European carton industry association Pro Carton has launched a campaign to showcase the five Rs of responsibility, building on the well-known three Rs of recycling.
Pro Carton – the European association of carton and cartonboard manufacturers – has stated that for a circular economy to be achievable, the widely known three Rs of recycling – reduce, reuse and recycle – need to be updated to include ‘renew’ and ‘replace’.
To help drive this home, Pro Carton has created the Carton Campaigners to give each crucial action its very own mascot: Ricki Recycle, Ryan Reuse, Rhianna Reduce, Ronnie Replace and Renée Renew.
With 85% of paper and cartonboard packaging in Europe being recycled, Ricki Recycle is here to show that boosting recycling rates – through an increase in the recyclability of packaging materials and improved recycling services for both consumers and businesses – is an option. Ryan Reuse represents packaging that can be reused multiple times, for the same or a different purpose, offering significant benefits in terms of sustainability and productivity. Rhianna Reduce teaches that one way to slow the detrimental impact on our planet is to reduce the amount we buy, and brands to reduce the amount of packaging used. Ronnie Replace demonstrates how switching non-renewable or sustainable materials for more environmentally friendly alternatives such as cartonboard is an option that helps brand appeal. Renée Renew tells the story that the best way to achieve a circular economy is to choose packaging which is truly renewable, such as cartonboard that comes from sustainably managed European forests.
Together, the five characters represent a clear set of guidelines by which brands and consumers can take responsibility for their consumption habits and reduce the levels of packaging going to landfill. This creative initiative follows a call from Pro Carton last year for the three Rs of recycling to be updated to the five Rs of responsibility.
The characters will be incorporated across a number of Pro Carton’s initiatives including the TICCIT (Trees into Cartons, Cartons into Trees) programme, which aims to teach primary school aged children about the circular economy.
Tony Hitchin, general manager of Pro Carton, said, ‘We’re really excited to launch our five Rs characters – each one really brings to life the message that we are trying to share. In the current climate, the three Rs are no longer enough to resolve the issues we’re facing worldwide. But if we demonstrate the importance of the five Rs of responsibility – by enlisting the help of the Carton Campaigners of course – then I believe that together we can tackle the consumption of damaging materials so there is hope of a brighter future for our environment.’
The introduction of Carton Campaigners coincides with the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), which runs 16-24 November, 2019.
Read more about the digital folding carton market in the November/December 2019 issue of Digital Labels & Packaging, which is available to read online here
