Post-Consumer Recycled Materials FAQ

Post-consumer recycled materials are materials that have completed their original use, entered a recovery or recycling stream, and been processed for use in a new product.

Post-consumer recycled material is commonly abbreviated as PCR material. It can include:

• Rigid plastic
• Flexible plastic film
• Paper and paperboard
• Glass
• Metal
• Other recovered materials suitable for reprocessing

The post-consumer source must be supported by documentation for the exact material. A material should not be described as PCR solely because it contains recycled content.

PCR content describes the source of the recovered material. It does not independently establish recyclability, compostability, child resistance, food-contact suitability, package performance, or the overall environmental impact of the finished package.

PCR plastic is one type of post-consumer recycled material.

“PCR materials” is the broader term because post-consumer material can be used in rigid plastic, flexible film, paperboard, and other packaging formats when the recovered feedstock is documented as post-consumer.

Sana Packaging’s documented post-consumer material options include:

• Rigid PCR plastic
• Flexible film containing PCR material
• Post-consumer waste paperboard
• Reclaimed ocean-bound plastic documented as post-consumer material

Sana Packaging also offers high-content recycled glass. Recycled glass is a related recycled-content material, but it should not be described as PCR glass unless documentation confirms the post-consumer source and percentage.

Use the documented material description and recycled-content percentage for the exact package or component.

PCR means post-consumer recycled. PCW means post-consumer waste.

Both terms refer to material recovered after completing its original use, but they are commonly used in different packaging categories:

• PCR is commonly used for rigid plastic and flexible film.
• PCW is commonly used for paper and paperboard.
• Recycled glass is commonly described by its percentage of recycled cullet.

The terms should not be substituted for one another when product documentation uses a specific description.

Always use the terminology and recycled-content percentage documented for the exact product.

PCR material comes from products that have completed their original use and entered a recovery or recycling stream.

Post-industrial recycled material, sometimes abbreviated as PIR and also called pre-consumer recycled material, comes from manufacturing scrap generated before a product reaches an end user.

Examples of post-industrial material can include:

• Production trimmings
• Offcuts
• Misprints
• Molding scrap
• Other manufacturing remnants

Both can reduce reliance on virgin raw materials, but only documented PCR content supports a claim specifically referring to post-consumer recycled material.

Current documented post-consumer recycled materials include:

• 100% post-consumer recycled PP for the 78mm and 90mm PCR Pop-Top Tubes
• 100% post-consumer recycled PP for the 116mm PCR Pop-Top Pre-Roll Multipack
• 100% post-consumer recycled PP for the 19-Dram and 30-Dram PCR Pop-Top Bottles
• Flexible film containing up to 65% PCR material for customizable flexible pouches
• 100% post-consumer waste paperboard or a blend of 70% PCW paperboard and 30% hemp fiber for Custom 9ml Concentrate Jar Paperboard Displays
• Paperboard containing 75% post-consumer waste paper and 25% hemp fiber for eligible project-specific packaging
• Reclaimed ocean-bound PET, HDPE, or PP for product-specific Ocean Packaging

Sana Packaging also offers high-content recycled-glass jars made with approximately 50% to 70% recycled glass. This is a separate recycled-content claim and does not establish that the glass is post-consumer recycled.

Material composition varies by product. A material claim about a package body should not automatically be applied to its closure, liner, label, ink, adhesive, seal, insert, tamper band, or outer packaging.

Reclaimed ocean-bound plastic can be a type of PCR plastic when post-consumer plastic at risk of entering the ocean is recovered and reprocessed into new material.

Sana Packaging’s ocean-bound plastic is recovered in qualifying communities within approximately 50 kilometers of the shoreline. The collected plastic is cleaned, sorted, and processed by resin type.

Current Ocean Packaging bodies use product-specific constructions made from reclaimed ocean-bound:

• PET, identified as a #1 recyclable plastic
• HDPE, identified as a #2 recyclable plastic
• PP, identified as a #5 recyclable plastic

Sana Packaging’s reclaimed ocean-bound plastic is documented as PCR material, but not all PCR plastic qualifies as ocean-bound plastic.

For more information, explore the Ocean-Bound Plastic FAQ.

The process varies by material, but generally includes:

1. Used material is collected.
2. The material is sorted by resin, fiber, glass color, or another relevant category.
3. Contaminants and unsuitable materials are removed.
4. The recovered material is cleaned and processed.
5. Plastic may be converted into flakes or pellets, paper into pulp, and glass into cullet.
6. The recycled feedstock is tested and documented for its intended application.
7. The material is molded, formed, converted, or otherwise manufactured into new packaging.

Flexible PCR film may combine several layers to provide printing, closure, sealing, and barrier characteristics.

Materials intended for applicable product-contact uses require additional controls and documentation appropriate to the material, package, and intended application.

