SIG announced today that it has been formally recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) for meeting the highest criteria under the APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability. This recognition applies to SIG Terra RecShield BD spouted pouch, marking another milestone in SIG’s journey to create designed for recycling packaging solutions across multiple formats and applications.
With the spouted pouch now recognized, SIG continues to expand its leadership in APR Design® for Recyclability Recognition beyond bag-in-box and into an additional packaging substrate. This latest innovation joins SIG’s growing portfolio of APR Design® Recognized solutions, including bag-in-box packaging for water (SIG Terra RecShield PE-42B, 2021), post-mix syrup (SIG Terra RecShield D, 2024), and wine (SIG Terra RecShield BD with SIG Terra FlexTap, 2025).
APR Design® for Recyclability Recognition provides third-party validation that a package or packaging component’s design is compatible with the North American recycling system.
The newly recognized spouted pouch was evaluated using the most stringent, industry-accepted criteria and validated through the APR’s Critical Guidance Protocol (FPE-CG-01), confirming compatibility of both the flexible film and rigid spout within the polyethylene recycling stream. For spouted pouches, all components must perform together as a single system to be considered recyclable.
Teresa Bernal-Lara, Ph.D., Global Head of Film Development, Bag-in-Box and Spouted Pouch at SIG: “Creating a designed for recycling spouted pouch presents a unique challenge. With SIG Terra RecShield BD, we engineered a structure that balances machinability, output, barrier performance, durability, and material compatibility for recycling in a polyethylene stream.”
Anna Rabanus, Marketing Manager at SIG, added: “This recognition reinforces our commitment to creating solutions designed for recycling across a broader range of packaging formats. Expanding APR Design® Recognition to spouted pouches gives brands greater flexibility to meet performance needs while continuing to progress on their sustainability goals.”
This recognition marks the fourth APR Design® for Recyclability Recognized solution within the SIG Terra portfolio, each developed for distinct packaging formats and end-use needs. Together, these innovations reflect SIG’s long-term commitment to designing packaging that supports recyclability, reduces environmental impact, and gives customers more sustainable choices without compromising performance. As SIG continues to expand its designed for recycling portfolio, the journey to package for better moves forward.
Christopher Morgan, Senior Film Development Engineer at SIG: “Achieving APR Design® Recognition for a spouted pouch solution represents a significant technical milestone for SIG. The ability to engineer a barrier film with a compatible spout in a way that maintains the integrity of the recycling stream opens the door to new opportunities and pushes our vision of sustainability further. SIG Terra RecShield BD is a strong example of how advanced packaging formats can be optimized for recyclability without losing the functionality our customers rely on.”