What exactly is PCR plastic… and why do we use it?

Packaging. It gets a bad (w)rap&#; and deservedly so. Particularly single-use plastic packaging.

For more information, please visit EcoPlas.

Plastic packaging in the UK accounts for nearly 70% of our plastic waste, covering our food, containing our drinks, encasing the stuff we buy for our homes&#; it&#;s something all brands MUST consider when they decide how to package and protect their products.

Back in , we launched our smol laundry capsules in 100% recycled plastic packs. It was a step-up from the brand new plastic that the main brands were using but even then we knew we could do better. We worked tirelessly to change this and introduced our world-first child-impeding, home-compostable cardboard laundry packs just 2 years later.

Ditching the plastic felt good.

But the cold truth remains that every type of packaging still demands resources&#; energy, raw materials, labour and transportation. In fact the only true eco-packaging is NO packaging. And for many products that is simply not an option.

You&#;ll notice for some of our products we still use 100% recycled plastic. This is what&#;s called Post-Consumer Resin plastic - or PCR plastic, and we&#;re often asked what exactly is it? How is it made? And what makes it better than virgin plastics?

So let&#;s take a look&#;

What is PCR plastic made from?

It consists of recycled plastics such as:

• PET (used in water bottles)
• PP or Polypropylene Plastic (used in lids of sauce bottles for example)
• HDPE or High-Density Polythene (used in cleaning product bottles)

It&#;s all just basically the plastic from your home that pours into the waste system via your kerbside collection.

How is it made?

1. The plastics are sorted based on their type of material
2. Then either melted, shredded or ground into pellets or fine granules
3. Next the pellets are melted down and remoulded
4. This creates new PCR plastic products, without any additional brand new plastic material

That&#;s certainly the case where smol uses PCR plastic, we always look for 100% recycled material so we know that no new plastic is being required.

What is so good about PCR plastic?

At first glance, PCR plastic is simply taking a waste product, turning it into something useful once again and keeping it OUT of landfill, OUT of the oceans or preventing it from being incinerated and releasing its carbon that way. It is taking something that has already been manufactured and extending its useful life. The additional benefits of not needing brand new fossil resources are of course important and a major attraction to us here at smol.

PCR plastic is also created using far less water and less energy than virgin plastic and generates fewer carbon emissions than manufacturing its equivalent out of brand new plastic.

One report* took a detailed look at all lifecycle impacts involved in making a product from PCR plastic compared to the same product being made from virgin plastic.

It concluded that using PCR plastic reduced energy consumption by 79% for PET, and by 88% for HDPE and PP. It also reduced all greenhouse gas emissions during production.

AND what&#;s really great is that it is a durable material. This is additionally important to us here at smol when selecting a material for our refillable bottles. We want these to live on indefinitely, being refilled time and time again so they need to be sturdy and long-lasting.

Refilling and reusing a plastic bottle each time means our customer saves 41.4 grams of carbon dioxide. Over the course of a year, two years, five years&#; you can see how the savings add up when you refill your bottle and don&#;t buy new.

Are there any disadvantages to PCR plastic?

Unfortunately, as a material, PCR plastic does have limitations. For example, it may not be used in the food industry as there are issues around food safety. It is not suitable to use as a packaging material for fruit or vegetables. Which is a shame because such a high percentage of plastic waste comes from the packaging we use in the food industry.

PCR plastic can also not be manufactured in any colour so that might be off-putting for some brands. It&#;s hard to make a proper transparent pot for example because PCR plastic is just not fully transparent. It is made from different types of waste plastic from multiple different original items which makes it hard to create a consistent uniform look.

Can PCR plastic be recycled itself?

Depending on how the PCR plastic is used it can actually be recycled again after use which makes it a circular material. Some studies show you can safely recycle PCR plastic between 7 and 9 times before the fibres have degraded to an extent that makes them unsuitable for further use.

Of course much better to refill rather than recycle but at least the recycling option is there.

So will we always use PCR plastic in our range?

Finding viable alternatives to plastic packaging is a constant and ongoing mission here at smol so we hope one day to end our use of recycled plastic. In the meantime it&#;s an improvement on the status-quo within the cleaning industry and the millions of brand new plastic packs spewing out from the big brands every year.

Pledges by the likes of Unilever and Procter & Gamble to cut their use of single-use plastic in 5 or 10 years and slightly increase their use of PCR plastic is pitiful. They have put profit over planet for many decades. We hope that pressure from small independents like smol and growing awareness from the population will force them finally to step up.

PCR plastic is not perfect.

To make measurable change we don&#;t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.

