Recycling is an important part of ensuring that materials such as plastics, glass, and metals can be reused and/or repurposed into something new; giving the materials a new life before having to move forward in obtaining more of these materials that there are only so much of in/on our planet. As the primary stage of mining/extracting has its own flaws, being able to recycle these contents, though not perfect, does have its benefits. However, did you know that there are two different forms of recycled material? These two forms of recycled materials are known as Pre-Consumer and Post-Consumer Recycled Materials; but, what exactly does this mean? What is the difference between the two?
Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials are simply what they sound like they are, they are materials that come from a manufacturer that never made it to the consumer themselves for any type of reason. This includes materials that were scrap pieces, rejected items, or trimmings and off-cuts. Any of these items that went unused is then collected and repurposed for future use and avoid being thrown into the trash category, therefore becoming Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials! Now that we have a basic understand of Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials, what exactly are Post-Consumer Recycled Materials?
If Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials refers to materials that never made it into the hands of the consumer, then Post-Consumer Recycled Materials must mean materials that have made it into the hands of the consumer; that is exactly the case! Post-Consumer Recycled Materials is a product made from other products that have already made it into the hands of the consumer such as aluminum cans, news papers, cardboard boxes, and glass bottles. These are items that are sorted into recycling containers to be picked up, processed at a recovery facility, and transformed into new products to be used once more! As well, one of the largest benefits in using products made from these Post-Consumer Recycled Materials is that it reduces landfill waste thus, the demand for landfill space is greatly reduced!
In general, Pre and Post-Consumer Recycled Materials are just as their name states. The greatest difference is that Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials don’t get to the point of a consumer, thus they avoid the possibility of making it into a landfill if sorted incorrectly, whereas Post-Consumer Recycled Materials do need to be properly sorted to arrive at the correct facility to be repurposed into something new. With the ability to use both Pre and Post-Consumer Recycled Materials, we are doing our best to greatly reduce any further carbon emissions that may come from the primary extraction and shipping period of raw goods, while almost reusing these materials without having to tap back into the spaces that they come from be it forestry, oil mining, or otherwise.
SOURCES:
What’s the Difference Between Pre- And Post-Consumer Recycled Content? (treehugger.com)
Post-Consumer vs. Pre-Consumer Recycling: A Comparison (everydayrecycler.com)
Pre- and post-consumer recycling | Sustainable Yarns
