The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) announced it is now accepting entries for the 2022 Design for Recycling (DFR) Award. The DFR Award is ISRI’s highest award given annually to the most outstanding contribution to products designed with recycling in mind. The Design for Recycling initiative encourages manufacturers to consider recyclability during product design in the same manner they consider cost, safety, and other factors.

“The role of recycling in manufacturing is perhaps more critical than ever,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener. “As manufacturers work to ensure sustainability goals are met, and supply chains are not disrupted, incorporating recycling into a products design from the conception phase is the answer. Now is the time to applaud those manufacturers who factor in recyclability when designing their products.”

The DFR Award recognises proactive steps made by manufacturers who have actively incorporated DFR principles into products and processes. Previous winners include, Nestlé Waters North America, Lexmark, Cascades Fine Papers Group, Coca-Cola Recycling Company, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, EcoStrate SFS, and 2021 winner Cascade Engineering.

To be eligible for ISRI’s Design for Recycling Award, a product must be designed/redesigned and manufactured to be:

• Easily recycled through current or newly designed recycling processes and procedures;
• Cost effective to recycle. whereby the cost to recycle does not exceed the value of its recycled materials;
• Free of hazardous materials that impede the recycling process;
• Maximizing the use of recycled materials and/or components within product manufacturing; and
• Having a net gain in the overall recyclability of the product while reducing its overall negative impact on the environment.

Interested parties can enter online before the January 21, 2022 deadline.