A huge number of our customers take advantage of our Rinse, Return and Lend a Hand scheme whereby for every 4 empty bottles sent back to us to reuse, we'll donate 1 pack of laundry capsules to The Hygiene Bank, who work tirelessly to end hygiene poverty for the most vulnerable nationwide.&#; This means our bottles can be used again and again which of course is great news for the environment, while supporting an amazing cause.

And whilst we&#;re not sure any packaging is perfect, in our opinion refillable PCR improves on the billions of brand new plastic packs that are used once and thrown away.

For now, we will continue to use it with some of our smol products but as we love to say&#; watch this space!

For more pcr plastic pros and consinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

*The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) 

What Is PCR Plastic and Why Is It a Good Solution for Sustainable Packaging?

What Is PCR Plastic and Why Is It a Good Solution for Sustainable Packaging?

Responsibly sourced, sustainable packaging has been at the heart of our philosophy from the beginning.

Our dedication to leaving a lighter footprint on our planet means we have an ongoing commitment to sourcing pioneering sustainable packaging materials. Whether it's our signature glass bottles, made from recyclable glass sourced in Germany, or our innovative refill system made from 75% post-consumer material (rHDPE), we work hard to ensure every element of our packaging is sustainable as possible. Join us on our sustainable journey and learn how our PCR plastic and sustainable innovations are kinder for our Earth.

What does PCR stand for?

PCR stands for Post-Consumer Recycled material or Post-Consumer Resin. These are recycled plastics referred to as rPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate), rPP (Recycled Polypropylene Plastic) and rHDPE (Recycled High-Density Polythene).

What is PCR plastic?

PCR plastic is made from recycled plastic that can be widely recycled and then reprocessed into a resin, used to create new packaging. Giving packaging a second life, this process reduces the amount of plastic waste.

How is PCR plastic made?

Plastic waste is collected and colour-absorbed, then shredded into fine granules. These are then melted down and reprocessed into new plastic.

What are the benefits of PCR plastic?

Many benefits come with using PCR plastic. This type of plastic is less wasteful than new plastic, as a reduced amount of waste is produced and collected, creating less waste in landfills and water sources. PCR plastic also reduces your carbon footprint for a more positive impact on our Earth.

Does PCR plastic have disadvantages/limits?

During each recycling process, the materials can begin to lose their substance/quality, which is why there are high-grade recyclates and low-grade recyclates. As well as this, not all PCR plastic can be recycled, depending on its use.

Can PCR plastic be recycled?

Yes, PCR plastic is recyclable depending on how it is used. At Susanne Kaufmann, all of our PCR packaging is 100% recyclable.

How many times can PCR plastic be recycled?

PCR plastic is a circular material, so it can be recycled after use. You can safely recycle PCR plastic approximately seven-to-nine times.

Is PCR plastic biodegradable?

No, PCR plastic is not biodegradable. Biodegradable packaging naturally breaks down into non-toxic component substances once consigned to a compost heap. PCR packaging has already achieved the goal of sustainability before the consumer even purchases it, with no need for further reprocessing.

What is the difference between PCR and other eco-friendly packaging?

There are many different eco-friendly packaging options out there, such as recyclable packaging and biodegradable packaging. When looking at recyclable or recycled plastic, recyclable plastic needs to be a 'one material plastic' and not a mixture of different plastics to be considered 100% recyclable. For example, if you have a refill packaging with a cap-closure and this cap is made from another plastic, it would not be considered 100% recyclable. For this reason, we created our unique capless design, reducing the number of plastic materials needed and ensuring the packaging is 100% recyclable. Additionally, our secondary packaging uses 100% recyclable paper.

Our 100% Recyclable Refill System

We recently launched our 100% recyclable refill bottles for our best-selling 250ml cleansing products: Purifying Cleansing Gel, Hair & Body Wash, Invigorating Hair & Body Wash, Hand Soap, Soothing Cleansing Milk and Soothing Toner. Each recyclable refill not only helps reduce landfill waste, but also cuts carbon emissions by 69%. Made from 75% post-consumer material, it is 60% lighter than standard plastic bottles making it our most environmentally friendly packaging ever. We believe that sustainability is a never-ending journey and promise to continue to explore opportunities to reduce our environmental impact in the long run. We are committed to this philosophy and plan to expand our scope by adding more products to our refill system.

Our Multi-Protection Mist

Our Multi-Protection Mist is made from 100% recycled post-consumer material and is packaged in FSC-certified paper that is fully recyclable. Embracing our commitment to sustainable manufacturing, this is the next step towards even more sustainable product design.

Sharing Our Sustainability Commitment with You

At Susanne Kaufmann, we believe that we all have a part to play in looking after our planet and our sustainable packaging efforts go a long way in helping to reduce carbon emissions and waste. However, when it comes to recycling, we need to create a partnership between you and us. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Post-Consumer Plastic Reuse.