Woolies private label products to carry the new Australasian Recycling Label

Woolworths is the first Australian supermarket to adopt the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), committing to implement the ARL across its private label range as it refreshes packaging.

The ARL is an evidence-based and standardised labelling system designed to make is easier for consumers to dispose of the product correctly and efficiently. Information is conveyed through a combination of well-known symbols and simple descriptions:

• A solid Möbius loop shows an item is recyclable.
• A clear Möbius loop shows that an item is recyclable if the instructions below it are followed.
• A bin symbol indicates an item is not recyclable and should be placed in rubbish bin.

Each label has a number of parts and there can be up to three labels next to each other on a package. The word at the top of each label indicates what piece of the packaging the label is referring to.

Woolworths worked in partnership with Planet Ark and in conjunction with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation to adopt ARL labelling across its entire own brand product range after it was established that consumers are often unsure what packaging can and cannot be recycled.

Woolworths Food Group Head of Sustainability Adrian Cullen said: “At Woolworths we are committed to taking our environmental and community responsibilities seriously. This is one part of that commitment to minimise our impact on the environment and encourage recycling.

“We know customers want to do the right thing and recycle packaging the right way, but have been frustrated in the past by unclear labelling. By partnering with Planet Ark, we are making it easier for them to understand how to dispose of the packaging correctly. Using the ARL is a clear and easy way for them to do this and hopefully will lead to more recycling.”

How to get this new Australasian Recycling Label on products

The first step for brand owners to take is to establish a robust process to establish packaging recyclability for the products they deliver to consumers. Planet Ark recommends a Design for Recyclability approach to complement other packaging design processes such as life-cycle assessment. By designing with recyclability in mind, more accurate claims can be made in regard to recycling of packaging at the end of its life.

Currently, the Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal, PREP for short, is the recommended method for evaluation of packaging recyclability that can lead to the addition of the Australasian Recycling Label to the brand owner’s packaging.