The jungle of terms around recycling
78% of Europeans agree that environmental issues have a direct effect on their daily lives and health (European Commission, Special Eurobarometer 550 – “Attitudes of Europeans to the environment” Fieldwork: March-April 2024, https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3173). They consider that Plastic is the most problematic type of waste in their country. Less rubbish, less plastic and more recycling are the most common measures of choice. However, this strong desire for change opens opportunities for embellished marketing phrases and even greenwashing. The countless terms, from technical terms to marketing buzzwords, are almost indistinguishable. The following overview intends to provide orientation in the jungle of terms so as not to be lured onto the wrong track by green washers.
In the jungle of terms – different product labels from a wide range of industries use a variety of designations. An invention or credible information? This question poses challenges for many purchases. © Tana-Chemie
What is Greenwashing?
The deliberate use of terms that can be misunderstood or are even an intentional fraud in order to present a product as sustainable is known as greenwashing. Examples of this include the use of terms such as ‘100% recyclable’ on packaging that has almost always been 100% recyclable, such as ice cream packaging, shampoo bottles, drinks bottles etc. made from mono-material. Packaging that has always been made from a single type of material and is recyclable has been emphasized since the increased public interest in sustainability without any real achievement. How often the consumer confuses logos regarding recyclability with actually recycled packaging remains a matter of conjecture.
Statements regarding the CO2 footprint are even more complex to evaluate. Many companies buy themselves a supposed ‘climate neutrality’. The problems range from dubious certificates to deliberately under-calculated CO2 emissions in order to minimize costs. This is made possible by the lack of a standardized basis for calculation and a lack of legal foundations. An additional problem is that companies do not need any longer to reduce their own CO2 emissions and prevents innovation in the area of sustainability.
What needs to be differentiated?
Recycling, recyclable: These terms describe that the material can be recycled, i.e. processed again. It does not say whether recycled material has already been used. A clear distinction must be made here between recyclable and recycled material. How well the material can be recycled, whether equivalent recycling, so-called upcycling, is possible, only part of it can be reused or even only inferior downcycling is possible, should be questioned. For example, colored plastic can often only be recycled into inferior products or is thermally recycled, similar to composite materials that can no longer be separated. Thermal recycling simply describes the burning of the raw material and therefore cannot be seen as true recycling.
The fine sorting of used plastic in a recycling collection to obtain new high-quality recyclate. © Tana-Chemie
Recyclate, recycled: Recyclate is a material made from previously used plastic that is reused to produce new packaging. This packaging is then recycled. Sounds good, but there are pitfalls here too. Plastic residues generated during production have always been reused because they are nothing more than a resource. This so-called post-industrial recyclate (PIR) has never been in circulation as a product, but since the increased importance of sustainability, it has often been advertised as recycled plastic. Only genuine post-consumer recyclate (PCR) is used plastic from European household collection, such as the yellow bag in Germany. This plastic comes from products that have been collected in a household-based, municipal collection system, e.g. the yellow bag, separated in sorting plants and then reprocessed into high-quality recyclate. Old packaging can then be used to create new packaging. But even if it is PCR, the proportion can still be glossed over. It has been possible for years to use up to 100% recycled material in many product areas, but not in all. Nevertheless, statements such as “packaging with 30% recycled material” are presented as if it were the latest, groundbreaking achievement. In contrast, the brand Green Care Professional, shows that there is another way: They use up to 100 % recycled bottles since 2014. You could think they reached the top, but this is not enough for them, they strive to switch the recyclate from used PET bottles to plastic from the household collections and reached latest 75 % recyclate from this and 25 % are coming from the PET bottle collection. However, the use of recycled material itself is not enough for sustainable packaging, because ideally, even packaging made from old plastic should still be qualitatively recyclable. This means that a monomaterial should be used rather than a composite material. This brings us full circle again – to recyclability.
Every detail counts: Tana-Chemie continues to optimize its recycled packaging. ©Tana-Chemie
What does a sustainable company do differently?
In principle, a sustainable company first tries to optimize every factor in its own value chain. From the raw materials and energy used to the packaging and where the product ends up, a lot can be done here. This optimization process is never finished because every detail counts. In addition, suppliers and supply chains should be optimized. “A sustainable strategy can only be successful if CO2 avoidance and reduction is constantly practiced. We are proud to offer Green Care Professional products in up to 100% recycled packaging and of course we continue to optimize on all levels,” explains Markus Häfner, Managing Director of Tana-Chemie.
How do you get along?
Use your knowledge correctly: Think about the differences in the meanings of the terms and start by distinguishing between recyclable and recycled material. First, differentiate between the statements recyclable and recycled material. The best packaging is one that consists of the highest possible proportion of recyclate and can be recycled again to the highest possible extent. Use common sense to question what you are trying to convey and what the slogan, button or certificate really means. Find out about the company behind it. Truly sustainable companies act transparently and act as long-term partners for their customers and sustainability, like Tana-Chemie with the Green Care Professional brand. The powerful and sustainable, professional cleaning products are consistently designed in the spirit of the circular economy and are therefore safe for people and the environment. Belonging to the Werner & Mertz Group, the group and its Frosch brand enjoy worldwide trust among private and professional users and are pioneers of a functioning circular economy far beyond their own industry.
