There’s no denying it; the world is experiencing a plastic waste crisis and it’s growing – but so is public awareness and action.
There’s no denying it; the world is experiencing a plastic waste crisis and it’s growing – but so is public awareness and action.
As a nation, we’re doing a pretty good job collecting plastic bags and wraps for recycling. But we need to do a much better job creating demand for this recycled plastic film.
Imagine motoring across the cobalt blue waters of the Atlantic and gazing out over the bow in search of a leviathan. You are in good company with teammates armed with hand nets and an experienced captain who knows these waters better than any scientist.
In an effort to reduce litter and increase recycling, more and more jurisdictions are turning to deposit return systems for the recovery of beverage containers. These systems require consumers to pay a small deposit at the point of purchase, and they get the deposit back when they return the empty container for recycling.
Lately, the wider plastics industry has been feeling the heat on materials disposal and litter.
Increasing end market demand and improving infrastructure are essential ingredients for a sustainable plastics recycling industry – and for recycling as a whole.
The SPI Resin Identification Code (RIC), now the property of ASTM, an international standards organization, was created in 1988 to help recycling stakeholders know which plastic was being used for containers. Required on certain containers in 39 states in the U.S., the RIC names six resins without defining them and provides a seventh number for all others.
This story originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of Plastics Recycling Update.
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