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Market Development Committee

The Market Development Committee (MDC) developed out of the former Olefin Rigids Committee and works to:

  1. Promote understanding of post-consumer resin (PCR) market differences in terms of MRF sortation, resin, processing technology, or material form throughout the value chain from collection to recycled resin markets
  2. Support post-consumer recycled resin end markets and help level the playing field with respect to low-cost virgin and off-spec resins through:
    • Voluntary PCR usage through the APR Demand Champions program
    • Education around PCR usage and potential content applications
    • Monitoring and support of mandatory PCR content requirements
    • Development of model PCR rates for packaging (including secondary and tertiary) and durable goods

The Market Development Committee manages the APR Recycling Demand Champions program, a voluntary program designed to help increase and stabilize end market demand for recycled resins.

The MRF Sub-committee and the Chemical Recycling Research Working Group sit under the Market Development Committee umbrella. These are long-standing groups and their activities are reported out in the MDC, as are updates to the APR PCR Certification program, which supports the use and verification of PCR and provides chain-of-custody transparency.

Long-Term Working Groups

MRF Sub-Committee

The MRF Sub-committee represents an integral component of the plastics recycling marketplace. A core objective of this sub-committee is to ensure the MRF perspective is well-represented at APR, and to foster strong communication between MRFs and others in the plastics recycling industry. It also explores the relationships between packaging design, MRF sortation, and recycled plastics commodity market requirements through education and defined projects as identified. Sortation protocols and model bale specifications are reviewed in the MRF Sub-committee. Members include MRF, reclaimer, sortation, converter, and brand companies.

Chemical Recycling Research Working Group

The Chemical Recycling Research Working Group is focused on identifying how chemical recycling technologies potentially complement mechanical recycling to accelerate the circular economy, consistent with APR’s position. Specifically, the working group looks to educate recycling industry stakeholders in areas specific to APR’s mission and member expertise as pertains to chemical recycling. This potentially includes data and analyses around identified post-consumer material volumes, collection, aggregation, transport, material specifications, recycled markets, and package design. Recent projects include a report that models pyrolysis’ potential role in flexible film recycling. Chemical Recycling Research Working Group members include reclaimers, MRFs, converters, chemical recyclers, chemical companies, and APR Board member representatives.

Short-Term Working Groups

Recycling Demand Champions Working Group

Much has changed since APR first introduced the APR Recycling Demand Champions program to drive end-market demand for PCR and recognize companies for their increased use or purchase of PCR. This working group is updating the framework of the APR Demand Champions program to better reflect the current marketplace.

PCR Content Working Group

This group is reviewing potential product categories and post-consumer recycled (PCR) content rates to help inform APR staff discussions with state and federal regulators. Five states have passed mandatory content laws and more states are considering, either as stand-alone laws or as part of EPR requirements. Categories for PCR inclusion are expected to include both packaging and durable goods to expand states’ scope and support recycled market breadth. APR supports mandatory recycled content laws and this group will help us ensure that PCR requirements are well-considered and reflect APR members’ expertise.

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