The bankruptcy of PET recycling firm CarbonLITE drew reader attention in 2021. | Courtesy of CarbonLITE
As the plastics recycling industry plunges into 2022, it can be useful to set the stage with a look at the biggest trends and developments of the past 12 months.
A home appliance industry leader explains why his group would like to see extended producer responsibility proposals fall by the wayside in favor of the approach in the upcoming California single-use plastics ballot measure. | Joni Hanebutt/Shutterstock
Kimberly-Clark used 2.5% recycled plastic in packaging in 2020, up from 1.9% the previous year. | DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock
A group of brand owners that includes McDonald’s, Kimberly-Clark and others increased their use of recycled plastic over the past couple of years, but they’re still not on pace to hit their goals, according to a report.
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Several technologies for processing post-consumer PET into food and drink packaging have been approved. | srisakorn wonglakorn/Shutterstock
A food-safety panel approved 17 applications to use Starlinger, SML and Protec technologies to recycle post-consumer PET into food and drink packaging. It rejected two other requests.
The Cyclyx plant, which is scheduled to come on-line in late 2022, will provide scrap plastic feedstock for ExxonMobil’s upcoming chemical recycling facility in Baytown, Texas. | michelmond/Shutterstock
A scrap plastic feedstock company is planning a Gulf Coast facility capable of preparing 132 million pounds of material annually for chemical recycling.
ByBlocks can be made from almost any combination of low-grade, contaminated scrap plastics, which don’t need to be washed or pre-processed before going into the ByFusion line. | Courtesy of ByFusion
ByFusion, an equipment supplier based in Los Angeles, is selling a modular system that processes low-grade mixed plastics into construction products.
The processing line at Circulus gives the company the ability to easily switch between processing LDPE, PP and HDPE, although its initial primary focus is on LDPE film. | Courtesy of Circulus
A film recycling company that recently opened its first facility in California aims to launch two additional plants in the U.S. next year, with more on the way in the future.
HDPE bale prices have continued to collapse from their record highs, with natural HDPE down 26% and color HDPE down 33% this month.