RESPONSIBLE USAGE
A more responsible way forward.
Plastic can make life safer, healthier and more efficient.
Using it responsibly means choosing it where it adds value, using only what is needed and keeping it in the system for as long as possible.
WHAT RESPONSIBLE USAGE MEANS
Responsible plastic use is a shared effort. It starts with smart design and continues through the way we choose, use, collect and recycle. Each step matters — and together they can help keep valuable materials in use and out of the environment.
Use it with purpose
Plastic should be chosen for what it can do, not simply because it is available. In many applications, it can protect food, support hygiene, reduce transport weight, prevent breakage or improve durability. In others, using less material, reusing an existing product or choosing another solution may make more sense. Responsible use starts by asking what the application really needs.
Use less, design smarter
Responsible use begins before a product reaches the consumer. Reducing unnecessary material, simplifying packaging and designing products for recyclability can make a significant difference. The same applies to choices such as using recycled content, limiting unnecessary material combinations and considering labels, closures and colours as part of the recycling process. Good design considers not only how a product will be used, but what can happen to its materials afterwards.
Choose and use responsibly
The way we choose and use products also matters. Where possible, look for solutions that use only the material they need, contain recycled content or have been designed to be easily recyclable. Reuse can also make sense when a product is built for multiple cycles and is actually used enough times to justify the resources required to produce, transport and clean it. The most responsible option depends on the application — not simply on whether something is labelled reusable, recyclable or single-use.
Keep it in the system
An empty package is not necessarily the end of a material's useful life. Correct sorting, collection and recycling can allow plastic to become a resource again. Deposit Return Systems can also help create cleaner material streams by giving eligible packaging a clear route back into the system. And one rule applies everywhere: plastic should never be left in nature. The better we collect materials after use, the greater the opportunity to keep them in circulation.
It’s a shared responsibility
Consumers are part of the solution, but they cannot create circularity alone. Industry has a responsibility to design better products. Governments and municipalities need effective infrastructure and collection systems. Businesses need to make responsible choices easier, while consumers need clear information about what to do after use. A circular system works when responsibility is shared across the entire value chain.
A CIRCULAR FUTURE IS WITHIN REACH
Better design. Better use.
Better collection. Better systems.
Responsible use is not about using plastic at any cost. It is about using materials with purpose, reducing what is unnecessary and keeping their value in circulation for as long as possible.