Packaging Liz Bedard Rigid Plastics

The voice of plastics recycling

APR Rigid Plastics Recycling Program

Liz Bedard, Director



Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR)

• National trade association

• Representing those companies with over 90% of the post-consumer plastic processing capacity in North America.

The goal of APR is to increase the amount of plastic material recycled in North America!



APR’s goals include:

• Increasing supply and reducing contamination

• Developing packaging design protocols for greater recyclability

• Using awards to recognize packages designed for recycling

• Recognizing products made from recycled plastic

• Stimulating a market for rigid non-bottle plastics



Recycling plastics beyond #1 and #2 plastic bottles is an issue for –

• individuals, • recyclers, • brand name companies, • public policy maker, • collectors, • resin companies and • reclaimers.

Consumers want to recycle more plastics AND a wide variety of industries want more plastics recycled!



Two ends of the equation – Supply & Demand -

are in sync……Missing - a nationally focused effort to expand

plastics recycling beyond #1 and #2 bottles




The APR Rigid Plastics Recycling Program is a membership committee and represents rigid plastic

stakeholders –

generators, collectors recyclers, reclaimers brand names companies resin producers public policy makers

…….at the table, committed to creating solutions.



• American Chemistry Council

• Avangard• Berry Plastics• Blue Ridge Plastics• BWAY• Clean Tech Inc.• ConAgra Foods• Custom Polymers Inc• Dow Chemical Company

• Entropex• Envision Plastics• Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.• Graham Recycling

Company• Harris Materials• Haycore Canada Inc.• IntegriCo Composites• Kimberly-Clark• KW Plastics Recycling



• Lyondell Basell Industries• Merlin Plastics Supply Inc.• Milliken & Company• MRC Polymers• Moore Recycling• NAPCOR• NatureWorks LLC• North Carolina Div. of

Pollution Prevention• Procter & Gamble Company

• Pure Tech Plastics• ReCommunity• Recyc RPM• Rehrig Logistics• Ropak Manufacturing Company• Solo Cup• Starbucks Coffee Company• Talco Plastics, Inc.• Waste Management – Recycle

America



Supply focused activities National Rigid Plastics Bale Audit and Supply Analysis

APR Grocery Store Rigid Plastic Recycling Project Bale Definition Subcommittee

Demand focused activities Recycled Resins Subcommittee

”Fit for Use” Project Design for Recyclability



National Bale Audit, Market Destination & Supply Analysis for Rigid Plastics

The Project…………..

A National Rigids Plastics Bale Sort and assessment of potential supply of recyclable rigid plastics.

Funded by APR Rigids Plastics Recycling Program members.

An overview of where non-bottle rigid plastics recycling currently stands and what potential there is to expand it into the future.




The Issue……..Verifiable data was needed on –

1. Composition of non-bottle rigid plastic bales and, 2. Amount of non-bottle rigid plastic material still available in the

waste stream to recycle.

The lack of this data was seen as limiting expansion of non-bottle rigid plastics recycling.




The Project…………..

Bale Composition – Seven types of non-bottle rigid plastic bales from 24 US and Canadian material recovery facilities were sorted into 84 different product categories and resin types.

Potential Supply - EPA waste information, by plastic resin type, was compared to 11 state’s Waste Characterization Studies.




Sort Results…Pre-Picked Rigid Bales

Non-PET/HDPE bottles, all household non-bottle containers (includes thermoform packaging, cups, trays, clamshells, food tubs)

and all bulky rigid plastic




Potential Supply – Competing issues impact the data produced in state’s “Waste

Characterization Studies”. Consequently, there is considerable discrepancy in the resulting data. However, generalizations and ranges were developed under this study.

The full 77 page National Bale Audit, Market Destination & Supply Analysis for Rigid Plastics is available to purchase from the APR.



Recycled Resin Subcommittee

It is imperative to address the demand side of the non-bottle rigid plastic recycling issue.

• What type of non-bottle recycled resins are wanted?• What is the demand for these resins?• What are the desired physical properties?

A subcommittee of brand name companies, plastic reclaimers/recyclers and resin producers are asking these questions and jointly searching for answers.




What type of recycled resins are wanted?

