A cross-industry work group consisting of member companies of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has successfully developed recyclable black plastic. APR undertook the project approximately three years ago because black plastic often ends in landfills because waste-sorting systems cannot recognize traditional black color pigments. After thr...

Flint Group Narrow Web introduces two UV-flexo coating products to improve the recyclability for shrink sleeves and pressure sensitive labels. These coatings are currently available in North America and will soon be available in Europe and other regions. Using different chemistries, the Evolution Deinking Primer, for shrink sleeves, and the Evoluti...

Success in creating a circular economy will not happen with a single solution or even two. For Diane Marret, sustainability director for Berry Global Group Inc.'s Consumer Packaging North America division, change requires investment in recycling facilities and expansion to recycled resin access. There also must be more education for both the plasti...

The Association of Plastic Recyclers has created a design guide for package designers to "measure each aspect of a package design against industry-accepted criteria to ensure that it is truly recycling compatible," according to plasticsrecycling.org. Schreiber said companies are using these parameters when designing, especially in the grocery and r...

Steve Alexander, President & CEO of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), The Voice of Plastics Recycling, issued the following statement regarding passage by the California legislature of SB 343 "Environmental Advertising: Recycling Symbol: Recyclability: Products and Packaging": The APR supports the intent of SB 343 to improve truth in ...

A bill approved by California legislators has substantial implications for how common plastic packaging items are labeled, and it could have significant recycling implications across the nation in the coming years. In a statement to Plastics Recycling Update, APR President and CEO Steve Alexander said the group "supports the intent of SB 343 to imp...

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has recognized Henkel's Loctite Liofol LA 4220 RE/Loctite Liofol LA 3180 RE for recyclability. This two-component adhesive system for PE film lamination is association's first 100% solids, solvent-free adhesive system for flexible packaging to receive this recognition.   APR's process required that th...

Plastics Forming Enterprises, a leader in testing, validation and design for recycling consultation for plastic packaging is announcing the relocation of operations to 6 Continental Boulevard, Merrimack, NH 03054. Having tripled the number of employees over the last three years, PFE was in need of a physical expansion of similar scale. At over 13,0...

Following a concurrence vote in the state Senate on Thursday, a major recyclability labeling bill (SB 343) has passed the California legislature. It now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for final approval and must be signed into law by Oct. 10.The bill, which would prohibit use of the "chasing arrows" symbol or any other recyclability claim on packaging ...

The California legislature has passed AB 881, legislation designed to ensure that only plastics that are actually recycled will count toward California's recycling goals. The bill awaits Gov. Newsom's signature. Kara Pochiro of the APR says, "This is something APR has been asking to have enacted, even prior to 'National Sword.' The counties ha...

After a record year of demand, the coronavirus pandemic forced Inhance Technologies to critically look at everything it "normally" did. Houston-based Inhance is a global provider of fluorination barrier and surface technologies for industries such as health care, consumer products and transportation. Read the full article from Plastics News.

Swedish beauty group Oriflame has chosen the Greenleaf 2 tube technology from Albéa for the global relaunch of its Optifresh toothpaste line. The Optifresh brand now features five ready-to-be-recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) tubes with screw caps that leverage the proprietary technology, which has an even thinner web and up to 20% less vir...

EPL Limited (formerly known as Essel Propack Limited), the world's largest specialty packaging company, today announced that they have partnered with Colgate-Palmolive India, one of the largest oral care brands to produce Recyclable Platina Toothpaste Tubes in India. This first set of recyclable tubes is the starting point for converting to 100% re...

Testing with 12oz CSD bottles shows Husky's multi-layer preforms can increase shelf life by up to six weeks, while reducing PET weight by more than 20%, compared to a monolayer package. And the resulting rPET contains only trace amounts of nylon, which is formulated to limit color shift and meet the strict guidelines of the Association of Plastic R...

Revolution, a Little Rock, Arkansas-based manufacturer focused on processing recycled resin, has acquired Five Points Films, which is a regional manufacturer of cast hand and machine stretch film for commercial customers.  With the Five Points acquisition, Revolution plans to expand its presence and apply its circular approach to the stretch f...

PET is the largest rigid packaging plastic by volume in the United States. It is also the most recycled plastic in the US. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides 2019 recycle rate of ~28% for PET that follows aluminum packaging (all formats) at 35% and glass packaging at 31%. The strong commitment to increased recycled PET (rPET) con...

Closure Systems International Inc. (CSI) reveals a new tethered closure design that helps keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment. "As an active member of the U.S. Plastics Pact, Sustainable Packaging Coalition, and The Association of Plastic Recyclers, we are collaborating within our industry, our communities, and with our customer...

Right now, the U.S. Plastics Pact is the most concrete thing happening in the business world to make plastics more circular. Launched last year, it has set some aggressive 2025 goals. Later this year, it will release a list of plastic packaging it considers "problematic or unnecessary" and that its member companies should stop using. That list is b...

Aptar Food + Beverage announces its recyclable SimpliCycle™ valve will be launched within new Kraft Heinz Ketchup packaging. In addition to Heinz Ketchup, other Kraft Heinz brands including Heinz Mustard, Heinz Mashups, and Heinz BBQ Sauce, will convert to the SimpliCycle valve by the end of the year. Testing was coordinated and administered by bot...

The recent run of strong pricing, especially for HDPE natural, has caught recyclers' attention. At least one expert believes market dynamics have decoupled recycled resin and virgin prices.The price escalation is tied to booming recycled HDPE demand, especially for HDPE natural, which "always is in great demand," said Steve Alexander, president and...