The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) issued the following statement at the conclusion of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) on plastic pollution: "APR commends the substantial progress made in Ottawa to reduce plastic pollution through a global instrument. The message remains clear that these UN negotiat...

The world is in a battle against plastic waste. Alongside reduction and reuse, recycling is a vital strategy for winning that battle. Every year, recycling keeps billions of pounds of plastic out of oceans and landfills. On Earth Day, we remember that when we recycle more, we can all use less - less of the Earth's finite resources and less energy t...

Recycling works. It is essential, along with reduction and reuse, in the ever-evolving landscape to create a circular economy. As an international non-profit and the only North American organization focused exclusively on improving recycling for plastics, it has remained the focus of APR's work for over 30 years. We stand at a pivotal moment, where...

The global treaty recognizes the importance of plastics recycling as an essential solution to reduce plastic pollution, but more work is needed to invest in and incentivize the business of recycling so recyclers can outcompete virgin plastic in the marketplace. In a few short weeks, nearly 170 countries and thousands of stakeholders will gather in ...

Ahead of the 2024 Plastic Recycling Conference, Recycled Content is back with a new episode hosted by the Association of Plastic Recycler's (APR) VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro as she sits down with Steve Alexander, President & CEO of APR, and Maite Quinn, a lead member for Resource Recycling's Plastic Recycling Conferenc...

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the U.S. Plastics Pact issued the following statement in response to the Center for Climate Integrity's recent report on plastics recycling: "APR and the U.S. Plastics Pact know that recycling works. Recyclers take in post-consumer plastic packaging from every community recycling program across the cou...

Host and APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Stephanie Baker, Director of Market Development for KW Plastics' Recycling Division. Kara and Stephanie discuss how KW got its beginnings from the disposal process for automotive battery casings and has now turned into a closed loop recycling business in Alabama, rev...

A great new blog post published this week by Dr. Kate Beers, a polymer scientist who leads work on the circular economy for the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), says "Plastics and polymers are an essential part of life, but we can be more thoughtful about how much of them we use and discard." Live...

APR is pleased to announce that three of our top leaders have received an important industry recognition. Steve Alexander, APR President & CEO; Kate Bailey, APR Chief Policy Officer; and Curt Cozart, APR Chief Operating Officer, were included on Plastics News' inaugural list of Notable Leaders in Sustainability. Plastics News recognizes Steve, ...

APR President & CEO, Steve Alexander, is back on Recycled Content with host Kara Pochiro to discuss and reflect upon 2023. The two give updates on their predictions and resolutions from earlier this year, talk about the current state of the recycling industry, and how APR is a key component of progress made. Steve and Kara break down the recycl...

Host and APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Bruce Magnani, APR's Legislative Advocate in California, and VP of Houston Magnani Associates. Kara and Bruce start by breaking down the basics of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and California's SB 54 that focuses on packaging. The two discuss the EPR wave th...

Today, November 15th, the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR) is excited to mark the 26th annual America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. This day is especially important to APR as a U.S.- based, international non-profit and the only North American organizati...

Steve Alexander Testifies on Plastic Recycling Issues Before U.S. Senate Subcommittee  On Thursday, September 28, 2023, APR President and CEO Steve Alexander was invited to testify at a hearing before the United States Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's Subcommittee Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Reg...

On this week's episode, APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Curt Cozart, Chief Operating Officer of APR and lead of the APR Design® Guide Training Program and other technical projects. Kara and Curt continue the conversation on package design from the last episode, diving into the world of PET, a plastic often ...

This summer, APR's Chief Policy Officer Kate Bailey represented APR at the Second Session of the UN Environment Programme Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) in Paris, France. The week-long event was the second of five planned sessions in the UN process to reach a final agreement in late 2024. APR participated as an...

On this episode of Recycled Content, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Ruben Nance, Program Director for the Meets Preferred Guidance (MPG) Recognition Program at APR. Ruben and Kara talk about what makes packages truly recycling compatible through an examination of APR's Design® Guide, the different Recognition Programs that APR offers, and the curre...

APR is pleased to be participating in the Second Session of the UN Environment Programme Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) on May 29 - June 2, 2023 in Paris, France as an accredited organization. INC-2 is intended to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine ...

The recycling supply chain may be complex but the mission is simple - conserve the Earth's resources and reduce waste. With APR programs and guidance, companies can make recyclable products, collect and process those products, and make new products from recycled materials. by Steve Alexander On Earth Day, just like every day, APR is the "Voice of P...

This week on the pod, APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs Kara Pochiro is joined by not one but two Kates- APR's Chief Policy Officer Kate Bailey and APR's Program Director Kate Eagles. Kara sits down with both Kates to discuss their recent APR blog post highlighting the importance of post-consumer resin (PCR) as an integral part in reduc...

Manufacturers of plastic products are ditching recycled plastic for cheaper virgin plastic that is being dumped on the market, destroying circularity. Guest blog post by Greg Janson, President and CEO of Granite Peak Plastics, Co-Chair of the APR Market Development Committee and Chemical Recycling Research Working Group Plastic recycling is a busin...