Packaging symbols on products and their meanings

Have you ever wondered what all the little symbols on your product packaging mean? It is important to be able to make distinctions between the different meanings, as they can be confusing and misleading; getting the recycling symbols confused could lead to jams in the recycling process, and the largely non-descript vegetarian symbol can cause further mistakes in understanding their meaning.

Whether for your own benefit, or to help the waste process, learn more about packaging symbols and their meanings by reading our guide on packaging symbols on products and their meanings.

Recycling and material symbols

The following symbols represent information about the physical properties of the materials used for packaging, and whether they are recyclable or not.

Resin Identification Code

Resin is a word to identify the type of plastics used in the production of plastic containers. Different plastics have different properties, and have unique manufacturing processes, resulting in varying strengths, lifetimes and recyclability. You may be familiar with this symbol:

This symbol is one of the most common Resin Identification Codes that you will come across in day-to-day life as it is used on all single-use bottles. While it is highly recyclable, it is recommended that you should not use PET bottles more than once if you can help it, and a maximum of three times if you must.

Other common Resin Identification Codes include:

The recycling symbol

Officially designated as The Mobius Loop, the recycling symbol is self-explanatory: if you see it on a product, you are likely able to recycle it. In any case, you should check with your local authority on what can be recycled in your area.

However, certain products have more than one type of material in their packaging, for example, yoghurt pots, which also have a foil lid. For such packaging, you may find the following symbols, signifying each component of the packaging:

If your packaging is not recyclable, do not be lazy - put it in the appropriate bin, or you may cause issues further down the line. The process of recycling is progressing but, until we are at the stage where we can recycle all our plastics, we must make a tiny bit of extra effort to ensure our waste goes to the right place.

The Green Dot

Often confused for the recycling symbol, The Green Dot is actually less relevant to you, and simply states that the brand that created the product has donated funding to recycling initiatives. While this may incentivise you to purchase their products in future, most people do not need to concern themselves with this symbol.

FSC Certified Paper

Paper packaging is one of the largest contributors to deforestation across the globe. Products that feature the FSC Certified Paper logo are packaged with materials that were sourced from environmentally friendly ways. While deforestation is a difficult issue to combat, encouraging companies to use environmentally friendly or aware methods is a step forward, so we recommend looking out for this one and using products that have it, over ones that do not.

Compostable

Despite Brexit, the EU-certified compostable packaging symbol can still be found on many products. This simply means that the product can be composted in a safe and environmentally friendly way. Composting can be especially effective, as it can often be done at your own home and is therefore less effort and easier to do. If you come across this logo, consider throwing the product into your compost bin instead of your regular waste one. 

Dietary symbols

One of the most important aspects of packaging is the dietary information which many people use to determine the health aspects and ingredients of the food and drink products within. This can be very helpful for those with allergies and dietary requirements, and more brands are being encouraged to make it clear whether their products are suitable for different people.

Vegetarian and Vegan

As the title suggests, any food packaging that has the vegetarian or the vegan symbols is friendly towards those dietary requirements, respectively. However, it can be confusing to those who are new to vegetarianism or veganism, as both begin with the letter ‘V’ and are generally reliant on plant-based ingredients, therefore the vegetarian symbol can often be confused to mean veganism. 

There are many food and drink products out there that are vegan, but do not state it on the packaging. By not acknowledging it, these ‘accidentally vegan’ products could be missing out on some major marketing benefits, and make life more difficult for those with such requirements. As such, you should check the ingredients used within the product.

Gluten Free

Another minority food-requirement group that has become better represented by packaging information includes those with gluten intolerances. If people who require gluten-free food accidentally consume gluten, it can cause them to become very ill, therefore it is important that more brands state this information clearly. The best way to do so is by using the gluten-free symbol:

Fair Trade

While not a food requirement, the Fair Trade Mark is helpful for those looking to spend a small amount of extra money on products that are supplied via the global Fair Trade scheme. These products are produced in environmentally friendly ways and the extra charge aims to improve the livelihoods of workers involved in the process by paying them a higher rate than other providers, and ensuring their working conditions are safe.

Packaging symbols are important

At W.F. Denny, we deal with many different brands and events that require practical, sustainable, and communicative packaging. It is not simply a case of belief; it is a fact that packaging is important to our environment and health, as well as our day-to-day efficiency and requirements. By labelling products with the appropriate symbols, brands can help consumers and themselves, and could be the difference between someone purchasing your product, or another.