Danone Raises the Bar on Package Personalization: QR Codes Link Local RecyclersDanone Raises the Bar on Package Personalization: QR Codes Link Local Recyclers
It's an industry first. By year's end, consumers will scan a QR code on cartons of Silk products to get recycling details in their local community, thanks to the new How2Recycle Plus program.

At a Glance
- Danone's adoption of How2Recycle Plus uses new labels with Recycle Check QR codes from The Recycling Partnership.
- The QR codes link to the Partnership’s dynamic National Recycling Database of always-current local recycling information.
- The program could ease confusion over what materials are accepted across US recycling facilities' patchwork policies.
Like Batman and Robin or peanut butter and jelly, a dynamic duo can take many shapes and forms. In the sustainable packaging realm, the latest dynamic duo to hit the scene comes in the form of Danone announcing it would be the first company to adopt the new How2Recycle Plus program. By year's end, packages of select new Silk brand products will carry new Recycle Check QR code labeling to give consumers local-to-them recycling answers from a dynamically updated database.
The new label gives consumers a clear, yes-no answer about what materials are recyclable. Consumers simply scan the on-pack QR code with their smartphone and enter their zip code to get personalized information about what can be recycled in their specific communities. And if the recycling situation changes, the information online automatically updates to direct consumers to the latest information.
Danone North America has been a partner of How2Recycle since 2016 and Sam Harrington, director, packaging sustainability at Danone North America, tells Packaging Digest that the fruits of this relationship will build trust by providing clear, actionable recycling information. “Thanks to The Recycling Partnership’s National Recycling Database, consumers can quickly get a clear yes or no recyclability answer based on real-time, up-to-date information,” he says.
Clarity for an Unclear Recycling Landscape.
Given wobbling consumer confidence in recycling, Harrington is excited about how the new label platform is poised to make the process simpler than ever.
With more than 9,000 different recycling programs in the United States, it’s unsurprising that confusion abounds when it comes to what can and can’t be recycled from one locale to another. “Static labels attempt to put a one-size-fits all message about recyclability, but due to our varied and evolving recycling system, this messaging will be incorrect for a portion of consumers,” he says. “For example, although many beverage cartons are today considered ‘widely recyclable’ by How2Recycle and federal standards for recyclability, more than a third of Americans cannot recycle them where they live.
“The How2Recycle Plus platform provides the most real-time information on what materials are accepted at thousands of facilities across the country and will be hugely helpful to our consumers who want to participate in recycling,” he continues. “We know how important recycling is, and we want to encourage our consumers to dispose of our products properly.”
The new label duo is ideal for packages that straddle being not yet recyclable and those that are recyclable in most places. “Brands may want to keep using a static label for non-recyclable packages like PVC, and they may also want to keep using a static label for things that are recyclable nearly everywhere like aluminum cans,” he says. “For items that are recyclable by 10 to 80 percent of the population, upgrading to this new dynamic label makes information clearer for consumers, and it future-proofs graphics for brands.”
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