TOP LUN Plastics Corporation received an LNO that covers the recycling of PET containers into single-layer clamshells. | Rattanapon Ninlapoom/Shutterstock
Ten companies with technologies to recycle post-consumer PET, HDPE and PP into food and drink packaging have received the federal government’s thumbs-up this year.
Research from the Association of Plastic Recyclers shows a 28% recycling rate for PET and HDPE bottles in 2020. | Frank Fiedler/Shutterstock
The Association of Plastic Recyclers released a report noting 21% of HDPE, PET and PP packaging is recycled in the U.S.
Polypropylene rigid containers have been upgraded to “widely recycled” under the How2Recycle labeling protocol. | Colleen Michaels/Shutterstock
Two years after downgrading rigid polypropylene containers to “check locally,” a label system has returned the material to its previous status, determining at least 60% of the country has access to PP collection.
Nexus is planning a facility near Chicago, and Braskem pledged to purchase the output. | Courtesy of Nexus Circular
Nexus Circular plans to build a pyrolysis plant in the Chicago area, and polyolefins producer Braskem has signed an agreement to buy the facility’s output. Continue Reading
Connecticut students collected nearly 4 tons of bottle caps for recycling through a collaborative effort. | Courtesy of SoundWaters
Connecticut middle school students, with help from processor UltraPoly and other entities, recently collected 2.5 million plastic caps and recycled them into end products as part of a lesson on microplastics.
Keurig Dr Pepper’s recent sustainability report noted progress toward the company’s goal of 25% PCR use by 2025. | Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
One of North America’s largest beverage brand owners greatly increased its use of recycled resins last year, mainly by rolling out 100% RPET bottles for specific brands.
A Fresno, California MRF leveraged grant funding to install robotic sortation equipment to recover more PP. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics
With a little help from The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, a Fresno-based MRF has entered the world of robotics.
Recycling technologies from Erema, NGR, Polymetrix, Starlinger and others were recently approved to produce RPET for 100% recycled-content food and drink packaging. | Ho Su A Bi/Shutterstock
A food-safety panel has approved applications from Indorama Ventures, Veolia, Coca-Cola Hellenic, NOVAPET and other plastic reclaimers to recycle PET in new food and drink packaging.
Birch Plastics recently completed GreenCircle certification of the company’s PP and HDPE recycled resins. | Courtesy of Birch Plastics
Texas-based Birch Plastics recently worked with a third-party auditor to verify its recycling process, a step more reclaimers and compounders are considering as end users look for certainty in their feedstock.
Milliken’s Blacksburg, S.C. plant will increase production capacity for the company’s Millad NX 8000 polypropylene clarifier, which is used in PP recycling. | Courtesy of Milliken
Global manufacturer Milliken & Company says its newest clarifier plant is coming on-line, boosting Milliken’s production capacity for its PP clarifier by over 50%.