{"id":3456,"date":"2026-09-29T01:10:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manabourse.com\/blog\/?p=3456"},"modified":"2026-09-29T01:10:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:10:03","slug":"what-are-the-recycling-rates-of-flexible-packaging-4c40-bcd9ac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.manabourse.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/29\/what-are-the-recycling-rates-of-flexible-packaging-4c40-bcd9ac\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the recycling rates of flexible packaging?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, if you\u2019ve ever grabbed a snack from a sealed bag, chucked a plastic wrap around a gift, or peeled back the tight layer on a frozen dinner, you\u2019ve interacted with flexible packaging. I\u2019ve been in this game as a flexible packaging supplier for over 8 years now, and the number one question I get from brands and even customers is: \u201cHow much of this stuff actually gets recycled?\u201d It\u2019s a fair question\u2014flexible packaging is weird, right? It\u2019s not like a soda bottle or a cereal box; it\u2019s thin, often made of multiple materials, and can get covered in food gunk that people think ruins the whole thing. So today, let\u2019s cut through the noise and talk about the actual recycling rates for flexible packaging, what\u2019s really going on behind the numbers, and what all of us in this industry (including me) are doing to move the needle. Flexible Packaging<\/a><\/p>\n

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First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: there\u2019s no single, shiny number that works for every flexible packaging type. Flexible packaging covers a huge range\u2014think single-use plastic wraps, snack pouches, shrink films, stand-up pouches, even those little resealable bags for coffee. Each of these is made differently, so their recycling rates vary like night and day. I\u2019ve had brands come to me expecting a 90% recycling rate, and when I break it down, we\u2019re lucky if it\u2019s half that for the most common types.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the big picture numbers, because that\u2019s where most of the confusion lives. The EPA\u2019s latest waste report (2018, the most recent full set I can grab without waiting for updated data) says that total plastic packaging recycling in the U.S. is around 18-20%\u2014wait, no, let me check the exact breakdown: flexible packaging makes up about a third of all plastic packaging waste, right? So if total plastic packaging recycling is ~18%, flexible is closer to 10-12% for curbside, because most local curbside programs don\u2019t even accept it. Oh, that\u2019s the kicker! A lot of people don\u2019t realize that your standard recycling bin\u2014where you toss your soda bottles and cardboard\u2014does NOT take flexible packaging. At least not automatically. Only around 15% of U.S. curbside programs accept flexible plastics, and even then, it\u2019s usually a \u201cspecial\u201d drop-off or a bin at the grocery store. That\u2019s a huge gap right there.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get specific with common types because that\u2019s where the real story is. Let\u2019s talk about the stuff I make, too\u2014stand-up pouches for pet food, shrink wrap for shipping pallets, resealable snack pouches. Let\u2019s take shrink film first: that\u2019s the big, thin plastic you use to wrap products together or wrap pallets for shipping. Industry data from the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) says shrink film recycling rates are around 15% in the U.S. Why? Well, a lot of shrink film gets dirty during shipping\u2014oil, dust, food residue\u2014so even if you do drop it off, it might get rejected at the sorting facility. Also, it\u2019s thin, so it can wrap around sorting machinery, which makes facilities wary of taking too much of it. I\u2019ve had a client that ships organic produce in shrink film, and they were shocked to learn that most of that ends up in a landfill unless it\u2019s taken to a dedicated drop-off.<\/p>\n

Next up, snack pouches\u2014those little resealable bags you get for chips, granola bars, or nuts. These are usually made of multiple materials: a layer of plastic, maybe a little aluminum foil, sometimes a coating to keep food fresh. That\u2019s called a multi-material flexible packaging, and that\u2019s the type with the worst recycling rates. FPA says multi-material pouches have a recycling rate of less than 5% in the U.S. right now. Wait, that sounds low, but it\u2019s true! Because when you mix different materials, it\u2019s hard to separate them to recycle them into new products. You can\u2019t just melt them down like a single plastic bottle\u2014they\u2019ll separate or contaminate each other. So most of these end up in landfills, or worse, as litter. I had a brand come to me last year wanting to switch all their chips to these fancy resealable pouches, and I had to be honest with them: \u201cWe can make this, but here\u2019s the deal\u2014hardly anyone can recycle this, so you might be trading a cardboard box that has a 25% recycling rate for something that\u2019s barely 5%.\u201d That was a tough conversation, but it\u2019s honest.<\/p>\n

Wait, but it\u2019s not all bad news, right? There\u2019s this thing called the \u201cstore drop-off\u201d program, which is those bins you see at grocery stores like Walmart, Target, or Whole Foods that take flexible packaging\u2014anything from plastic bags, to wrap, to pouches. That\u2019s where a lot of flexible packaging actually does get recycled. For example, those plastic produce bags you get at the grocery store\u2014their recycling rate is around 25% because of these store drop-offs. How? The materials they\u2019re made of (low-density polyethylene, or LDPE) are actually recyclable, but only if you take them to those dedicated bins. Once they\u2019re there, they get baled up and turned into things like new plastic bags, or even shipping pallets, or decking. That\u2019s a win, but only if people remember to take them to the store, not toss them in the curb bin. I see so many people throw their produce bags in the regular recycling, and then they get rejected because the sorters can\u2019t handle thin film.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk global numbers, because recycling rates aren\u2019t the same everywhere. In Europe, they\u2019re way ahead when it comes to flexible packaging recycling. The EU\u2019s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation says that by 2030, all plastic packaging has to be reusable or easily recyclable. Right now, EU flexible packaging recycling rates are around 18%\u2014wait, that\u2019s higher than the U.S., but still not amazing. But places like Germany have programs that require brands to fund packaging recycling, so that\u2019s driving more investment. I work with some European clients, and they\u2019re using a lot more mono-material flexible packaging\u2014meaning it\u2019s just one type of plastic, no foil or coatings, so it\u2019s way easier to recycle. That\u2019s a big shift, and it\u2019s already moving the rates up over there.<\/p>\n

