In a circular economy, plastic packaging and products are designed to be compatible with the recycling system, reduce contamination, and enhance the stream of postconsumer resin (PCR) – which is then put back into new products. We call it Circular By Design™, and it all starts here.
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In a circular economy, plastic packaging and products are designed to be compatible with the recycling system, reduce contamination, and enhance the stream of postconsumer resin (PCR) – which is then put back into new products. We call it Circular By Design™, and it all starts here.
In a circular economy, plastic packaging and products are designed to be compatible with the recycling system, reduce contamination, and enhance the stream of postconsumer resin (PCR) – which is then put back into new products. We call it Circular By Design™, and it all starts here.
If you are a larger brand, connect your sustainability and procurement teams to talk about incorporating PCR into products or packaging. You can also go directly to your package converter to talk about PCR in packaging and what options and innovations they can offer. If you’re a package converter looking for a PCR supplier, visit our Buyers & Sellers Directory or contact the APR.
Keep in mind that you can use PCR in your packaging and products, but also in work-in-progress items across your facility from pallets to totes to trash bags.
All state laws requiring PCR content stipulate that the PCR must be post-consumer, however certified post-consumer PCR is only required in certain state contexts to date. The APR encourages state legislators and regulators to incorporate PCR certification requirements to support North American recycled markets and provide full transparency. For more detail, see APR’s PCR Certification program.
PCR certification is required in California’s EPR law for any PCR used to meet the source reduction requirement, and for Oregon’s requirement for PCR in roll carts. Its requirement is discretionary for New Jersey’s recycled content law, and potentially for Maine’s.
In , Acer pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by and announced its Net Zero strategy, outlining nine focus areas under three major pillars: operations, products and services, and value chain. Among the directions, replacing virgin materials with sustainable/recycled materials in products was identified as being key to lowering the company’s carbon footprint. Acer started with plastic materials because they have a significant carbon footprint. According to OECD data (1), in plastics generated 1.8 billion tons of GHG emissions, or 3.4% of global emissions. Moreover, emissions from the plastics lifecycle are set to more than double by , reaching 4.3 billion tons of GHG emissions.
For Acer, the most efficient way to reduce plastic is to use PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic in its products and replace virgin plastic. PCR plastic is made from plastic trash that is collected and recycled through various channels. By using PCR plastic, the company can save energy, reduce GHG emissions from production, conserve natural resources, and divert waste from landfills and oceans. Moreover, this action drives the company toward a low-carbon transition to align emissions with its carbon reduction ambitions.
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PCR plastic has significant environmental benefits and is expected to play an important role in promoting plastics industry transformation and achieving a circular economy. PCR plastic can replace virgin plastic and serve an extremely wide range of applications. However, due to the PCR recycling and remanufacturing process, quality remains a challenge. Products with a higher proportion of PCR may not have the same durability and performance compared to their virgin resin counterparts.
Acer considered many different types of environmentally friendly alternatives, including bio-degradable materials, agriculture waste materials, recycled metals, etc. Eventually, it chose PCR plastics for its Vero products for several reasons. The first and most fundamental factor is Acer wanted to make this approach scalable and applicable to as many places as possible to really address the environmental impact of virgin plastics. Had the company selected niche or expensive materials, the broader impact may have been less sustainable. Secondly, the company wanted this sustainable product to fit in with current manufacturing and recycling processes, rather than creating new problems for the environment. Third, it wanted to create a sustainable product without excessive resources, energy, or materials in the development process. Finally, the company’s goal was to achieve a high yield-rate forming process and eliminate all post-surface treatments on plastic materials, which would not be possible if it had chosen a material like metal. An ideal green solution must consider the entire product lifecycle, including how it could benefit the earth, as well as any potential side effects.
In terms of the plastic types, PC (Polycarbonate) and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) are commonly used on laptop covers. However, Acer chose to use only PC plastic for its Vero laptop to make up for the potential loss in strength that comes with using PCR materials. Product durability is a critical part of the company’s sustainability vision. Though plastic type can differ by product category due to usage and product requirements, the principle for decision-making is simple: select a type of plastic that can fulfill product requirements (baseline) and contains the highest amount of PCR plastic (for the environment).
Reusing PCR plastics in products allows manufacturers to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. According to the PlasticsEurope’ Eco-Profiles, the carbon footprint of the Aspire Vero 15 (AV15-53P) laptop chassis, made with 40% PCR and 60% virgin plastic, produces 30% less emissions than a case made with 100% virgin plastic. In , 17% of the plastic used in computers and displays was PCR plastic. Using one ton of PCR plastic reduces (different types of PCR plastics have different carbon reduction potentials) CO2e by 79-86% compared to virgin plastic (i). In addition, according to TPI Group data, every ton of waste plastic recycled is equivalent to saving six tons of oil, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by three tons, and producing 800 kg of recycled plastic (2). It indicates that when the target of using 10,000 tons of PCR plastics is achieved by , the total estimated emissions reduction will be 30,000 metric tons of CO2e.
However, using PCR plastic may also help reduce mandatory recycling costs at the end of the product’s life. For example, Taiwan offers a 20% recycling fee discount for selected products that use more than 25% PCR plastic. Moreover, it aims to provide the industry with investment opportunities to consider potential new businesses in the future.
The use of PCR plastics is aligned with SDG 12 for responsible production and consumption. As a company, Acer has the responsibility to ensure the environmental impact of its products throughout their full lifecycle is gradually reduced, while providing more environmentally friendly product choices to consumers. In addition, it also contributes to responsible consumption behaviors by disclosing the environmental impact of products more transparently, allowing consumers to choose more environmentally friendly and sustainable products.
In addition, the use of OBP is in line with SDG 14 for conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources. When plastics are exposed to the sun, sea water, and the movement from waves, they may break up into microplastics, making it more challenging to fully remove them from the sea, and they may persist indefinitely. Marine life also becomes entangled in plastic debris and even ingests microplastics.
To balance and optimize cost efficiency, including material, transportation, and carbon footprint of PCR plastics, the source of recycled material should ideally come from local or nearby regions. However, to ensure a stable supply of PCR plastics, sources may need to be broader, even coming from more distant locations. Studies show that the emissions from transportation during PCR plastic recycling in the same region are relatively small (iv) (v). Acer will continue studying the entire lifecycle of PCR plastic’s environmental impacts and collaborate with suppliers to lower carbon emission whenever possible.
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