Design for and from Recycling: Towards a designer guide for plastic packaging

Recycling is proposed as a solution to the ever-growing waste problem, and the aim to keep as much material value in the system has reached packaging designers. Designers can pick numerous standards and guidelines for Design for Recycling, explaining exactly what design decisions to take in order to make packaging recyclable. However, an overhaul of the general design approach is necessary to fully close the material loop: recycled materials should be used in packaging. This phenomenon of Design from Recycling is currently barely addressed in literature. The present research aims to expand the knowledge on Design from Recycling while considering the Design for Recycling standards, so no compromise needs to be made on recyclability. In doing so, this paper shapes a novel focus on “Design for and from Recycling”. The research builds on a literature review, complemented with expert interviews. Based on this, guidelines are proposed, which are then tested and verified in a design process. The result of the study is a first set of guidelines that proves to be useful in packaging design. Although these guidelines need further development before they can be used in practice, this research indicates the urgency and relevance of doing so.