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US PET bottle recovery rate increases 1.5 percentage points

Published: December 14, 2022
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PET bottles for recycling.

The increase marks the end of a years-long slide in the country’s PET bottle recovery rate, which had been falling since 2017. | New Africa/Shutterstock

The U.S. PET bottle recovery rate made a notable jump last year, reaching 28.6%, according to an industry report published today. 

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Stakeholders react as Global Plastics Treaty talks wrap up

Published: December 6, 2022
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Delgates celebrating work on the Global Plastics Treaty.

The meeting was the first to work on drafting the text of the Global Plastics Treaty, which is intended to be a legally binding document addressing plastic pollution across the value chain. | Courtesy of UNEP

Mixed reactions followed the first meeting on a Global Plastics Treaty, with some complaints about “industry interference.” 

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Amcor signs PCR offtake deal with ExxonMobil

Published: December 6, 2022
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Amcor and ExxonMobil leaders sign an agreement.

Michael Zamora, senior vice president of Product Solutions at ExxonMobil, and Ron Delia, CEO at Amcor, signed the agreement, through which ExxonMobil will sell increasing amounts of recycled resin each year to Amcor. | Courtesy of Amcor

One of the world’s largest packaging producers, Amcor, has signed a deal to buy huge amounts of chemically recycled resin from one of the world’s largest plastics producers, ExxonMobil. 

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Study: Recycling accounts for tiny share of plastic’s total GHGs

Published: December 6, 2022
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Plastic bottles at a production plant.

The REMADE Institute-funded research found that, over the course of their full life cycles, several common polymers account for about 1.5% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. | rochariberio/Shuttestock

By the time plastic products reach their end of life, the bulk of their climate damage has already been done, according to a study that reaffirms greenhouse gasses tied to plastics are mostly generated in prime resin production, shipping and molding. 

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The details on LyondellBasell and Envision’s supply deal

Published: November 8, 2022
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Set of plastic containers with colorful liquid isolated on white background.

The partnership between the two companies will help LyondellBasell work toward its goal of marketing 2 million metric tons of recycled and renewable-based polymers annually by 2030. | Courtesy of LyondellBasell

LyondellBasell will buy food-grade post-consumer natural HDPE from Envision Plastics and incorporate that PCR into various blends for sale to packaging producers. 

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EU eyes higher recycled content requirements

Published: November 29, 2022
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EU flags outside the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium.

The European Commission is expected to announce the revisions of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive the week of Nov. 28. | VanderWolf Images/Shutterstock

This story has been updated.

Online delivery packaging, takeaway cups and plastic drink bottles could see new targets for reuse and recycled content under proposals from the European Commission. 

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Amcor triples goal for use of recycled resin

Published: November 29, 2022
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Amcor company logo on building exterior.

Amcor’s 2022 sustainability report also noted that 74% of Amcor’s total production by weight is now designed to be recycled and it has made a 33% reduction in material sent to disposal over the past three years. | 360b/Shutterstock

After several years of gains in recycled content usage, Amcor is setting a new recycled content goal of 30% by 2030, tripling its previous target.

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Brands boost PCR again in 2021, but use more virgin plastic

Published: November 8, 2022
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Grocery store aisle with Coca-Cola products.

Although the majority of companies continued to decrease virgin plastic use, collective use of plastic packaging increased by 4.3% from 2020 to 2021. | Zety Akhzar/Shutterstock

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s latest report showed that major packaging companies doubled their collective PCR percentage from 2018 to 2021. However, pandemic-related commerce trends also helped accelerate virgin plastic consumption. 

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