The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) on April 14 released 2021 data on virgin and recycled plastic usage in beverage containers covered by the state’s deposit law. | Pazargic Liviu/Shutterstock
This story has been corrected.
Numbers for 2021 show some big beverage brands were ahead of the game when it comes to complying with California’s recycled-content law, including BlueTriton Brands, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo. Others remained far short of the targets set by the state.
To meet California’s 15% PCR rate by 2022, U.S. reclaimers need an aggregate additional output of 800,000 tons of food-grade post-consumer PET and PE. | monticello/Shutterstock
A report from Independent Commodity Intelligence Services found that there’s not enough post-consumer resin in the U.S. market to meet California’s mandates, and there are more state mandates coming on-line soon.
EPR bills, proposed in a number of states, aim to improve curbside collection and more. | Jared Paben
Last year, Maine and Oregon each passed major pieces of recycling legislation that incorporated elements of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, a strategy in which producers are mandated to fund packaging recovery in those states. Continue Reading
On the list are plastics with undetectable carbon black, PVC, PVDC, EPS, PS, PETG in rigid plastic and oxo-degradable plastics. | wk1003mike/Shutterstock
The Canada Plastics Pact released nine design rules to move toward a circular economy, a document that included a list of “problematic plastics” to avoid. Continue Reading
All grades of commonly sorted curbside plastic experienced substantial price increases this month.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars moved up by 17% this month. The per-pound price is now averaging 39.22 cents, compared with 33.42 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 49.00 cents per pound. PET was trading at 12.03 cents one year ago.
Natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from curbside collection programs is up 13%, now at an average 53.72 cents per pound. This compares with 47.47 cents last month. The price was 83.72 cents this time last year.
The national average price of color HDPE is up 12%, now trading at 28.94 cents per pound, compared with 25.75 cents last month. This grade averaged 31.94 cents one year ago.
Polypropylene (PP) is also selling for more money this month. The price is averaging 34.56 cents per pound, up 17% from last month’s average of 29.44 cents per pound. PP was 29.69 cents one year ago.
A couple of film grades are also experiencing rising values this month. The national average price of Grade A film is up 3%, at 21.13 cents per pound. This grade was trading at 15.63 cents one year ago.
Grade B film is now 7.44 cents, compared with 5.63 one year ago.
Grade C film is still averaging 0.81 cents per pound.
These prices are as reported on the Secondary Materials Pricing (SMP) Index. This pricing represents what is being paid for post-consumer recyclable materials in a sorted, baled format, picked up at most major recycling centers.
For a free trial to SMP’s Online Post-Consumer Pricing Index, visit the Recycling Markets website. You can also contact Christina Boulanger-Bosley at [email protected] or 330-956-8911.
Colorado’s Capitol building in Denver. | Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
Colorado and Hawaii are both working to pass extended producer responsibility bills this legislative session that are tailored to fit each state’s needs. Continue Reading
Brightmark will not move forward with a facility in Georgia, though the company’s facility in Ashley, Ind. continues toward completion. | RozenskiP/Shutterstock
Brightmark and an industrial authority have canceled plans for a massive plastics-to-fuel recycling plant in Georgia, according to media reports.
Snarls in global supply chains are impacting recycling equipment providers and plastics processors, including KW Plastics, in a number of ways. | Courtesy of KW Plastics
Equipment manufacturers and their customers are feeling the pressure of extended lead times and supply chain backups, forcing them to adapt as demand soars and supply dwindles.