Circularity in Action

Circularity in Action

Achieving true circularity requires a movement. More transparency around the environmental impact of our decisions is needed to create an optimized recovery ecosystem.
Circularity in Action
2025-04-25 circularity, sustainability, better policy, great innovation, more action, circularityinaction, recycling,circular economy, cina_showsearchtools_plastic
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Tools for the Value Chain
Value Chain Section
Production of Products & Packaging
Purchase, Use and Recycling
Business of Recycling
Roles
Virgin Material Producers
Converters
Brand Companies/Manufacturers
Commercial Business/Organizations
Government/Institutions
Citizens
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Sorters/Consolidators
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Use Recycled Content
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Plastic+
Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) Product Supplier Directory
The CPG Directory promotes the procurement of new products made from materials recovered from the municipal solid waste stream. Use the directory to search by product and utilize the contacts provided to facilitate purchasing more sustainable products.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Recycled Products
Action:
Role:
• Buy Products Made with Recycled Content
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
Recycle Right: Check Your Local Program
Many materials can be recycled, but the key to recycling is recycling right. Please check with your local program to identify what is acceptable and unacceptable in your recycling program, as well as how to prepare the accepted terms for recycling. If local recycling information cannot be easily located, reach out to your local solid waste or public works department and express your interest in recycling right.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
How to Recycle
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
• Citizens
Trex Participating Film and Bag Recycling Partners
Trex, through their NexTrex Program, have established partners across the United States to collect bags, film and wrap for Trex to recycle and make into finished products. Use their list to find drop-off locations by company and state that accept plastic bags and film packaging in your area for recycling.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
How to Recycle
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
• Citizens
EPS Recycling Map
You can take your expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging to specified EPS recycling drop off locations. See this resource to find a location near you (program may NOT exist in your area). You can also recycle your EPS via the EPS-IA mail back program.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
How to Recycle
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
• Citizens
APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability
The APR Design Guide was developed to help package design engineers create packaging that is fully compatible with plastics recycling systems in North America. Use the Guide to design for recycling and help achieve high yields of marketable recycled material.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Design Guidance
Action:
Role:
• Design for Recycling
• Converters
• Brand Companies/Manufacturers
Design for Recycled Content Guide
This Guide supports brands and suppliers who are looking to incorporate recycled content in packaging. The Guide provides practical recommendations to inform strategy and decision making by providing existing challenges, areas of opportunity, and myths about the use of recycled content.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Design Guidance
Action:
Role:
• Use Recycled Content
• Converters
• Brand Companies/Manufacturers
Plasticsmarkets.org
This directory connects suppliers and buyers of all types of scrap plastic (from bales to post consumer resin). It's supported by the plastics industry and intended for use in North America. Use the directory to connect to the market and find the material you need.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Recycled Materials
Action:
Role:
• Use Recycled Content
• Produce Quality Recycled Feedstock
• Converters
• Brand Companies/Manufacturers
• Sorters/Consolidators
• Recycled Material Processors
Plastic Recycling Buyers and Sellers List
APR provides a complete directory of materials that APR Members purchase and sell, as well as services (grinding, densifying, washing, pelletizing, compounding and solid stating) provided by APR members. The directory is updated periodically throughout the year, so please check back often.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Recycled Materials
Action:
Role:
• Use Recycled Content
• Converters
• Brand Companies/Manufacturers
• Sorters/Consolidators
• Recycled Material Processors
APR Model Bale Specifications
These model bale specs provide a benchmark to commodity suppliers, indicating that plastic bales produced to these specifications will be accepted by APR reclaimer members. Use these model bale specs to produce a quality feedstock.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Sorting/Consolidation
Action:
Role:
• Produce Quality Recycled Feedstock
Sorters/Consolidators
List of PCR Certified Companies
