Laminated Paper is Not Recyclable (by Conventional Methods)
So why do we keep using it, and what are the alternatives?
Until recently, I hadn’t given much thought to laminated paper other than to dislike its sheen and the flappy sound it makes when you wave it.
I spoke on the phone to a professional at a bioplastics company. Apropos to the packaging design process in general, she said “Well, you can’t recycle laminated paper, it ends up in the landfill.”
After we ended the discussion, the content of her throwaway remark sunk in. Really? How did I not know this?
Some simple web research confirmed: conventional recycling methods do not accept laminated paper.
Given that we have known this for decades, and that laminated paper is human-made and its design is completely under our control, I am astounded that packaging designers have not created more wide-spread alternatives.
The moment a manufacturer produces laminated paper and shapes it into a juice carton or other packaging, they know that product is going to end up in a landfill. Nearly all of it does, irrespective of customers’ commitment to being environmentally responsible, doing their part, going green, skipping the straw, or whatever other inane slogans companies use to make it sound…