Potential benefits include:

• Giving recovered material another useful life
• Reducing demand for virgin raw materials
• Creating an end market for material collected through recycling and recovery programs
• Supporting demand for collection and recycling infrastructure
• Providing documented recycled-content percentages
• Helping brands address recycled-content requirements in applicable markets
• Supporting rigid, flexible, paperboard, and other packaging formats when the recovered feedstock is documented as post-consumer

Potential tradeoffs include:

• Continued reliance on plastic when PCR plastic is selected
• Recycling access that varies by material, format, size, color, and location
• Possible color, tone, or surface variation associated with recovered feedstock
• Feedstock availability that may affect colors, minimum quantities, and production timing
• Multilayer flexible-pouch constructions that may not be accepted by conventional recycling programs
• Package performance that depends on the complete design rather than its recycled content alone

PCR content does not make a package zero-waste, plastic-free, biodegradable, compostable, recyclable everywhere, or environmentally impact-free.

Evaluate the complete packaging system and its expected lifecycle rather than relying on a single material attribute.

No. Recycled-content percentages and material sources vary by product.

Current documented post-consumer examples include:

• Rigid PCR Pop-Top Tubes, Multipacks, and Bottles: 100% post-consumer recycled polypropylene
• Customizable flexible pouches: Up to 65% post-consumer recycled material
• Custom 9ml Concentrate Jar Paperboard Displays: 100% PCW paperboard or 70% PCW paperboard and 30% hemp fiber
• Eligible hemp paperboard packaging: 75% PCW paper and 25% hemp fiber
• Product-specific Ocean Packaging bodies: 100% reclaimed ocean-bound PET, HDPE, or polypropylene

Sana Packaging also offers high-content recycled-glass jars containing approximately 50% to 70% recycled glass. That claim does not establish that the material is PCR glass.

These percentages apply only to the specified material, package, or component.

Confirm the exact material specification before making a recycled-content claim.

When a package is described as made from 100% PCR plastic, the claim applies to the molded plastic component documented.

It does not automatically apply to the complete finished packaging system, which may also include:

• Labels
• Inks
• Adhesives
• Liners
• Seals
• Inserts
• Tamper bands
• Paperboard packaging
• Separately manufactured closures or accessories

If the finished package contains components made from different materials, describe each component separately rather than calling the entire package 100% PCR.

Sana Packaging’s rigid PCR Pop-Top Packages and customizable flexible PCR pouches are food-grade and FDA-compliant for applicable product-contact uses.

Current ocean-bound plastic packaging is also food-grade and FDA-compliant for applicable uses.

Food-contact suitability is product-specific and can depend on:

• Material and recycled feedstock
• Resin type
• Colorants and additives
• Film structure
• Closure
• Liner or seal
• Inks, labels, and adhesives
• Intended product
• Contact time and temperature
• Filling, storage, and transportation conditions

PCW paperboard displays are secondary retail packaging for filled concentrate jars. They should not be described as direct product-contact packaging unless documentation for the exact construction supports that use.

Request current documentation for the exact package, component, and intended application.

FDA-compliant does not mean FDA-approved.

No. Recycled content, child resistance, tamper evidence, food-contact suitability, and cannabis packaging compliance are separate considerations.

Current child-resistant PCR options include:

• 78mm and 90mm PCR Pop-Top Tubes
• 116mm PCR Pop-Top Pre-Roll Multipacks
• 19-Dram and 30-Dram PCR Pop-Top Bottles
• Flexible pouches with documented child-resistant zippers and constructions

Child resistance comes from the tested package design, dimensions, closure, and opening mechanism rather than the PCR material itself.

Tamper evidence may require a completed heat seal, a tamper band, a label, an inner seal, or another compatible feature.

A package with sufficient PCR content may still require additional child-resistant, tamper-evident, sealing, labeling, opacity, or product-specific features.

Confirm the complete package configuration and current requirements in every market where the finished product will be sold.

Available documentation varies by product and may include:

• Material specifications
• Recycled-content certifications or attestations
• Resin identification
• PCW paperboard composition
• Ocean-bound plastic sourcing documentation
• Food-contact and FDA-compliance documentation
• Child-resistant certification
• Film-structure information
• Technical specifications and tolerances
• Country-of-origin information
• Recycling and disposal guidance
• Printing, labeling, and customization templates

Related recycled-content documentation may also include glass-cullet percentages for eligible glass packaging.

Request documentation for the exact package, component, intended use, and production configuration.

Do not rely on documentation for a similar product, different material, earlier construction, or separate component.

Sometimes. Recycled content and recyclability describe different attributes.

A package can contain recycled material without being accepted by local recycling programs. Recyclability can depend on:

• Material or resin type
• Package format and dimensions
• Color
• Closures, liners, and seals
• Labels, inks, and adhesives
• Coatings and barrier layers
• Residual product
• Component separation
• Local collection and sorting infrastructure

Sana Packaging’s rigid PCR products are made from #5 PP, which is recyclable where accepted.

Small tubes, caps, lids, labels, and other components may not be captured by every sorting system.

Use “recyclable where accepted” rather than “100% recyclable,” “infinitely recyclable,” or “recyclable everywhere.”

For broader end-of-life guidance, explore Sustainability.

Do not assume that a pouch is recyclable because it contains post-consumer recycled material.

