RECYCLING
US plastic bottle recycling rates jump 6.2% year-on-year in 2012 / PET and HDPE account for 96% / Total bottle recycling rate stands at 30%
 America's plastic bottle recycling rates continue to rise but the potential to do better is still quite large, according to an APR and ACC annual study (Photo: iStockPhoto) |
Almost 1.3m t of plastic bottles were recycled in the US during 2012, a 6.2% year-on-year increase, says a new report by the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR, Washington DC / USA; www.plasticsrecycling.org) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC, Washington DC / USA; www.americanchemistry.com). According to data outlined in the “2012 United States National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report”, the country’s total bottle recycling rate stood at 30.5% at the end of 2012 – a 1.6% increase over 2011.
HDPE collection rates went up from 29.9% in 2011 to 31.6% last year, with a total of 453,592 t going into the recycling stream, the authors state. The main sources were milk jugs as well as bottles containing cleaners and detergents.
As for PP, about 21,000 t of bottles were collected, translating to an annual climb of 7.2%. Of this, 73% was processed domestically as PP rather than mixed with other resins, the report found, adding that domestic processing of post-consumer PP bottles rose by 14% year-on-year and now stands at almost 20,000 t. That figure does not include PP closures and other containers, which are covered in a separate report on non-bottle rigid plastics recycling, due to be released shortly.
By far the largest group of bottles collected in 2012 were ones made of PET, with the total coming to almost 780,000 t. Taken together, PET and HDPE bottles accounted for more than 96% of the US plastic bottle market, the report states, with PP accounting for another 2% and other materials – including PVC and LDPE – making up the remainder.
Despite the gains, the report points out that bottle recycling in the US still faces many obstacles including lack of awareness on behalf of the consumer, to problems accessing collection points.
"In the United States, we have the capacity to recycle more used plastics than we are currently collecting, and innovative manufacturers are using these materials in new and exciting ways. Each of us can help by doing our part to get more used plastics into a recycling bin," said Steve Russell, ACC’s vice president of plastics.
The report is the 23rd edition to be published. Since its first edition, which came out in 1990, the US bottle recycling rate has grown each year, the authors note.
e-Service:
“2012 United States National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report” as PDF
HDPE collection rates went up from 29.9% in 2011 to 31.6% last year, with a total of 453,592 t going into the recycling stream, the authors state. The main sources were milk jugs as well as bottles containing cleaners and detergents.
As for PP, about 21,000 t of bottles were collected, translating to an annual climb of 7.2%. Of this, 73% was processed domestically as PP rather than mixed with other resins, the report found, adding that domestic processing of post-consumer PP bottles rose by 14% year-on-year and now stands at almost 20,000 t. That figure does not include PP closures and other containers, which are covered in a separate report on non-bottle rigid plastics recycling, due to be released shortly.
By far the largest group of bottles collected in 2012 were ones made of PET, with the total coming to almost 780,000 t. Taken together, PET and HDPE bottles accounted for more than 96% of the US plastic bottle market, the report states, with PP accounting for another 2% and other materials – including PVC and LDPE – making up the remainder.
Despite the gains, the report points out that bottle recycling in the US still faces many obstacles including lack of awareness on behalf of the consumer, to problems accessing collection points.
"In the United States, we have the capacity to recycle more used plastics than we are currently collecting, and innovative manufacturers are using these materials in new and exciting ways. Each of us can help by doing our part to get more used plastics into a recycling bin," said Steve Russell, ACC’s vice president of plastics.
The report is the 23rd edition to be published. Since its first edition, which came out in 1990, the US bottle recycling rate has grown each year, the authors note.
e-Service:
“2012 United States National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report” as PDF
14.11.2013 Plasteurope.com [226793-0]
Published on 14.11.2013
German version of this article...