Only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled, yet packaging symbols continue to mislead and contribute to waste and significant recycling contamination.
BACKGROUND
The Green Dot appears on 460 billion packages annually across 130,000 European companies as a financing symbol for packaging recovery programs. However its similarity to the recycling symbol created widespread misunderstanding leading people to believe it signified recyclability. MEK was approached by climate initiative TwoºCreative to redesign the symbol and raise awareness of this systemic issue.
APPROACH
Our strategy centred on eliminating public confusion and enabling more responsible behaviour at scale. By disconnecting the symbol from misleading recycling cues, we laid the foundation for clearer communication around waste management. The design features two distinct circles: green representing Earth, and a white circle mapping Europe where the symbol is primarily used. This approach created an intuitive, scalable icon that works across all materials and all sizes, from packaging to OOH advertising. Demonstrating that strategic design can change behaviours to reduce environmental harm.
IMPACT