Flexible pouches commonly use multiple layers to provide:

• Child resistance
• Odor containment
• Moisture protection
• Product barrier performance
• Seal strength
• Printability
• Puncture resistance

Many conventional curbside recycling programs do not accept these multilayer constructions.

Follow the disposal guidance for the exact pouch. Do not place a flexible pouch in conventional recycling unless the applicable program confirms that it accepts the complete construction.

No. Recycled content does not make a material biodegradable or compostable.

PCR plastic remains plastic. PCW paperboard may contain inks, coatings, adhesives, or other components that affect its end-of-life options.

TÜV Certified Home Compostable inks are available for Custom 9ml Concentrate Jar Paperboard Displays. That certification applies to the inks themselves and does not automatically make the complete finished display certified home compostable.

Do not describe PCR packaging as biodegradable or compostable without documentation supporting that claim for the complete finished package and the stated disposal environment.

For broader material and end-of-life guidance, explore Sustainability.

Properly processed PCR materials can provide reliable packaging performance, but appearance and performance remain product-specific.

Recovered feedstock may create slight variations in:

• Color
• Tone
• Surface appearance
• Texture
• Production consistency

Sana Packaging’s current rigid PCR products are stocked in black. Custom colors may be available at qualifying pallet quantities.

Closure performance, odor resistance, moisture protection, barrier performance, leakage protection, and shelf life depend on the package as a whole rather than on its recycled content alone.

Request samples and test the finished package with the actual product under the expected conditions for filling, storage, transportation, retail, and use.

Yes. Available options can include:

• Pressure-sensitive labels
• Label printing and application
• Pad printing on eligible rigid packages
• Digital or direct printing on eligible components
• In-mold labeling for qualifying 90mm and 116mm Pop-Top projects
• Custom colors for qualifying rigid packages
• Full-color printed flexible pouches
• Standard or custom pouch dimensions
• Custom-printed PCW and hemp paperboard packaging
• Customizable Stone Paper Tamper Bands
• Compliance and product-information labeling

Customization options depend on the material, package shape, printable area, quantity, number of designs, and production method.

Use the product-specific template for the exact package and customization method.

Labels, inks, coatings, adhesives, seals, and other customized components can affect recyclability and other environmental claims.

For additional guidance, explore the Printing & Labeling FAQ.

Yes. Packaging with documented PCR content can help brands address minimum recycled-content requirements in applicable markets.

For example, New York currently prohibits cannabis product packaging made from plastic unless it contains at least 25% post-consumer recycled content, subject to stated exceptions. New licensees have 12 months from their licensure date to comply with the minimum requirements.

Sana Packaging’s rigid PCR Pop-Top Tubes, Multipacks, and Bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled polypropylene.

Custom flexible pouches can contain up to 65% post-consumer recycled material. The percentage that applies to a specific pouch depends on its selected construction.

A documented material percentage does not, on its own, establish compliance for the finished cannabis product. Requirements can depend on:

• Jurisdiction and effective date
• Product and package type
• Individual components and their weights
• Child-resistant components
• Available exceptions
• Due-diligence documentation
• Recordkeeping
• Labeling and environmental claims
• The complete retail packaging system

Obtain current documentation for the exact package and confirm how the applicable rules affect the finished product before relying on PCR content for regulatory compliance.

Use specific claims supported by current documentation for the exact package or component.

Appropriate product-specific language may include:

• “Made from 100% post-consumer recycled polypropylene”
• “Made with up to 65% post-consumer recycled material”
• “Made from 100% post-consumer waste paperboard”
• “Made from 70% PCW paperboard and 30% hemp fiber”
• “Made from 75% PCW paper and 25% hemp fiber”
• “Made from 100% reclaimed ocean-bound PET, HDPE, or polypropylene”
• “Recyclable where accepted”

Related recycled-content language may include “Made with approximately 50% to 70% recycled glass” when supported for the exact glass product. Do not use “PCR glass” unless the post-consumer source and percentage are documented.

Avoid unsupported or overbroad claims such as:

• “Plastic-free” when the package contains plastic components
• “100% recycled” when the claim does not apply to every component
• “100% recyclable”
• “Infinitely recyclable”
• “Recyclable everywhere”
• “Biodegradable”
• “Compostable”
• “Zero waste”
• “Environmentally friendly”
• “Eco-friendly”
• “Sustainable” without further qualification

Claims about a customized package should account for every component, including the package body, closure, liner, label, ink, adhesive, seal, insert, tamper band, and outer packaging.

To compare current PCR products, explore Post-Consumer Recycled Material Packaging, Pre-Roll Tubes, Pre-Roll Multipacks, Cannabis Containers & Bottles, Flexible Cannabis Packaging, and Paperboard Packaging.

For related guidance, explore the Ocean-Bound Plastic FAQ, Glass Packaging FAQ, and Sustainability. You can also return to the Frequently Asked Questions hub.

Related guides: 19-Dram vs. 30-Dram PCR Pop-Top Bottles: How to Choose; Mylar Bags vs. PCR Pouches: What Cannabis Brands Should Compare; In-Mold Labeling for PCR Pre-Roll Packaging: What Brands Should Evaluate.