Recyclability

Recyclability is a feature of packaging and durable products. This feature is also very dependent on the state of local recycling systems.

Reuse is often more desireable then recycling in the case of durable goods. Recycling materials is naturally more desireable then waste disposal. Durable packaging reuse is often mistakenly referred to as

Proper recycling is necessary in order to avoid the impeding ecocatastrophe though minimizing useless decorative packaging is the first step.

Low or high recyclability is caused by the market price for some raw material, such as metal, glass, paper etc. and the involvement of the local authorities in charge and naturally the motivation, informedness and ability of the consumer.

Providing fast, accurate and easy access to information on recyclability is one of the concrete key goals of Consumerium project.

Avoiding excessive packaging is more effective then recycling:

• A useful ratio in assessing this is packaging material weight per product weight
• Information on usage of recycled materials and future recyclability of packaging material.

For optimal results it'd be best to distinguish between functional packaging and decorative packaging. Building a packaging matrix to automatically assess pros and cons of different alterenative styles of packaging for some product group should be done.

See also:

• Recycling and waste disposal
• Reuse