UK faces big challenges in packaging recycling

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The U.K. is going to have a difficult time meeting new packaging recycling targets, according to new analysis from plastics recycling organization Recoup.

According to the 2012 UK Household Plastics Collection Survey, sponsored by Recoup, GlaxoSmithKline, Nampak Plastics and Wellman Recycling, the new targets require a 5 percent annual growth rate in plastic packaging recovery for U.K. businesses through 2017, which will take the required collection rate from 32 percent in 2012 to 57 percent. Plastic packaging collected from households will need to double from 470,000 tons collected in 2011 to over 913,000 tons by 2017. For context, over 1.3 million tons of rigid plastic packaging entered the U.K. household waste and recycling stream in 2011 alone.

The report highlights progress in many areas of plastic recycling. The plastic bottle recycling rate now exceeds 52 percent, for instance, and the recycling rate for plastic pots, tubs and trays is now over 20 percent. However, the report says without significant progress in the collection and recycling of packaging, the U.K. will miss its overall plastic recycling targets.

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Resource Recycling Conference: Labeling "How2Recycle"

Variation in recycling programs, unclear labeling and inaccurate recyclability claims make proper recycling a real challenge. To combat these barriers, GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) created the How2Recycle Label to provide consistent and transparent on-package recycling information to consumers. The recent soft launch of the How2Recycle had participation from a dozen companies, but SPC hopes to have the label on most consumer goods packaging by 2015. This timely presentation by industry expert, Anne Bedarf, offers the nitty-gritty details about this promising tool, including how you can get involved.

Find out what works for recycling at the 2013 Resource Recycling Conference to be held August 27-28 at the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, including information on booking a hotel room, session topics, or exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.rrconference.com or click on the banner below.

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PetroChem Wire: Recycled PP down sharply in April

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

Prices for CoPP and HoPP pellets declined 4 cents per pound in April in response to lackluster demand and softer prime polypropylene prices.

CoPP black repro material was offered in late April as high as 60 cents per pound delivered, with no takers. Bids ranged from 49 to 52 cents per pound FOB, down from March sales of 53-56 cents per pound. HoPP MC regrind sold at 35-38 cents per pound FOB in April, versus March sales at 39-42 cents. Offers of HoPP and CoPP black and mixed color regrind as high as 43 cents per pound delivered attracted little or no buying interest. Spot prime HoPP fell 3 cents during the month of April to end the month priced at just over 63 cents per pound FOB Houston.

For more information about PetroChem Wire's Repro/Regrind Resin Report and daily prime grade polymers and monomers report, or to arrange a free trial subscription, contact Cindy Bryan at cindy@petrochemwire.com or (713) 385-1407. To see sample issues of PCW publications, click here.

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Senate committee narrowly approves EPA nominee

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

President Obama's pick for the new director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is one step closer to starting work as Gina McCarthy's nomination moves to the Senate floor on a party-line vote.

The contentious nomination of McCarthy, blocked last week by Senate Republicans, was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by a 10-8 vote, strictly along partisan lines. The nomination now heads to the floor of the Senate, where approval is not assured, with Senate Republicans threatening to filibuster unless given more information about how McCarthy would run the agency.

At issue, according to David Vitter of Louisiana, the ranking Republican on the Environment Committee, are five "key" transparency demands that he says that McCarthy and the agency have not answered, though progress has been made. And if more information is given by the nominee — who has already answered a record number of over 1,000 questions — Vitter will support the nomination.

"Should major additional progress be made in all of the five [transparency] categories over the next two weeks, I will strongly support handling the McCarthy nomination on the Senate floor without a cloture vote or any 60-vote threshold," Vitter said. "Should all of our requests in the five categories be granted, I will support the McCarthy nomination."

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California told reporters expressed anger that the nomination was held up and called for a floor vote as soon as the nomination was passed out of committee.

"What does surprise me is that you take a woman like Gina McCarthy, who is clearly so bipartisan in her approach — worked for four Republican governors and one Democratic president — was unanimously approved by the very same people who now oppose her – and hold her up and keep her twisting in the wind," Boxer said.

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Nebraska exceeds agricultural plastic container milestone

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

With its latest collection numbers, Nebraska has collected over 2.1 million pounds of agricultural plastic containers for recycling since its program began 22 years ago.

Beginning in 1991 as a joint venture between the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension, the Nebraska Pesticide Container Recycling Committee was established the following year with backing from a coalition of eight organizations, three statewide departments and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The program targets pesticide containers between 1-2.5 gallons and agricultural drums between 15-55 gallons. In 2012, the program collected approximately 70,000 pounds of material for recycling at its 38 statewide collection sites.

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Patent watch

Takaroku Shoji Co. Ltd. has filed Patent Application No. 20130109281, outlining a method of removing paint from the surface of a plastic bumper.

Austrian inventors Helmuth Schulz and Gunther Klammer have filed Patent Application No. 20130107659, which describes a device for mixing plastics using a pair of interlocking screws.

Patent Application No. 20130105365 has been filed by MBA Polymers, Inc. The application describes a method of separating and purifying plastics in a waste stream.

