A European analysis shows 9 million metric tons of discarded plastic was collected for sorting, out of 30 million produced in 2021. | Muhammad Azman/Shutterstock
European recyclers are struggling to get enough material, even as exports of plastics decline and values rise.
Indorama Ventures developed its PET food tray recycling technology over the past six years. | Pavel Kapysh/Shutterstock
Indorama Ventures is moving into the commercial stage of a project in which post-consumer PET trays are recycled into flake used in food packaging.
U.K.-based Viridor used AMUT technology in its new polymer recycling facility. | Courtesy of AMUT
Two large, new facilities in Europe will be able to process a combined total of over 200,000 tons of plastic scrap using high-tech equipment. The following are more details on the PreZero and Viridor facilities.
Using an FDA-approved additive, ReCon^2 has developed a method for verifying recycled content claims. | Courtesy of ReCon^2
Rising prices for post-consumer resin also bring a greater incentive for shady suppliers to cheat. A U.K. nonprofit is commercializing a technology that will detect lies about recycled plastic use.
Research estimates that in 2020 in Europe, 2.4 million tons of PET was recycled into 1.7 million tons of flake. | Menzl Guenter/Shutterstock
The European PET market is making progress toward a circular industry but needs to improve collection rates, according to a new report.
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Earlier this month, PreZero opened a plant in the German municipality of Eitting, near Munich, that will sort up to 120,000 metric tons of lightweight packaging a year. | Courtesy of PreZero
More plastic recycling is coming to Europe with Biffa and PreZero announcing expansion projects, while a U.K. advertising regulator is targeting big brands for their bottle recycling claims.
Oil price movements could put upward price pressure on virgin resin prices, improving the marketability of recycled resins. | ded pixto/Shutterstock
Oil prices are hitting a seven-year high, following tension around the latest COVID-19 variant and Russian pressure on Ukraine.
Eastman CEO Mark Costa at right, with Emmanuel Marcon at a recent meeting around the company’s investment. | Via Emmanuel Marcon Twitter, @EmmanuelMacron
Procter & Gamble, Danone, L’Oréal and other global brand owners have signed letters of intent to buy chemically recycled resin from a $1 billion plant Eastman is planning in France.
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 U.S. Secretary of State has indicated U.S. support for a global plastics pollution treaty. | Gerain0812/Shutterstock
The U.S. has signaled support for a worldwide agreement to reduce marine plastic pollution. Meanwhile, the EU is drafting stricter export rules, a watchdog group is mapping plastic dump sites, and researchers shared findings on the greenhouse gas impacts of virgin plastic shipments.