Packaging Liz Bedard Rigid Plastics

APR Rigid Plastics
Recycling Program

Liz Bedard, Director

The voice of plastics recycling

APR Rigid Plastics Recycling Program

• National trade association

• Representing those companies with over 90% of the post-
consumer plastic processing capacity in North America.



• Increasing supply and reducing contamination

• Developing packaging design protocols for greater recyclability

• Using awards to recognize packages designed for recycling

• Recognizing products made from recycled plastic

• Stimulating a market for rigid non-bottle plastics



Recycling plastics beyond #1 and #2 plastic bottles is
an issue for –
• individuals,
• recyclers,
• brand name companies,
• public policy maker,
• collectors,
• resin companies and
• reclaimers.

Consumers want to recycle more plastics AND a wide
variety of industries want more plastics recycled!



Two ends of the equation –
-
are in sync……
Missing - a nationally focused effort to expand
plastics recycling beyond #1 and #2 bottles



The is a
membership committee and represents rigid plastic
stakeholders –

 generators, collectors
 recyclers, reclaimers
 brand names companies
 resin producers
 public policy makers

…….at the table, committed to creating solutions.



• American Chemistry • Entropex
Council • Envision Plastics
• Avangard • Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.
• Berry Plastics • Graham Recycling
• Blue Ridge Plastics Company
• BWAY • Harris Materials
• Clean Tech Inc. • Haycore Canada Inc.
• ConAgra Foods • IntegriCo Composites
• Custom Polymers Inc • Kimberly-Clark
• Dow Chemical Company • KW Plastics Recycling



• Lyondell Basell Industries • Pure Tech Plastics
• Merlin Plastics Supply Inc. • ReCommunity
• Milliken & Company • Recyc RPM
• MRC Polymers • Rehrig Logistics
• Moore Recycling • Ropak Manufacturing Company
• NAPCOR • Solo Cup
• NatureWorks LLC • Starbucks Coffee Company
• North Carolina Div. of • Talco Plastics, Inc.
Pollution Prevention • Waste Management – Recycle
• Procter & Gamble Company America



 National Rigid Plastics Bale Audit and Supply Analysis
 APR Grocery Store Rigid Plastic Recycling Project
 Bale Definition Subcommittee

 Recycled Resins Subcommittee
 ”Fit for Use” Project
 Design for Recyclability



The Project…………..

A National Rigids Plastics Bale Sort and
assessment of potential supply of recyclable rigid plastics.

Funded by APR Rigids Plastics Recycling Program members.

An overview of where non-bottle rigid plastics recycling currently
stands and what potential there is to expand it into the future.



The Issue……..Verifiable data was needed on –

1. Composition of non-bottle rigid plastic bales and,
2. Amount of non-bottle rigid plastic material still available in the
waste stream to recycle.

The lack of this data was seen as limiting expansion
of non-bottle rigid plastics recycling.



The Project…………..

Seven types of non-bottle rigid plastic bales
from 24 US and Canadian material recovery facilities were
sorted into 84 different product categories and resin types.

EPA waste information, by plastic resin type,
was compared to 11 state’s Waste Characterization Studies.



Sort Results…
Pre-Picked Rigid Bales
Non-PET/HDPE bottles, all
household non-bottle containers
(includes thermoform
packaging, cups, trays, clamshells, fo
od tubs) and all bulky rigid plastic



Competing issues impact the data produced in state’s “Waste
Characterization Studies”. Consequently, there is considerable
discrepancy in the resulting data. However, generalizations
and ranges were developed under this study.

The full 77 page National Bale Audit, Market Destination & Supply Analysis
for Rigid Plastics is available to purchase from the APR.



It is imperative to address the demand side of the non-
bottle rigid plastic recycling issue.

• What type of non-bottle recycled resins are wanted?
• What is the demand for these resins?
• What are the desired physical properties?

A subcommittee of brand name companies, plastic
reclaimers/recyclers and resin producers are asking
these questions and jointly searching for answers.