• Which resin within the non-bottle rigid plastic stream presents the largest opportunity? - Polypropylene

• Simultaneously, manufacturers throughout North America are interested in obtaining polypropylene post consumer recycled resin for their products.




What is the demand for these resins?What are the desired physical properties?

• Winter 2011 “Fit for Use” Survey for Polypropylene • Brand Owners queried on their future polypropylene post

consumer recycled resin (PP PCR) needs.• Resulting data provides “demand side” information to potential

PP PCR suppliers specifying - • Potential demand quantities• Qualitative assessment of PCR resin properties



Recycled Resin SubcommitteeWinter 2011 “Fit for Use” Survey

Is your application 'extremely' sensitive to malodor?

Which PCR color might you use?

Is FDA approval required?

What other performance criteria or concerns are applicable?

When might you use this

PCR?

Typical applications

Melt Flow Index

Enter your application Tonnage Odor Color FDA

ApprovedUnique Criteria Timeframe

Potential PCR

usagePounds /

Year

1) Yes2) No more than typical

1) Light color2) Gray (Blend for darker colors)3) Dark

1) Yes2) No

Open response 1) < 1 year

2) 1-3 years3) 3-5 years



Grocery Store Rigid Plastic Recycling ProgramGrocery stores are great recyclers – OCC & film – and now want to

pursue additional materials. What about “behind the counter” rigid plastics – frosting buckets, fish fillet boxes, salad pails?

Phase 1 - Goals

1. Estimate annual volume & resin type of recyclable rigid plastics 2. Identify obstacles preventing future rigid plastics recycling

In 2010, data was gathered from five grocery store chains, representing 1,214 stores from throughout US.



Grocery Store Rigid Plastic Recycling Program

Phase 1: Results - Volume & Resin Type

Two Predominant Resin Types#5 Polypropylene (ranging from 45% to 70%)#2 HDPE (30% to 55%)

Rigid Plastics Generation RateTotal – 354 million pounds/yearEasily recoverable – 212 million pounds/yearBulky - 142 million pounds/year




Phase 1: Results – Obstacles Identified

• Storage• Labor• Lack of Revenue• Low waste disposal costs• Potential odor issues




Phase 2: – 2011 Pilot Project Goals

To determine “Best Operational Practices” to:1. Maximize volume of rigid plastics recovered2. Minimize recovery costs3. Maximize net revenue4. Address identified obstacles




Phase 3 Proposal –

Nationwide promotion of grocery store rigid plastics

A user friendly, online resource providing grocery chains and others with information needed to implement rigid plastics recycling.



Survey of each State’s Largest Municipalities Plastic Collection Programs

Conducted for the last 3 years to provide a nationwide perspective, from both large and small states as well as urban and rural areas, on how and what types of

plastics are currently being collected.

Survey has revealed 3 consistent trends.



State’s Largest Municipalities Plastic Collection Programs

1. Shift from dual stream to single stream collection2009 2010 2011

Single Stream 31 34 35Dual Stream 8 7 7

Source Separated 1 1 1Pilot Program(s) 2 1 1

Drop Off Only 1 3 3Subscription 5 5 4

Total 48 51 51




2. Municipalities are moving away from collecting only #1 and #2 plastics.

#1-2 Collection 2009 2010 2011

All #1 & 2 Containers 8 5 4 #1 & 2 Bottles Only 10 10 8

TOTALS 18 15 12




3. Municipalities are shifting their collection programs to “all containers” and to #1-7 plastics.#1-7 COLLECTION 2009 2010 2011

All #1-7 Containers 16 24 27 #1-7 Bottles Only 8 7 6

#1-7 Containers w/ some exceptions 6 4 5

TOTALS 30 35 38



Bale Definition Subcommittee

Supply Project

Goal – Ease communication between non-bottle rigid plastic bale generators and the marketplace by

developing model bale specification that the industry accepts and uses.




Seven Types of Rigid Plastics BalesPET/HDPE Bottles

#3-7 Bottles Non-bottle Containers

Bulky Rigid Plastics

1.All Rigid Plastics X X X X

2. Pre-picked Rigids X X X

3. Bottles & Containers X X X

4. Household Containers X X

5. Tubs & Lids X

6. Olefin Bale HDPE only PE and PP only PE and PP only PE and PP only

7. Bulky Rigids X



Design for Recyclability Task Force

Demand Project

Goal – Define the good and sought after versus the bad and to be avoided for thin-walled packaging.



