Welcome back to another episode of the Crazy About Packaging podcast! This month, we’re diving into one of the most frustrating topics in the packaging world: packaging recycling. Why is it so hard to understand? Why can something be recyclable in one place and not in another? And what’s actually being done to fix that?
To help us unpack these questions, we spoke with Nyssa Thongthai, Senior Project Manager at How2Recycle, who brings technical depth and clarity to a topic that often leaves people scratching their heads.
Sneak Peek for Episode #12
You can catch the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and our website to hear the conversation, but if you want a quick overview, keep reading for key highlights.
Meet This Month’s Guest: Nyssa Thongthai
With more than a decade of experience in polymer research and development, packaging assessment, and sustainable materials, Nyssa brings a technical perspective rooted in both lab work and field insight. Before joining How2Recycle, she was involved in material and packaging testing, working with polymer extrusion on paperboard for food and services — primarily focusing on polymer material development and testing. Today, she’s part of the R&D team at How2Recycle, where she helps evaluate packaging for recyclability based on real-world infrastructure and regulatory standards.
Nyssa is deeply familiar with the challenges of aligning sustainability goals with technical and market realities, making her the perfect guest to help us understand what it really means for a package to be recyclable.
Why Even Experts Get Packaging Recycling Wrong
We’ve been in packaging for years, and even we second-guess ourselves when trying to recycle something. On the podcast, we often play a game called Can I Recycle That? — and we don’t always win.
That confusion is the starting point for a lot of packaging recycling issues. After all, if the professionals don’t always get it right, how can we expect consumers to make the right call without having the information or the infrastructure to guide them?
Infrastructure Differences Make It Worse
A big issue is that the recycling infrastructure varies widely depending on where you live. Some recycling facilities, or MRFs (Materials Recovery Facilities), are newer and have better technology. Others are outdated and can’t process more complex packaging formats.
"Locations that have an older MRF might not have the advanced technology to segregate or separate a lot of contamination, so within that area, they might [only] accept specific products because they just don't have the technology to collect everything,” explains Nyssa. [Compare that to a] later MRF that was built with bells and whistles and the latest technology — they can do so much more, so that community gets the benefit of being able to recycle more products.”
It’s not just about the material. It’s about the equipment, the sorting process, and even local policy. That inconsistency makes it hard for packaging designers to build something that works everywhere, and it makes it almost impossible for consumers to know what to do when it comes to packaging recycling..
Cost Is Still a Major Barrier
Even if a material can be recycled, there’s no guarantee it will be. Sometimes, it’s simply cheaper for businesses to use virgin materials instead of recycled ones. Without regulations that require recycled content (or consumers who are willing to pay more), recycled materials often get left behind.
As Natalie explained, “It all kind of works together, and you can start to break it down and point out where the bottlenecks are that are preventing things from moving forward. We have to have that volume from the consumer, and then we have to have the infrastructure to be able to process it, and then we'll have the more economical product, then it will be used more widely. Once you start to look at it that way, it all unravels. It has to really function as a whole system. If one piece of it is off, it's not going to work.” Without all parts of the chain working, the system breaks down.
What How2Recycle Actually Does
How2Recycle is more than just a logo. It’s a standardized labeling system for the U.S. and Canada that gives consumers clear instructions on how to dispose of packaging. But there’s a detailed process behind each label.
Nyssa walked us through the five areas they assess before assigning a recyclability label:
- Applicable law – Does the claim comply with federal and local guidelines?
- Collection/Acceptance – Is there widespread access to recycle the material?
- Sortation – Can it be sorted correctly at most facilities?
- Reprocessing – Can it be successfully recycled into a new material?
- End markets – Is there actual demand for the recycled material?
If one of these factors doesn’t meet the standard, the package won’t get the “widely recyclable” label. And that’s the point: recyclability should reflect what happens in practice, not just what’s possible in theory.
Designing for Recycling Upfront
One of the most effective ways to improve packaging recycling is to start with the design. If packaging is created to be recyclable from the beginning, consumers don’t need to think twice. If we make the product with recycling in mind, consumers don’t have to worry about it.
That’s why How2Recycle puts most of its focus on brands, designers, and manufacturers. Their goal is to make recycling easier for everyone by helping the people who make packaging do it right from the beginning.
This doesn’t remove the need for consumer education, but it certainly lowers the burden. Fewer confusing instructions lead to more consistent outcomes.
Growing Awareness and Future Goals
The good news? Consumers are paying attention. Nyssa referenced research that showed that 8 in 10 consumers recognize the How2Recycle label. That kind of awareness shows the impact of consistent labeling and simple instructions.
Looking ahead, Nyssa shared two goals — one aspirational, one practical. Ideally, she hopes to see a single, standardized method of assessing recyclability that everyone in the industry can agree on. More realistically, she wants to continue building resources for brand teams and manufacturers, especially those who don’t have a dedicated sustainability function.
Moving Toward a Smarter System
Recycling in North America is far from perfect. It’s fragmented, inconsistent, and often frustrating. But the work being done by organizations like How2Recycle is creating some much-needed clarity in packaging recycling.
Whether it’s educating packaging designers, aligning with recyclers, or simply giving consumers better guidance, they’re helping move the industry toward a system that actually works.
Thanks again to Nyssa Thongthai for joining us and for the important work she and her team are doing. If you haven’t already, subscribe to Crazy About Packaging wherever you listen to podcasts. And if this episode got you thinking, let us know – connect with us at ICPG or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to keep the conversation going. We’d love to hear your questions or reactions.
Until next time, stay curious, keep learning, and maybe ask yourself the next time you open a container: Can I recycle that?