So why is this such a struggle for the U.S.? Let\u2019s break down the barriers, because I deal with this every day as a supplier. First, infrastructure: we don\u2019t have enough sorting facilities that can handle flexible packaging. Most MRFs (material recovery facilities) are set up for rigid plastics like bottles and jugs. Flexible film can wrap around their conveyor belts or machinery, causing downtime, so they\u2019re reluctant to take it. Second, consumer confusion: like I said, most people don\u2019t know that their curbside bin doesn\u2019t take flexible packaging. A recent survey by the National Waste & Recycling Association found that 60% of Americans toss flexible packaging in their regular recycling, which means a lot of it gets rejected. Third, design: a lot of flexible packaging is designed for shelf appeal or food freshness, not recyclability. Multi-material pouches are great for keeping chips crispy, but terrible for recycling. I have to balance this with my clients\u2014they want their product to look good, but they also want to be sustainable. It\u2019s a tightrope.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s what I\u2019m actually doing about it, because I don\u2019t just want to talk about rates\u2014I want to be part of the solution. Last year, I partnered with a plastic research lab to start making more mono-material flexible packaging. Instead of using a mix of plastic and foil for stand-up pouches, we\u2019re using just a single type of LDPE, with a coating that still keeps food fresh but is fully recyclable with other LDPE films. We\u2019ve already launched this for a local snack brand, and their recycling rate for the pouches went from 3% to 17% because it works with the store drop-off programs. That\u2019s huge for a small supplier like me\u2014we\u2019re not a big corporation, so we can pivot fast when we see a need.<\/p>\n

Also, I\u2019ve been pushing for more education. I post on my company\u2019s Instagram (yeah, I know, I\u2019m a flexible packaging supplier on Instagram\u2014crazy, but it works) about what you can actually recycle. For example, if you have a flexible package, check the number on it\u2014most plastic films are number 4. If it\u2019s number 4, don\u2019t toss it in the curb bin. Toss it in the store drop-off bin. Even better, if it\u2019s a mono-material pouch, you can drop it off too. I\u2019ve had customers DM me saying they never knew that, so that\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s get back to the numbers to make sure I\u2019m not fudging anything. The latest FPA 2023 report says that total U.S. flexible packaging recycling is around 11.5%, with store drop-off programs accounting for almost all of that\u2014curbside recycling only contributes about 1% of flexible packaging recycling. That\u2019s a real eye-opener. So the 10% number I mentioned earlier? That\u2019s almost entirely from store bins. And for multi-material flexible packaging, that\u2019s the pouches with foil or multiple layers? Their recycling rate is so low that it\u2019s basically negligible\u2014less than 2%\u2014because almost no programs accept them.<\/p>\n

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Absolutely. New technologies are coming out that can separate multi-material flexible packaging into its individual components, so you don\u2019t have to stop making those fancy pouches that keep food fresh. There\u2019s a chemical recycling process that breaks down plastic packaging into its base molecules, so it can be made into new plastic packaging, not just decking or pallets. That\u2019s a game-changer. And more brands are starting to demand recyclable flexible packaging, so I\u2019m seeing a lot more investment in that.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s not just up to the suppliers, or the waste management companies, or the governments. It\u2019s up to the people buying and using the packaging. If you get a flexible pouch for your snacks, don\u2019t toss it in the curb bin. Bring it to the grocery store drop-off. If you\u2019re a brand, talk to your packaging supplier (shoutout to my team, hint hint) about switching to mono-material, recyclable designs. If you\u2019re a city, expand curbside programs to accept flexible packaging\u2014small towns can start with a pilot program, right?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been in this business long enough to remember when people thought plastic bottles were impossible to recycle. Now we have a pretty good system for them. Flexible packaging is the next frontier, and the numbers are low now, but they\u2019re going to go up if we all work together. I\u2019m proud of the stuff we make, but I\u2019m also not going to hide the fact that most of it isn\u2019t being recycled right now. That\u2019s the honest truth.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re a brand looking to switch to flexible packaging that actually has a real recycling plan, or if you\u2019re just curious about what we can do to make this better, hit me up. I\u2019m here to talk, no sales pitch unless you want one (but honestly, let\u2019s just have a real chat about sustainability in packaging). We\u2019re not perfect, but we\u2019re trying, and that\u2019s more than most people are doing.<\/p>\n

Coffee Bag<\/a> References: Flexible Packaging Association 2023 State of the Industry Report, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2018 Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States, National Waste & Recycling Association 2022 Consumer Recycling Survey, European Flexible Packaging Association 2023 Sustainability Report.<\/p>\n

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Shandong Lepu Digital Printing Co., Ltd.<\/a>
Shandong Lepu Digital Printing Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional flexible packaging manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing high quality customized service. We warmly welcome you to buy high-grade flexible packaging made in China here from our factory.
Address: 500 meters north of the intersection of Huaihai 2nd Road and Xiwu Road, Junan County, Linyi City, Shandong Province
E-mail: sales01@lepupac.com
WebSite: https:\/\/www.lepupouch.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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