A program designed to expand market demand for recycled plastics has generated almost seven million pounds of new demand in its first year.
The APR Recycling Demand Champions Campaign, created by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in 2017 to develop new markets for recycled plastics, announced the results at the APR annual meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida. APR also announced several new participants who have committed to increase their use of postconsumer resin (PCR) in the upcoming year.
“The need for expanded demand for recycled plastics has reached a critical point, and The APR Recycling Demand Champions Campaign is all about new demand,” commented Liz Bedard, director of the APR Rigid Plastic Recycling Program. “APR applauds and appreciates the efforts of the inaugural Demand Champion Companies, and encourages others to commit to this important campaign.”
The initial group of companies who increased their use of PCR in the past year include Berry Global, Champion Polymer Recycling, Clean Tech, Coca-Cola North America, Envision Plastics, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Merlin Plastics, Plastipak, Procter & Gamble, and Target. Collectively, these companies increased their PCR purchasing by 6.8 million pounds. This is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 1,747 passenger vehicles driven for 1 year, 92 jobs in plastics recycling, and all of the plastic recyclables from a city the size of Cambridge, MA (113,333 population).
The APR Recycling Demand Champions Campaign plays a prominent role in expanding the market for recycled plastics, driving investment, increasing supply, and producing more high quality postconsumer resin (PCR). Champion companies commit to purchase new volume PCR in three possible ways:
•Purchase “work in process” (WIP) durable goods for use in manufacturing facilities.
•Develop a new application for PCR.
•Increase PCR usage in a current application.
Berry Global, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Procter & Gamble, and Target have committed to the campaign for a second year. New Demand Champion Companies, PAC Worldwide and QRS Recycling join those that committed earlier this year: Avangard Innovative, Denton Plastics, Eco-Products, Nestle, Unilever, and UPM Raflatak.
This brings the total to 12 participating companies. APR encourages new companies to join this timely and essential campaign.
Published in the December 2018 Edition