What type of recycled resins are wanted?

• Which resin within the non-bottle rigid plastic stream
presents the largest opportunity? - Polypropylene

• Simultaneously, manufacturers throughout North
America are interested in obtaining polypropylene post
consumer recycled resin for their products.



What is the demand for these resins?
What are the desired physical properties?

• Winter 2011 “Fit for Use” Survey for Polypropylene
• Brand Owners queried on their future polypropylene post
consumer recycled resin (PP PCR) needs.
• Resulting data provides “demand side” information to potential
PP PCR suppliers specifying -
• Potential demand quantities
• Qualitative assessment of PCR resin properties



Winter 2011 “Fit for Use” Survey
Is your What other
application Is FDA performance When might
Which PCR color
'extremely' approval criteria or you use this
might you use?
sensitive to required? concerns are PCR?
malodor? applicable?

Melt
Typical Enter your FDA Unique
Flow Tonnage Odor Color Timeframe
applications application Approved Criteria
Index

Potential 1) Light color
PCR 1) Yes 2) Gray (Blend 1) Yes Open
usage 2) No more for darker 1) < 1 year
2) No response
Pounds / than typical colors) 2) 1-3 years
Year 3) Dark 3) 3-5 years



Grocery stores are great recyclers – OCC & film – and now want to
pursue additional materials. What about “behind the counter”
rigid plastics – frosting buckets, fish fillet boxes, salad pails?

1. Estimate annual volume & resin type of recyclable rigid plastics
2. Identify obstacles preventing future rigid plastics recycling

In 2010, data was gathered from five grocery store chains,
representing 1,214 stores from throughout US.



Two Predominant Resin Types
#5 Polypropylene (ranging from 45% to 70%)
#2 HDPE (30% to 55%)

Rigid Plastics Generation Rate
Total – 354 million pounds/year
Easily recoverable – 212 million pounds/year
Bulky - 142 million pounds/year


• Storage
• Labor
• Lack of Revenue
• Low waste disposal costs
• Potential odor issues



To determine “Best Operational Practices” to:
1. Maximize volume of rigid plastics recovered
2. Minimize recovery costs
3. Maximize net revenue
4. Address identified obstacles



 Nationwide promotion of grocery store rigid plastics

 A user friendly, online resource providing grocery
chains and others with information needed to
implement rigid plastics recycling.



Conducted for the last 3 years to provide a nationwide
perspective, from both large and small states as well
as urban and rural areas, on how and what types of
plastics are currently being collected.

Survey has revealed 3 consistent trends.



1. Shift from dual stream to single stream collection
2009 2010 2011
Single Stream 31 34 35
Dual Stream 8 7 7
Source Separated 1 1 1
Pilot Program(s) 2 1 1
Drop Off Only 1 3 3
Subscription 5 5 4

Total 48 51 51



2. Municipalities are moving away from collecting
only #1 and #2 plastics.
#1-2 Collection 2009 2010 2011

All #1 & 2 Containers 8 5 4
#1 & 2 Bottles Only 10 10 8

TOTALS 18 15 12



3. Municipalities are shifting their collection programs
to “all containers” and to #1-7 plastics.
#1-7 COLLECTION 2009 2010 2011

All #1-7 Containers 16 24 27
#1-7 Bottles Only 8 7 6
#1-7 Containers w/ some exceptions 6 4 5

TOTALS 30 35 38



Ease communication between non-bottle rigid
plastic bale generators and the marketplace by
developing model bale specification that the
industry accepts and uses.



PET/HDPE #3-7 Non-bottle Bulky Rigid
Bottles Bottles Containers Plastics
1.All Rigid Plastics X X X X
2. Pre-picked Rigids X X X
3. Bottles & Containers X X X
4. Household Containers X X
5. Tubs & Lids X
HDPE only PE and PP only PE and PP only PE and PP only
6. Olefin Bale
7. Bulky Rigids X



Define the good and sought after versus the bad
and to be avoided for thin-walled packaging.



