What can North American recyclers do to help boost plastic recycling rates?

The 2020 US Post-consumer Plastic Recycling Data Report, released today, reveals that plastics recyclers in North America faced the same significant COVID-19 challenges as other industries.

These included disruptions in collection, transportation and manpower, as well as supply chain issues impacted the supply of material available for recycling. Of the post-consumer plastics sourced in the US, just eight per cent was exported, according to the report.

Sponsored by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), the Foundation for Plastic Recycling, The Recycling Partnership, and the US Plastics Pact, the report, compiled by Stina Inc., presents the findings of the major post-consumer plastic categories recovered for recycling, including bottles, non-bottle rigid plastics, film, and other plastics. 

APR President and CEO Steve Alexander said: "Our industry faces significant challenges that require immediate solutions. We need to focus our efforts on technologies that are up and running today. Mechanical recyclers have the capacity to process more material but lack the supply to meet the current demand … Expanding and streamlining recycling collection programmes, less confusion with labelling, and reducing contamination through design for recyclability should be key priorities.”

Bottles, non-bottle rigids, and other plastics (excluding foam) categories all saw declines in the amount of material recovered for recycling in 2020, the report confirms, although film collection grew marginally.

Emily Tipaldo, Executive Director of the US Plastics Pact, added: "These data insights are critical to transparency and point to the need for greater supply of PCR for companies to meet the US Plastics Pact's 2025 Targets. Adherence to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability and the elimination of contaminants in the stream will improve the quality and quantity of what is reclaimed for recycling."

The Recycling Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison added: “The 2020 US Post-consumer Plastic Recycling Data Report shows that we need investment in the US recycling system to boost the recycling rate for all materials, including plastics. As outlined in our Paying it Forward Report, we can quickly change US recycling rates by making sure that the 40 million American households who currently lack equitable recycling access get it.”

The full report is available to access here.