Companies are announcing pledges to increase their use of recycled content in their plastics products or packaging. But companies have historically failed to meet the goals that they have announced. OECD governments are adopting policies that will require the use of recycled content. There is some initial evidence that these policies strengthen recycling markets. Businesses have experienced some challenges in their initial efforts to comply due to a disharmonious range of definitions and targets. Additionally, there is an insufficient volume of useable recycled material in the market. This is especially an issue for food-contact packaging. Governments are facing limitations in what is feasible for monitoring and verifying compliance. This paper reviews current policies and methods for checking compliance. This review informs description of considerations for the design of recycled content policies and insights about their use.
