Will Richardson warns that EU regulators are cracking down on brands claiming packaging is "fully recyclable" when local waste systems can't actually handle it. To avoid fines, disclose which regions can recycle it, the actual recovery rate, and how much recycled material is already in the package.
Our packaging is fully recyclable. It's the claim every consumer goods brand reaches for, and it's usually true in theory and false in practice because it depends entirely on where the customer lives and what their local facility actually accepts. Under the EU's Green Claims Directive, that gap between theory and practice is exactly what regulators are now testing for. The fix? Say where it's actually recyclable, what the real recovery rate is, and how much of the packaging is already made from recycled contents.
