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Understanding these symbols on product packaging is key to making informed, eco-friendly choices. However, they often can be confusing or misleading without proper context. By learning what these symbols mean, consumers can reduce contamination in recycling streams, support responsible brands, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
While there are many recycling and sustainability symbols, I’ve selected 15 of the most common in the United States.
Known as the mobius loop, this is the most widely recognizable symbol that indicates that the packaging is recyclable. Sometimes the symbol contains a percentage to show that the item is also made of recycled materials.
A number surrounded by the universal recycling symbol indicates the 7 different types of plastic resin the product is made from. The symbol may display the abbreviation of the material below the triangle or just display the number inside.
The symbol doesn’t always mean it’s recyclable! It’s meant to categorize plastics to make it easier for municipalities to sort at their recycling facilities.
Here's a breakdown of the codes and their meaning:
The How2Recycle symbol standardizes specific instructions on how to recycle each component of a package, whether it's curbside, at a store drop-off, or if it's not yet recyclable. It aims to reduce confusion and contamination about proper disposal.
These symbols indicates that the packaging is made from corrugated fiberboard and is readily curbside recyclable. Corrugated cardboard is a product made from a renewable resource. It is then collected at the end of its life for recycling to begin that process again. Those same fibers get used again to make another box, which leads to a more sustained resource over time.
Recycled Paperboard Alliance (RPA-100) is a non-profit trade alliance that promotes the use of 100% recycled paperboard. This symbol guarantees that the paperboard is made using only recycled pulp. The RPA-100 also provides information resources by helping companies analyze the benefits of converting to 100% recycled paperboard.
Responsible Forestry Certification demonstrates commitment to making environmentally conscious products and conserving natural resources. Using recycled content helps minimize environmental impacts by reducing extraction of new raw materials and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.
TerraCycle is a recycling company that captures, sorts, and processes difficult-to-recycle waste like toys, beauty empties, oral care packaging, and more. This is a free recycling program for consumers to ship or drop off at a collection box. Once sorted by category, the different material types are cleaned and processed into usable forms.
The USDA Certified Biobased Product symbol provides useful information to consumers about the verified amount of renewable biological ingredients contained within a product and / or its packaging. It is third-party certified and monitored by USDA.
Biodegradable Products Institute is a third-party organization that supports a shift to the circular economy by promoting the production, use, and appropriate end of lives for materials and products that compostable in specific biologically active environments. The BPI symbol differentiates compostable products from their non-compostable counterparts.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies products from responsibly managed forests that protect the environment, support communities, and promote economic sustainability. It’s the only system with strict standards on water quality, prohibits old-growth forest harvests, and hazardous chemical use.
Organizations certified to the SFI standards conserve wildlife and water, practice climate-smart forestry, and support relationship building with Indigenous Peoples. The SFI certification system ensures that forest products moving through the supply chain are certified at every stage, from timber operations to logging, sawmills, pulp mills, paper companies, printers and manufacturers.
Rainforest Alliance certification assures your agricultural products are grown and harvested on farms that promote social, economic, and environmental standards for sustainable agriculture. Certification to this standard encompasses ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection, and fair treatment and good working conditions.
The Fair Trade Certification lets consumers know that the products they are buying are being ethically and responsibly produced and managed. The objective is to enable sustainable development for producers through fair trading partnerships and to assure consumers that the Fair Trade products they buy are grown, harvested, manufactured, and traded in ways that improve livelihoods and protect the environment.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification criteria assess fisheries to meet or exceed the minimum standards in the following three areas; sustainability of target fish stock, ecosystem integrity and effective fishery management system. MSC certification assures buyers, retailers and general consumers that wild-capture fisheries conform to the internationally recognized standard for environmental sustainability.
Plastic Neutral Certification by rePurpose Global recognizes companies that offset their plastic use by funding the removal and recycling of an equivalent amount of plastic waste. As a leading Plastic Action Platform, rePurpose unites brands and changemakers to tackle the global plastic crisis.
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