Liquid Packaging Cartons: Design for Recycling Guidelines
July 23, 2025
The Design for Recycling (DfR) Guidelines from the Food and Beverage Carton Alliance (FBCA) are a vital resource for ensuring that liquid packaging cartons (LPCs) are designed with recyclability in mind from the outset. These updated guidelines help manufacturers, recyclers, policymakers, and waste management professionals align on best practices that support a circular economy.
Developed by experts from FBCA members and the recycling community, the guidelines provide:
- Clear technical criteria for evaluating and improving the recyclability of LPCs.
- Design recommendations that enhance compatibility with existing collection, sorting, and recycling systems.
- A self-assessment tool to evaluate recyclability performance using the RECY:CHECK protocol.
LPCs are uniquely structured with layers of paperboard, polymers, and sometimes aluminium. These guidelines address the specific recycling pathways for both the fibre and PolyAl fractions, ensuring that design choices support efficient material recovery in specialised recycling mills.
The DfR Guidelines are a living document and will be updated regularly to reflect evolving technologies, market conditions, and regulatory frameworks. They complement the 4evergreen guidelines while offering deeper, liquid packaging carton specific insights.
Download the DfR Guidelines
