RPA-100% Trademarked Recycled Paper Symbol Reaches Milestone: Five Billion Packages Annually

The 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance (RPA-100%) announced this week that – with the addition of new licensees in 2016 – the trademarked 100% recycled paperboard symbol is licensed by more than 200 consumer products companies and appears on more than five billion packages annually1. This makes it the most widely used paperboard symbol in North America that is designed to promote responsible fiber management.

Paul Schutes, executive director of the RPA-100%, said that "achieving this milestone clearly shows the trust consumer products companies have put in our program, and we’re proud of our partnerships with many of North America’s top consumer brands."

The original RPA-100% trademarked symbol was developed and registered in 1995 as part of a promotional program. At that time, RPA-100% determined that a new symbol was needed because the older industry standard  (the "chasing arrows" symbol) had been adopted by many industries and was no longer was solely associated with 100% recycled paperboard.

A new certification program and accompanying revised trademarked symbol was launched in 2014 to provide consumers a new level of assurance that the paperboard used in the packaging of the product they are purchasing has been verified as 100% recovered fiber. Consumer research continues to prove that use of recycled content and being able to recycle the package are key environmental considerations of consumers.

A complete list of certified member mills producing certified 100% recycled paperboard is available online. The new symbol began appearing on packaging in the fourth quarter of 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Recycled Paperboard Alliance (RPA-100%), a non-profit industry alliance, headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents North America’s leading producers of 100% recycled paperboard—Caraustar Industries, Carthage Specialty Paperboard, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., PaperWorks Industries, WestRock, and White Pigeon Paper Co. The Alliance licenses its trademarked symbol to consumer products companies and retailers including household names like Clorox, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Reynolds Consumer Products, Safeway, and SC Johnson. The trademarked symbol appears on billions of packages made from 100% recycled paperboard every year.

Additional information about RPA-100%, its members and license program, is available on the organizations web site. 

1 – Based on 2015 survey of North American retail outlets