Bill Loyd and Gary Anderson designing the recycling symbol.
The universal recycling symbol, logo or icon is an internationally recognized symbol used to designate recyclable materials. The recycling symbol is in the public domain and is not a trademark.
In 1970 Gary Anderson, a USC Graduate student entered and won a design contest sponsored by CCA – Container Corporation of America. The competition was to design a graphic symbol which would be used on recycled paper products and which could recognize a commitment to environmental sensitivity on the part of any manufacturer who was engaged in recycling. The winning symbol would be given over to the public domain. The competition was also to honor the first – Earth Day – which was held that same year. Gary’s simple but thoughtful design would go on to become the most iconic symbol of environmental action ever created. The symbol has circled the globe, evokes thought and action, it has no language barrier and never uses a single word. Since winning the contest in 1970 Gary has traveled the world pursuing his dreams in the field of Architecture and Planning. He currently lives in Baltimore, MD, according to an article from C. Malik on Redflag.org
Packaging labels and recycling symbols are now appearing on lots of everyday items, and help us to identify how different types of packaging can be recycled.
Here you can find a list of the different symbols and what they mean: Ecofrenzy.com
Understanding recycling labels. (GOOD Magazine)