The format for thin walled injection molded containers, similar
to existing guidelines will express preferences related to:

*Density *Color Tolerance
*Attachments: closures, labels *Inks and direct printing
*Adhesives *Coatings and layers
*Copolymers *Additives
*Special considerations and what needs to be avoided.

The task force will surveying APR members for input to
substantiate decisions.



Polypropylene (PP)properties, such as the ability to light
weight containers, that make it an attractive resin to
many brand name companies.

California “recycled content” law has also created a
“demand pull” for PP.



The California State Legislature enacted the -
Rigid Plastic Packaging Container (RPPC) statute -
as part of an effort to reduce the amount of plastic
waste disposed in California landfills and increase
the use of recycled plastic. The law regulates
companies who produce or generate products that
are held in RPPCs, which are sold or offered for sale
in California.



Compliance options for regulated RPPCs include
containers that:
• Are made from at least 25 percent postconsumer resin.
• Are source-reduced (light-weighted) by 10 percent.
• Are reused or refilled at least five times.
• Have a recycling rate of 45 percent if it is a brand-specific
or a particular type of RPPC.



Business Sustainability

“Estee Lauder Companies is committed to the
use of recycled plastics as part of our Cradle to
Cradle design philosophy, and look forward to
seeing an increase in the quality and supply of
PCR materials.”

John A Delfausse
Chief Environmental Officer
Estee Lauder Corporate Packaging


Domestic Markets Are Thriving

Courtesy of Moore Recycling Associates' 2010 National Report on Post Consumer Non-
Bottle Rigid Plastic Recycling funded by the American Chemistry Council.


Non-Comprehensive Buyers List
Ecoplast Omni Resource Recovery
APC Recycling
Ekman Recycling Pacific West Recycling
Avangard Innovative Entropex Services
KW Plastics building
Baycrest International Envision Plastics PARC Corp.
a new wash line for Development
Berg Mill Supply
Excel Plastic Revolutions
bulky rigid First Star Recycling Polimeros Nacionales
Blue Ridge Plastics
plastics, will helpHaycore Canada Polymer Network
Bosgen Inc. IntegriCo Composites Putian Interntional
process materials in
International Alloys PWR International
Carolina Fibre the USA Kal Trading Recycling Revolution
Concord Plastics, Inc. KMET International Recyc RPM
Consolidated Scrap KW Plastics Premier Group Recycling
Laudadio Polymers Smart International
Resources
Lynx Recyclers St. Joseph Plastics
Corridor Recycling M & L Plastics Suncrest Recycling
CSI Plastics Magic Bright Ltd. T & T Group
Merlin Plastics Talco Plastics
CRV Recovery Ming's Recycling United Fibers
Denton Plastics Multi-Link International Universal Commodity
Nextlife Enterprises Services
New Wave Plastics Vista Paper Recycling
Waste Management
Zmax USA


The Current Landscape for Non-
Bottle Mixed Rigid Plastics Recycling

Request a copy of the final report

Alison Briggs
Resource Recycling, Inc.
ali@resource-recycling.com


Searching for a market for
non-bottle rigid plastics…..

Connecting Recycled Plastics Buyers and Suppliers…….
• For all types of scrap plastic (from bales to post consumer
resin).
• This site is NOT intended for the general public or
household plastics.
• Can search site, by resin type, for small amount of scrap
plastics (less than 40,000 lbs) or by truckloads of material.



Expanding domestic recycling of rigid plastics beyond #1 and
#2 bottles is certainly a challenge.

But, the challenge has been taken on by the APR Rigid
Plastics Recycling Program, as well as many others.

The Program looks ahead to an exciting year of continuing to
address non-bottle rigid plastic recycling supply and
demand issues.



Liz Bedard, Director
1001 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
ebedard18@gmail.com


Packaging Liz Bedard Rigid Plastics

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