Need a Recyclable Lid for Microwavable Soup Bowls

I agree that there seems to be no reason why they can't use paper lids. I would simply not use plastic lid at all, I would substitute a paper towel or small paper plate and throw away the plastic lid. I try not to use plastic in a microwave. Apparently some of the plastic particles can get into your food.

You fired my last remaining brain cell.

A while back a friend sent me an email describing 20 some novel uses for drip coffee filters. I have taken one to heart.

12 cup coffee filters make excellent covers for microwaving. They are cheap, biodegradable and don't take up near as much storage room as other solutions.

And, I agree, no plastics in the microwave.

Hooker

Why would we presume to offer our opinions when Campbell's has people on staff who actually know what the requirements of the product are?

I like Kramarat's, suggestion. This is something I can suggest to Dave Stangis Vice President, CSR/Sustainability Philadelphia.

I'm not an engineer nor expert in packaging but my gut tells me there is a creative solution lurking behind this problem. I get he impression the engineers at Campbell's could be more creative/innovative/resourcefull in solving this issue.

I did find that my city Albany, NY now recycles plastics 1—7 so these lids are acceptable for recycling, however Campbell's is reluctant to place the recycle logo on the lids as they fear it would be perceived as "greenwashing".

I did find that my city Albany, NY now recycles plastics 1—7 so these lids are acceptable for recycling, however Campbell's is reluctant to place the recycle logo on the lids as they fear it would be perceived as "greenwashing."

Your intent seems to be right, but I'm slightly confused by the additional info above. What's all this 'greenwashing' about ?

My first though is to scope out supermarkets for similar microwave products, looking for similar lids of a different grade.

I know for a fact what the structure of the bowls are, and I'll tell you that propylene is not the only material in them. Due to the nature of the product being shelf-stable at ambient temperatures for 18-24 months, it contains "barrier" layers, which are in no way recyclable, yet due to layer thicknesses of less than 10%, Campbell's considers them recyclable. They also contain >50% regrind. You would be surprised at actually how little virgin PP is in the containers. That would lead me to believe that either the lid has a higher concentration of barrier material (doubt it, since there is a hermetic film heat-sealed onto the container), or that they're not PP at all.

Scroll down to the pie-chart.

and your point with the pie chart is what?

if you're pointing out the fact that it states there is 0% recycled content in the plastic trays, then you, along with the chart, would be correct.

I said "regrind", not "recycled." there is a huge difference, but I guess I don't know what goes into making those containers, even though I work for one of the two companies that supplies Campbell's with their shelf-stable soup containers. Oh well.

it's not considered "recycled" if it is not returned by the end user. When I said "regrind", I was referring to trimmings and scrap that is ground up, dried, and fed back into an extruder to reduce the cost of virgin materials.

Now we're getting there.

I said "regrind", not "recycled." there is a huge difference"

What is it ? Once the lid is formed, isn't the material the same, whether of the factory floor or from a recycle collection point ? I don't have a clue, so any elaboration you can give would be appreciated. I'm also intrigued by how recyling data can be massaged if one doesn't know the exact technical jargon.

Even odder, is Campbells (as you'd expect) having a company policy statement on green credentials, but then going on to offer a graph showing 0%.

None of the above answeres yhe original question, but Campbells seem a bit coy about giving much info on their own web pages.

Next time I go food shopping, I'll see what's on offer in the microwave snacks line (although it's a fair bet that any symbol to indicate plastic type will be hidden inside the lid - it is with my milk bottle, #2 HDPE).

I'm not talking about the bowls here (they are recyclable), I'm talking about the plastic lids (which are not marked as recyclable). The lid is #5 plastic (polypropylene) but not marked as such.