Recently released industry data indicates that at least 1.3 billion pounds of post-consumer non-bottle rigid plastic were recovered for recycling in 2018, and as in previous years, the majority of non-bottle rigid plastic was purchased by U.S. and Canadian reclaimers.
Increasingly, buyers are purchasing material segregated by resin, as opposed to mixed resin bales. In 2018, 80 percent of non-bottle rigid plastic recovered for recycling was segregated by resin, compared with 77 percent in 2017. The segregated material is broken out into two categories: commercial source-separated/collected material, and material further separated into resin-specific bales by a processor after commingled collection.
This article appeared in the October 2020 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.