Testing protocols developed by the Association of Plastic Recyclers give brand owners the chance to prove their plastic packaging can be correctly sorted at materials recovery facilities.
Consumer products companies should consider the recyclability of their packaging prior to making any changes.
Consumer products companies should consider the recyclability of their packaging prior to making any changes.
Increasing end market demand and improving infrastructure are essential ingredients for a sustainable plastics recycling industry – and for recycling as a whole.
While challenging in the short-term, China's ban on imports of postconsumer plastic scrap could present a long-term opportunity for U.S. processors.
New garbage-sorting bots are as reliable as humans and much faster. "It's still very early days," said John Standish, technical director of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, a trade group in Washington, D.C. "But I'm very, very optimistic for the future."
The plastics and recycling industries announced a push for stronger federal investment in recycling infrastructure on April 11, saying that boosting domestic U.S. capacity is critical to deal with challenges like China's recent import ban.
The Plastcs Recycling Showcase, developed to highlight and promote industry leading innovations that have a positive impact on plastics collection and recycling, focuses on recently commercialized innovations developed by APR member companies.
"The future of plastic recycling is to keep it domestic. You want to have this regional recycling plan of 'let's not ship materials overseas and make it somebody else's problem."
Shrink-sleeve labels: You see the eye-catching designs everywhere these days on food, beverages and consumer products.
Avangard Innovative recently installed a customized recycling line at its LDPE recovery facility in Houston. The system is aimed at tackling an issue the company faced while processing commercial film: odor.
When is PET not PET? When it is PETG. To the typical consumer, the difference between PET and glycol-modified PET is simply a letter. But to a polymer scientist worth her molecular weight, there’s a huge difference. Especially when it comes to recycling.
