GreenBlue Announces Three New Participants in How2Recycle Label Program

June 4, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Three new participants, Reynolds Consumer Products (Reynolds), Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Kimberly-Clark), and Hilex Poly Co. (Hilex) have joined the growing How2Recycle Label Program.

All three participants will begin by using the “Store Drop-off” version of the How2Recycle Label designed for flexible plastic packaging, including plastic bags, wraps, and films, playing a significant role in increasing consumer awareness around the recyclability of these materials.

Reynolds Consumer Products will include the label on their Hefty® brand slider bags. Clean and dry food storage bags can be recycled at plastic bag collection points offered by many retailers. The paper boxes that the bags are packaged in can be recycled at most curbside and municipal paper recycling programs. Hefty® slider bag packages will be clearly labeled to reflect recycling instructions for both materials.

“Reynolds is pleased to be a part of the How2Recycle program, to help eliminate confusion over how and where everyday products, and the packaging they come in, can be recycled,” said Sean Foster, vice president of innovation, Reynolds Consumer Products. “We hope that making this information clearer and more prominent encourages more of our consumers to participate in recycling practices. We look forward to adding it to more of our products over time.”

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) will initially add the label to their Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue flexible film packages. Kimberly-Clark estimates that over 17 billion toilet paper tubes are used each year in the U.S. alone. Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue gives consumers the bath tissue they expect without the tube. Additionally, Scott Naturals paper products (bath tissue, paper towels and flushable cleansing clothes) are each made with at least 20 percent recycled materials in products or packaging. In the coming months, Scott Naturals brand and other Kimberly-Clark consumer and professional brands will add the label to packaging where appropriate.

“We understand the importance of applying life-cycle thinking - from sourcing to disposal – as we strive to minimize the environmental impact of our products and packaging,” said Lisa Morden, senior director of sustainability at Kimberly-Clark. “In addition to pursuing responsible sourcing of the raw materials, we must also consider how product and packaging materials are managed after use. We will continue to look for solutions via the partnership with GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition to help us take the right steps in helping consumers realize value-added alternatives to landfilling packaging waste.”

Hilex Poly will use the Store Drop-off Label on a variety of their flexible plastic (#2 HDPE and #4 LDPE) packaging products, including the well-known “Thank You” carry-out bag that retail customers have grown accustomed to. Hilex is an industry leading manufacturer and recycler of plastic bag and film products, and its retailer collector program, Bag-2-Bag, enables people to drop off their used plastic bags, sacks, and wrap into bins at local stores that are picked up and recycled into new bags and other products. In 2013, Hilex Poly recycled more than 35 million pounds of post-consumer plastic bags, sacks, and wraps.

“Hilex thanks GreenBlue for leading the way on sustainability, a cause that our company places as our utmost priority,” said Phil Rozenski, director of marketing and sustainability at Hilex. “We look forward to joining other leading companies such as Kimberly-Clark and Reynolds on this important initiative.”

Hilex’s customers, Kimberly-Clark, and Reynolds all have received a sponsorship for the How2Recycle license fee through the American Chemistry Council’s Flexible Films Recycling Group (FFRG). The FFRG is working to significantly increase the collection and recycling of all flexible films and to educate the public about the importance of recycling. FFRG members include the entire polyethylene (PE) film value chain, including major resin suppliers, manufacturers, brand owners and recyclers.

Consumers can visit how2recycle.info and www.plasticfilmrecycling.org to find drop-off recycling locations. Typical plastic products that can be recycled at store drop-off include clean and dry film wraps, newspaper bags, dry cleaning bags, and plastic carryout bags. While plastic bag bans become more popular in cities across the U.S., it is important to retain this important collection mechanism as retailers and E-commerce channels put many types of recyclable bags, wraps, and other films into consumers’ hands.

ABOUT HOW2RECYCLE
How2Recycle is a program of GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). The SPC’s goal is for the How2Recycle Label to appear on the majority of consumer goods packaging by 2016 and to provide participating companies with detailed information regarding the recyclability of their packaging. Any company interested in joining How2Recycle or obtaining a fee sponsorship should visit www.how2recycle.info/how2join and contact Anne Bedarf at anne.bedarf@greenblue.org.

For How2Recycle program updates, please join our newsletter at greenblue.org and follow us on Twitter @How2Recycle.

ABOUT GREENBLUE AND THE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING COALITION
GreenBlue® is an environmental nonprofit that shapes the business of sustainability. We equip people with the science and resources needed to make business more sustainable. The organization’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition® is a membership group that brings together business, educational institutions, and government agencies to collectively broaden the understanding of packaging sustainability and develop meaningful improvements for packaging solutions, and holds two conferences each year to further this goal. For more information follow us on Twitter @GreenBlueOrg.

ABOUT REYNOLDS CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Reynolds Consumer Products provides quality household essentials and world-class brands. Our namesake Reynolds® products include the iconic Reynolds Wrap® aluminum foil; Reynolds® brand aluminum bakeware; parchment paper; oven bags; slow cooker liners; and baking cups. Hefty® is best known for strong, dependable waste bags, but is also a leader in slider bags, foam plates, and plastic cups. Our products are available in the U.S. at mass merchants, grocers, and other retail stores and in approximately 100 countries throughout the world. For more information, visit www.Hefty.com.

ABOUT KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex®, Scott®, Huggies®, Pull-Ups®, Kotex® and Depend®, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the Company's 142-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

ABOUT HILEX POLY CO.
Based in Hartsville, S.C., Hilex Poly is the nation’s largest plastic bag manufacturer and operates the largest closed-loop recycling facility in the United States. Hilex Poly’s Bag-2-Bag recycling program was the first closed loop recycling program to introduce plastic bag recycling programs at supermarkets and retailers that also rewarded customers with high recycled content shopping bags. Hilex Poly operates the nation’s largest plastic bag recycling plant, located in North Vernon, Ind. For more information on Hilex Poly’s sustainability efforts, plastic bag recycling or the Bag-2-Bag program, visit http://www.hilexpoly.com.