packaging systems, the SPC believes in a holistic definition of reusable packaging that includes intentionality, system boundaries, and assured environmental benefit.
Chemical Recycling
Chemical recycling refers to a spectrum of physical and chemical processes for transforming plastic or polymer waste into new products. Chemical recycling technologies fall under three main categories: purification, depolymerization, and conversion.
A Primer on Recycled Plastic Packaging
PCR Primer for Retail Teams focused in Policy, Purchasing, Sourcing, Design, and Product Development surrounding plastic packaging.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Producer Exemptions
This EPR policy resource clarifies who is responsible for the covered product who is responsible for contributing to the financial, operational, or combined program.
Intro to Chemical Recycling
Increased transparency around impacts, green chemistry principles, and collaboration to strengthen the entire. recycling system are crucial to the successful implementation of chemical recycling.
Intro to End Markets for Hard-to-Recycle Plastics
The circularity of hard-to-recycle plastics benefits from design for recyclability, improved infrastructure for collection and sortation, and increased demand pull from end markets.
EPR for Packaging in the US: Covered Products and Exemptions
Policy resource on what’s covered and what’s exempt in the United States under Extender Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
Designing for End of Life by Product Category
Applying the right solution to the appropriate packaging challenge will offer the best use of stakeholders’ resources.
Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging in the United States: Acronyms & Abbreviations
This quick reference guide provides an overview of common acronyms and abbreviations that are frequently used at when discussing extended producer responsibility (EPR).
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Eco-Modulation Overview
In this poicy resource, we provide an overview of eco-modulation in the EPR programs across the five states that have passed EPR laws, and it’s impact on packaging design.
How Companies Use LCA Tools to Meet Packaging Goals
Case studies leveraging Trayak’s screening LCA tool, EcoImpact-COMPASS, to measure environmental impacts associated with a packaging change.