Recycled plastic products- the quality dilemma

Quality challenges for packaging manufacturers

The global plastic pollution problem is choking our environment and single-use virgin plastic products are a major contributor to it. Most of it tends to end up in our oceans or at landfills compared to what results in recycled plastic products. The European market is traditionally behind in terms of recycling capacities and infrastructure. One of the targets the European Plastic Pact has set to tackle these challenges and legacy is to increase the use of recycled plastics in new products and packaging by 2025, with plastics-buying companies achieving an average of at least 30% recycled plastics (by weight) in their product and packaging range.

Although, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s new Global Commitment Progress Report, the global use of “single-use virgin plastic” has peaked and is expected to fall significantly by 2025, due to the rise in recycled packaging. To quote an excerpt from the report "The Global Commitment is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme. Through the Global Commitment, businesses and governments commit to change how we produce, use and reuse plastic. They will work to eliminate the plastic items we don’t need; innovate so all plastic we do need is designed to be safely reused, recycled, or composted; and circulate everything we use to keep it in the economy and out of the environment.The Global Commitment has already mobilised over 500 signatories that are determined to start building a circular economy for plastic. These include companies representing 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally, some of which are well-known consumer businesses such as L’Oréal; MARS; Nestlé; PepsiCo; The Coca-Cola Company; and Unilever; the world’s largest retailer - Walmart; major packaging producers such as Amcor and Berry Global; and two of the largest resource management specialists - Veolia and Suez."

Manufacturers, however, are still sceptical about the quality of recycled plastic products. The ultimate question remains whether recycled plastics can be engineered into durable, beautiful quality products. Plastic buyers believe that “virgin plastic” can withstand more extreme temperatures and handle a greater impact, and its quality has been tested over the years with a variety of applications in use. But this is a myth. It is important to realize that recycling innovation is now capable of meeting the challenges of a packaging manufacturer or product developer and therefore, recycled alternatives are available even for a product that requires high-quality technical guarantee and flexibility.  To put it more objectively, recycled plastic is a more sustainable solution to the pollution created by single-use virgin plastic and can have nearly every use case application. The hesitancy related to its quality is no longer a valid excuse for not switching to a recycled solution. All single-use virgin plastic applications have a viable and sustainable alternative made from recycled plastic.  

Collaborate with the right partner

Single-use virgin plastic has done more damage than good to our planet and there is no time to delay the needed sustainable transformation. Partnering with trusted recycled plastic product suppliers can not only help your brand stand out in the market but also reduce your carbon footprint to meet your sustainability goals. 

At SHIELDLER, we call ourselves material engineers because our materials and products are 100% recycled and recyclable. Our products achieve the lifecycle circularity of a plastic product and do not contribute to the contamination of the environment. SHIELDLER's vision is to eliminate the use of single-use virgin plastic in its entirety, and we are leading this revolution by providing high quality recycled plastic products to the healthcare and nutraceutical industries.