Don’t judge a bag by its colour: Yara’s effort to use recycled plastics

It’s the inside that counts

We are proud to have made significant strides in reducing the environmental impact of our plastic packaging materials. But with this commitment, we must compromise on aesthetics. 

Recycled materials, particularly those derived from post-consumer waste, may vary in color and appearance. This is due to the diverse nature of the source materials, which can include bags with different prints, stitching colours, and woven material types. During the recycling process, these factors influence the color of the recycled granulate, often resulting in a grayish-green hue.

Therefore, while the bags have the same technical properties and carrying capacity and meet the same standards and certifications as those made with 100 percent virgin plastic, they might experience discoloration and changes in appearance over time.

This is a tradeoff we are willing to accept to continue Growing a Nature-Positive Food  Future. After all, it’s what is inside that counts – the same high-quality crop nutrition 
solutions you have come to love. So, please don’t judge a bag by its color!

A global commitment

In 2023, both big and small bags containing at least 30 percent recycled plastic were
successfully rolled out in select European markets. Designed for recyclability and to avoid excessive material use, Yara’s action plan to reduce plastic in our value chain can make a real difference. In fact, if all Yara bags in Europe are replaced with these bags, it is estimated that we would reduce the amount of virgin plastic we use by around 3,000 tons per year and avoid some 6,000 tons of CO2 emissions. This is why we are continuing to work on further improvements.

Additional initiatives to reduce the use of virgin plastic have been rolled out in other 
markets including Brazil where Yara has signed an agreement with a supplier to jointly develop a revolutionary new type of big bag. These new bags will be made from 100 
percent recycled PET, and therefore have a reduced impact on the environment. We are also working actively to launch similar initiatives in other markets around the world, like in South Africa where our big bag liners are now made with recycled plastic.