The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) announced the publication of the first semiannual APR Design庐 Guide for Plastics Recyclability update. APR informed membership in December 2025 that APR Design庐 Guide updates, which were previously published immediately upon adoption, would transition to a semiannual schedule with new publishing dates of March 30th and September 30th each year. This schedule enables seamless integration with the upcoming APR Design庐 Assessment Tool, better alignment with How2 Recycle and Europe鈥檚 RecyClass, improved coordination with translations of the APR Design庐 Guide, and better communication with testing labs and Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs).
鈥淏y moving to a semiannual update schedule, APR is easing the process of coordinating the APR Design庐 Guide with other tools and programs which rely on these updates,鈥� said Curt Cozart, APR COO. 鈥淭his approach improves translation and copyright efficiency while ensuring our guidance continues to evolve with real-world recycling systems.鈥�
The most recent update is currently available on the APR website in English, with translations to Spanish, French, and Mandarin to be completed in the coming weeks. As updated APR Design庐 Guidance is published at semiannual increments, the modifications are detailed in the Change Log.
The APR Design庐 Guide is developed through a rigorous, open, and collaborative process led by APR鈥檚 Technical Committees, where packaging and recycling experts evaluate challenges, test innovations, and create publicly available APR Design庐 Guidance. As the only North American packaging design criteria endorsed by recyclers, it reflects real-world conditions through balanced representation across the plastics recycling value chain, including required input from reclaimers. Because of this inclusive, data-driven approach, the APR Design庐 Guide remains dynamic鈥攃ontinuously evolving alongside recycling systems and packaging technologies to support better design decisions and drive innovation.
鈥淎PR remains committed to improving recycling for plastics by providing clear, actionable design guidance that reflects the needs of the industry,鈥� added Steve Alexander, APR President and CEO. 鈥淭hrough ongoing collaboration and innovation, the APR Design庐 Guide will continue to support progress toward a more circular economy.鈥