Recycle Logo

Recycle Logo PNG

The world-famous Recycle logo is found on many products and packaging. It acknowledges the safety of the materials and their recyclability. The label is very much used for environmental purposes and draws attention to environmental issues.

Meaning and History

Chicago-based Container Corporation of America (CCA), a major recycled paperboard manufacturer, organized and sponsored the best recycling logo contest. It was conducted among US students studying art and design. The key objective of the event was to attract global attention to the problems of nature on the globe. The winner was the project of Gary Anderson, a 23-year-old student from the University of Southern California. Now his work is in the public domain.

At the same time, Anderson studied to be an engineer, not a graphic designer. Later, he clarified that creating the logo took him no more than two days and that he was awarded almost 2 thousand dollars for it. Moreover, the student did not develop the logo from scratch since he already had blanks – arcs and arrows from another presentation.

What is Recycle?

Recycle – Waste recycling process and garbage recycling icon. It appeared in 1970 on the initiative of the Container Corporation of America, when Earth Day was first celebrated. Its author is student Gary Anderson, who won a competition.

However, it is believed that the universal mark had a prototype. An almost similar stamp with two arrows could serve as inspiration. Volkswagen used it back in the 1960s: they applied it to parts of their cars that had to be refurbished. But Anderson’s simple and thoughtful design has become an iconic symbol of sustainability. Its graphics are understandable in any language and do not require additional text – there was never a single word in the logo.

At first, the globality of the sign was questioned: would they want to use it everywhere? But now, there are recycling markings and labels on many items of everyday use. They allow you to determine how the various packaging materials are processed.

The Recycle symbol consists of three reverse arrows – the so-called twisted Möbius ribbons. They form a cyclical triangle that has no beginning or end. It denotes the continuity of the processing process – an endless cycle of transition of raw materials from one form to another without loss of quality and without causing harm to the environment.

Usually, the icon has a black outline and a green fill inside. But since it does not have standardized features, it is not uncommon for companies, enterprises, and organizations to change its design, leaving only a recognizable form. The American Paper Institute has developed four versions for different purposes, and Unicode offers no less than six logo variations. As a rule, arrows are bright green and dark green, with or without edging along the edge, two-color, where the upper side is lighter, and the lower side is darker. Black and white modification is also considered equal.

Font and Colors

The Recycle logo does not have rigid frames and is generally accepted standardization so that it can be accompanied by any text and any font. After all, the most important thing for her is the shape of a triangle with reverse arrows.

The color also does not matter much, but traditionally green of several shades predominates since it is closest to an eco-friendly palette dictated by nature itself. A combination of black arrows on a white background is also used.

Recycle color codes