Looking for certified PCR? APR 's PCR Certification Program provides confidence that endorsed certification companies adhere to a clear, consistent definition of PCR that aligns with the ISO 14021:2016 definition. See the list to find companies with certified PCR and use recycled content.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Recycled Materials
Action:
Role:
• Use Recycled Content
• Converters
• Brand Companies/Manufacturers
ISRI's Scrap Specifications Circular
These specifications are derived from many sectors of the metals, paper stock, plastics, and glass industries and are constructed to represent the quality or composition of materials bought and sold.
Use these guidelines for preparing materials for buying and selling processed scrap commodities.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Sorting/Consolidation
Action:
Role:
• Produce Quality Recycled Feedstock
Sorters/Consolidators
Vendors of Products Made with Recycled Plastics
As part of the APR Recycling Demand Champions, a PCR Products Vendor list is provided to offer products which contain PCR.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Recycled Products
Action:
Role:
• Buy Products Made with Recycled Content
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
• Citizens
Buy Recycled Products Directory
Buying recycled is essential to create the demand for the products and packaging we as individuals or businesses recycle. This directory provides listings of plastic products and packaging made with recycled content. Use this directory to find products for personal and business use.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Recycled Products
Action:
Role:
• Buy Products Made with Recycled Content
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
• Citizens
Plastic Recycling Terms & Tools - Community Outreach
This tool helps local recycling programs effectively educate residents about which plastics to recycle by using clear, descriptive plastic recycling terms. Download free images to use in your outreach material or build a custom flyer that shows what can and can't be recycled in your community.
Material:
Plastic
Category:
Recycling Outreach
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
How2Recycle Label
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) created the How2Recycle label to provide consistent and transparent on-package recycling information to consumers in North America.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Design Guidance
Action:
Role:
• Design for Recycling
Brand Companies/Manufacturers
Campaign Builder
Simply answer a few questions to customize your campaign materials, download files and get going. Often 1 in 4 items (sometimes more) in recycling carts should not be there. These easy-to-build outreach documents help keep residents informed and improve the quality of your recycling stream.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Recycling Outreach
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Government/Institutions
• Collectors
The Recycling Playbook
Walmart developed its Recycling Playbook to be a supplemental resource for companies setting recyclable packaging and recycled content goals. The document, which is broken up by packaging format, focuses on the most common packaging formats found in Walmart stores.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Design Guidance
Action:
Role:
• Design for Recycling
Brand Companies/Manufacturers
DIY Sign Builder
Looking to improve recycling where you live, work, and play? We have just the solution. Trash in the recycling costs the U.S. recycling system more than $300M each year. Our FREE templates allow you to personalize, download, and print labels or signs showing accepted recyclables.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Recycling Outreach
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Government/Institutions
• Collectors
Anti-Contamination Kit
Looking to clean up your residential recycling stream? This kit provides proven steps, tools, and resources to help improve the quality of your recycling program. Increasing the quality saves on disposal fees, improves resident satisfaction, and ensures sustainability of the recycling system.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Recycling Outreach
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Government/Institutions
• Collectors
Recycling Social Media Kits
Looking to jazz up your social media presence? You're in luck! Our Social Media Kit Volume 3 includes content you can schedule throughout the year with text and images to boost engagement with your residents across your social channels.
Material:
Plastic, Metal, Fiber, Glass
Category:
Recycling Outreach
Action:
Role:
• Recycle Right
• Commercial Business/Organizations
• Government/Institutions
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Suggest Tools
We are working to add more tools to the Platform for plastic, glass, metal, and fiber. If you have a suggestion for a tool that should be added to the Circularity in Action Platform, please select the Suggest a Tool button below and tell us about it.
Suggest a Tool
Check out what others are doing to support recycling and the transition to a circular economy.
The United States has a long and rich history of recycling market development efforts by a wide range of stakeholders. In order to overcome current challenges in achieving a circular economy, we must share lessons learned, success stories and specific mechanisms which have advanced recycling in the past.

Check out the Info Exchange to get access to critical information on including programs, policies, tools and research to drive future growth of the circular economy in the U.S.
Check out the Directory