Design for Recyclability Task Force The format for thin walled injection molded containers, similar

to existing guidelines will express preferences related to:

*Density *Color Tolerance*Attachments: closures, labels *Inks and direct printing*Adhesives *Coatings and layers*Copolymers *Additives*Special considerations and what needs to be avoided.

The task force will surveying APR members for input to substantiate decisions.



Demand for Polypropylene – A “demand pull” for #5

Polypropylene (PP)properties, such as the ability to light

weight containers, that make it an attractive resin to many brand name companies.

California “recycled content” law has also created a “demand pull” for PP.




The California State Legislature enacted the -

Rigid Plastic Packaging Container (RPPC) statute -as part of an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste disposed in California landfills and increase the use of recycled plastic. The law regulates companies who produce or generate products that are held in

RPPCs, which are sold or offered for sale in California.




Compliance options for regulated RPPCs include containers that:

• Are made from at least 25 percent postconsumer resin.• Are source-reduced (light-weighted) by 10 percent.• Are reused or refilled at least five times.• Have a recycling rate of 45 percent if it is a brand-specific

or a particular type of RPPC.



Plastics Market Trends -Business Sustainability

“Estee Lauder Companies is committed to the use of recycled plastics as part of our Cradle to Cradle design philosophy, and look forward to seeing an increase in the quality and supply of PCR materials.”

John A Delfausse Chief Environmental OfficerEstee Lauder Corporate Packaging


Domestic Markets Are Thriving

Courtesy of Moore Recycling Associates' 2010 National Report on Post Consumer Non-Bottle Rigid Plastic Recycling funded by the American Chemistry Council.


Non-Comprehensive Buyers ListAPC Recycling

Avangard InnovativeBaycrest International

Berg Mill SupplyBlue Ridge Plastics

Bosgen Inc.Carolina Fibre

Concord Plastics, Inc.Consolidated Scrap

ResourcesCorridor Recycling

CSI PlasticsCRV Recovery

Denton Plastics

EcoplastEkman Recycling

EntropexEnvision Plastics

Excel DevelopmentFirst Star RecyclingHaycore Canada

IntegriCo CompositesInternational Alloys

Kal TradingKMET International

KW PlasticsLaudadio Polymers

Lynx RecyclersM & L Plastics

Magic Bright Ltd.Merlin Plastics

Ming's RecyclingMulti-Link International

Nextlife EnterprisesNew Wave Plastics

Omni Resource RecoveryPacific West Recycling

ServicesPARC Corp.

Plastic RevolutionsPolimeros Nacionales

Polymer NetworkPutian InterntionalPWR International

Recycling RevolutionRecyc RPM

Premier Group RecyclingSmart InternationalSt. Joseph PlasticsSuncrest Recycling

T & T GroupTalco PlasticsUnited Fibers

Universal Commodity Services

Vista Paper RecyclingWaste Management

Zmax USA

KW Plastics building a new wash line for bulky rigid plastics, will help process

materials in the USA


The Current Landscape for Non-Bottle Mixed Rigid Plastics Recycling

Alison BriggsResource Recycling, Inc.

[email protected]

Request a copy of the final report

mailto:[email protected]



Searching for a market for non-bottle rigid plastics…..

Connecting Recycled Plastics Buyers and Suppliers…….

• For all types of scrap plastic (from bales to post consumer resin).

• This site is NOT intended for the general public or household plastics.

• Can search site, by resin type, for small amount of scrap plastics (less than 40,000 lbs) or by truckloads of material.



In conclusion……….

Expanding domestic recycling of rigid plastics beyond #1 and #2 bottles is certainly a challenge.

But, the challenge has been taken on by the APR Rigid Plastics Recycling Program, as well as many others.

The Program looks ahead to an exciting year of continuing to address non-bottle rigid plastic recycling supply and

demand issues.



Thank youLiz Bedard, Director

APR Rigid Plastics Recycling Program1001 G Street, NW

Washington, DC [email protected]


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