About 81% of the most widely used consumer-facing packaging is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and/or polypropylene (PP), which collectively have a 21% recycling rate in the U.S. But recyclers have capacity to process up to 42% of these three resins with their existing infrastructure, according to the Ass...

A new report based on extensive analysis of the $236-billion US recycling industry illustrates that, contrary to some oft-cited data, plastics recycling is vibrant and poised for growth. The report by the Association of Plastic Recyclers shines more detailed light on what it calls "discouraging — and usually misleading — data points" such as the En...

The US recycling industry is currently worth US $236 billion with the plastics sector gaining momentum. New data from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) reveals the market employs more than 200 000 people, second only to the ferrous scrap industry, which employs 250 000.'Plastics recycling represents an industry that processed almost 2.3 mi...

A wave of investments occurred in the U.S. over the last five years, but experts debate how much is due to China's import restrictions versus economic, environmental and geopolitical factors. Read the full article from Waste Dive.

Plastic recycling is facing criticism for its low recovery rate, with a recent article in The Atlantic magazine claiming the process "does not work." Argus spoke with Steve Alexander, chief executive of industry group the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), about the criticisms and supply issues that have dogged plastics recyclers in 2022. Read...

Plastics recyclers are willing to do their part to increase recycling rates in the United States, but they are currently constrained by supply available to their facilities, according to a trade group representing them. And, by the way, those recycling rates are not as bad a people are being led to believe, according to the Association of Plastic R...

Single-stream recycling makes it simple for consumers to recycle. You no longer have to sort paper, plastic, cardboard and glass into separate containers to take to the curb. In theory, this should increase recycling and diversion rates. However, the convenience may come at a cost. Confusion about what can and can't be recycled along with contamina...

Report Outlines Policy Priorities to Further Support and Grow Recycling Washington, DC – The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), The Voice of Plastic Recycling®, issued a report today that provides a data-driven update on the progress of plastic recycling in the United States showing that it is a viable, accessible and scalable solution for red...

Two years after downgrading rigid polypropylene containers to "check locally," a label system has returned the material to its previous status, determining at least 60% of the country has access to PP collection. How2Recycle, which is part of the GreenBlue organization, issues packaging labels that are used by brands. The label framework is designe...

The Recycling Partnership's Film and Flexibles Recycling Coalition has awarded its first film packaging capture grant to EFS-plastics, an Ontario-based company that specializes in plastic film recycling. According to a news release from The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, the $200,000 grant will pay for new shredding equipment for EF...

California's new Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Senate Bill 54) represents an alliteration of good news for environmentalism in the U.S. According to the Associated Press, the act takes the "toughest" measures against the proliferation of single-use plastics seen in the U.S. The organizations that have been ...

CCL Label, the world's largest converter of pressure sensitive and extruded film materials for decorative, functional & information labels, has unveiled a new generation of their EcoStream® labels that support the recycling of PET bottles at a very high quality level. They are made from floating low-density polyolefin material that separat...

TLMI announces the resounding success of a recent webinar the association co-hosted with the Association of Plastic Recyclers and the U.S. Plastics Pact. The webinar, Label Design to Meet 2025 Sustainability Goals, was attended by nearly 300 converters, suppliers and brands across the industry. As brands and printed packaging buyers increasingly pr...

Sustainability is a complicated subject matter, however, especially when it comes to packaging. Materials that appear to be compostable, for example, might actually be compostable only in certain facilities, and the same goes for recyclables. It's important to discuss these matters with your packaging supplier to ensure that, first, you are minimiz...

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), Washington, says 138.7 million pounds of increased demand for postconsumer resin (PCR) was generated in 2021 through its APR Recycling Demand Champions Program. The announcement was made during the recent APR Member Meeting in June. First launched in 2018, the APR Recycling Demand Champions Program has in...

Accelerating growth in demand for recycled plastics. The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) is pleased to announce that its program designed to drive market demand for recycled plastics generated 138.7 million pounds of new demand for postconsumer resin (PCR) in 2021. The APR announced the latest program results, as well as the new companies jo...

At the June Association of Plastic Recyclers members meeting, speakers shared insights on policy, data collection and a shifting tone in how the sector portrays itself. Read the full article from Plastics Recycling Update.

In an effort to be a good neighbor and lessen its impact on the environment, Meijer is encouraging its customers to bring their plastic flowerpots and trays – regardless of where they originally purchased the plants or flowers – to any Meijer Garden Center to recycle. In addition to keeping plastic out of the landfill, recycled plastic uses less en...

Sustainable plastics are being held back by a variety of factors, offering opportunities for investors to drive change. With increasing frequency over the last decade, packaging companies have come under pressure for the synthetic polymers they use to make packaged goods. This pressure is mounting from several angles, including environmentalists, c...

Siegwerk has announced its most recent development for an improved deinking, especially for rigid plastic packaging which is adding a substantial value to industrial mechanical recycling. The company's deinking primers enable a smooth and reliable deinking at any hot washing condition currently used in the recycling industry. Read the full article ...