Post Consumer Recycled (PCR)
Material Demand Hub
Table of Contents
About
Strong, dependable demand for post-consumer recycled materials is critical to making the recycling system work. When stable end markets aren’t in place, recyclers lack the economic motivation to collect, sort, and process used packaging and products. Organizations and individuals can support recycled markets by purchasing products or materials with post-consumer recycled content (PCR).
The PCR Material Demand Hub highlights programs and resources that organizations can leverage through their purchasing power to strengthen domestic markets for recyclable materials. By prioritizing post-consumer recycled content, participants can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with virgin material production and manufacturing, while also decreasing pollution and material waste.
As the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Demand Champion Program outlines, consistent demand for North American PCR is necessary to scale recycling. To realize this, organizations can take the following three actions:
1) Commit to PCR Use: Integrate PCR into manufactured products or facility purchases, prioritizing certified North American PCR.
2) Secure Long-Term PCR Supply Agreements: Establish contracts for purchasing North American PCR and product containing recycled content.
3) Expand PCR Adoption: Utilize PCR in non-standard formats or specify PCR in purchased goods to drive market demand.
Policies that require recycled content aren’t just helpful - they’re essential. From green procurement programs to minimum recycled content mandates, these approaches directly reduce demand for virgin plastic, keep materials in circulation, and cut greenhouse gas emissions tied to production.
New research from the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Santa Barbara shows that increasing recycled plastic use is the single most effective strategy to reduce global plastic waste and slow the production of new plastic through 2050.
Roadmap and Tools
APR Recycling Demand Champions Program
APR’s Recycling Demand Champions Program, supported by The Recycling Partnership, recognizes companies that commit to long-term use of North American post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR). These organizations aren’t just diverting plastic from landfills and the environment; they’re strengthening North American demand, encouraging investment in high-quality, certified PCR, and supporting the shift toward a more circular economy.
Whether you’re a Maker or Buyer, your commitment supports plastic recycling and drives demand for recycled materials. All forms of PCR use are welcome, and companies are encouraged to participate as both Makers and Buyers to maximize their impact.
Learn more and sign up here.
Green Product Directories
EPA’s CPG Product Supplier Directory
includes manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers for each product so you can use it to search for specific companies and products. Products with reused and recycled content generally reduce embodied carbon, the environmental footprint across the full lifecycle of the product.
APR’s Buyers and Sellers Directory connects buyers and sellers of recycled plastic commodities and resins. Explore the variety of recycled plastics that APR members purchase and sell. This directory lets you search by resin, form and material source.
SCS Global Services Certified Green Products Guide offers a directory of green products certified by SCS in various categories. SCS offers verification and certification in a variety of environmental categories.
Intertek’s Sustainability Certification Directory allows you to search for verified recycled content products across a variety of materials and products. Search for the product name and apply the Recycled Content Program filter.
The EcoPaper Database is a large database of high recycled content and Next Gen paper and packaging powered by the Environmental Paper Network, which offers information on responsible pulp and paper programs.
Buy Recycled Products Directory, a Stina tool featured on Circularity in Action and sponsored by the U.S. Plastics Pact that provides buyers with products, including toys, apparel, shoes and more that utilized recycled post-consumer plastics.
Recycled Content and Environmentally Preferrable Purchasing (EPP) Directory
Explore recycled content and EPP resources in the PCR Demand Hub & EPP Directory. The directory features governmental resources (federal, state, and local), material- and product-specific resources, and certification and standards for recycled content.Search filters are source category and material or product, as outlined below.
Many of the state government resources include a product and/or standards directory.
Source Category
*The source category indicates the source and/or type of organizational resource.
Material or Product
*Recycled content is prioritized in the material or product category significance, however other environmental benefits may be denoted.
- Certification & Standards
- Local Government
- State Government
- Federal Government
- Non-Profit / NGO
- Aluminum
- Cleaning Products
- Electronics
- Glass
- Plastic
- Paper
- Steel
- Textiles and Fiber
- Tires
- & More
