Proper design is only the first step in a circular economy – materials must be collected and actually recycled into new products to keep packaging out of the landfill. Corporate commitments to use postconsumer recycled (PCR) content in their packaging create essential end-market demand to close the loop in a circular economy. But buying PCR often comes with unique challenges and market dynamics as compared to virgin materials. The U.S. Plastics Pact created a publicly available PCR Procurement and Qualification Toolkit to help companies understand the complexities of sourcing and qualifying PCR. This tool can assist in successfully implementing PCR into packaging and achieving both corporate commitments and a circular economy. The toolkit includes topics such as:

• Quality standards and qualification criteria
• Cost drivers and market dynamics
• Consumer perception
• Certification principles