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has submitted Patent Application No. 20130112790, which relates to a continuous flow process to recycle carpet waste.

Eastman Chemical Company has outlined a carpet recycling method that involves separating and heating the face fiber and backing material, which is described in Patent Application No. 20130112727.

Patent No. 8,431,677 has been awarded to Galactic S.A. for a method of purifying polymer streams contaminated with over 50 percent PLA.

For more information on these or any patents, please consult the U.S. Patent Office database online.

Copies of patents can be ordered by number for $3 each from the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA, 22313-1450.

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NewsBits

Early analysis of 2012 data shows that both production and recycling of plastics are growing in the European Union, according to trade group PlasticsEurope. Production grew more slowly in 2012 than in the previous year, but the overall recycling rate for the EU (which excludes energy recovery) ticked up to 25.1 percent.

Some shopping malls owned by Simon Property Group, Inc. have begun retrofitting their properties to include a "plastic room" which includes baling and storage operations for plastic bags, shrink wrap, packaging and other materials. The move is the latest recycling action by the company, which says it has increased diversion at its properties by 25 percent over the last two years.

Hong Kong may soon expand its plastic bag ban, according to a recent report in Plastics News. Plastic bag use has declined 75 percent since the ban went into effect. The proposed expansion would increase the number of stores and businesses affected — currently numbering 3,000 supermarkets and convenience stores.

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APR to address shrink sleeve labels

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers has formed a working group to tackle the problem of contamination in bales from full wrap shrink sleeve labels.

Full wrap labels can obscure NIR sorting technology, resulting in incorrect resin identification of a container. Additionally, these types of labels are difficult to remove using current automated label-removal technology. The Label Working Group will work with the packaging industry to improve the recyclability of containers and labels. APR also used the announcement to call attention to its guidelines on the use of full wrap shrink sleeve labels, saying they should be easily removed using standard bottle-wash methods and that they should not impair the functionality of sortation equipment.

"Full wrap shrink sleeve labels are a critical issue facing plastics recycling today," said Steve Alexander, executive director for APR. "While they are extremely popular with brand owners, they represent a nightmare for most recyclers, and render the containers they cover mostly unrecyclable."

The group is scheduled to meet at the upcoming APR membership meeting in Baltimore, June 11-13.

The important issue of full wrap shrink sleeves has been explored in detail in the new issue of Plastics Recycling Update. Click here to read the story.

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Green Fence divides recycling industry

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The plastics recycling industry is grappling with what to do about China's Green Fence, with some arguing it's a disaster and others saying it's the best thing to happen to domestic plastics recycling in years.

Last February, China announced a 10-month enforcement campaign relating to the import of waste and recycling materials into the country. The regulations, which passed in 2009, mandate that incoming bales of material must have contamination levels of less than 1.5 percent. The enforcement of the tougher standards has hit mixed plastic bales and Nos. 3-7 bales especially hard, with containers either piling up at Chinese ports or being shipped back to the U.S. at a shipping cost to Los Angeles/Long Beach of approximately $2,100 per container. Affected mixed bales are ones where contaminants consist of unacceptable levels of metal, paper, organic material or other non-plastic materials. Plastic bales where the "contaminants" are simply other resin types are typically not targeted.

Those that have been calling for increased domestic recycling of plastics for years are embracing the move.

"This is great news for American processors," says Scott Saunders, general manager for KW Plastics. "I don't buy the argument that MRFs [materials recovery facilities] have nowhere to sell material. There are lots of ready recyclers here in the U.S."

Many argue that since Chinese inspection officials have made exporting plastic material considerably more difficult, it will actually stimulate more recycling in the U.S. and make the domestic market more competitive with Chinese buyers. Some sources have told Plastics Recycling Update that the crackdown over the last few months has already stimulated increased activity in the domestic market.

But others are urging caution. Arguing that many MRFs have not invested in the technology necessary to produce bales with low enough contamination rates to be useful, other sources tell PRU that they fear a collapse in No. 3-7 collection and recycling, with much of the material potentially heading to landfill.

If you want to share how the Green Fence is affecting you in an upcoming article, email editorial@resource-recycling.com.

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PetroChem Wire: Some recycled PE prices fall with drop in exports

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

Most HDPE pellet prices declined 1-2 cents per pound in April as reduced exports to China and lower-than-expected domestic demand from construction and agriculture industries this spring resulted in increased U.S. supply.

HMW HDPE, mixed color pellet sold at 51-54 cents per pound in late April, down 4 cents from March levels. An exception was HDPE injection crate, mixed color pellet which rose a penny in April to 46-50 cents per pound. HDPE frac melt natural dairy pellet prices were steady in April at 63-66 cents per pound. Generic spot prime HDPE blow mold fell a penny and a half in April, ending the month at 65 cents per pound.

For more information about PetroChem Wire's Repro/Regrind Resin Report and daily prime grade polymers and monomers report, or to arrange a free trial subscription, contact Cindy Bryan at cindy@petrochemwire.com or (713) 385-1407. To see sample issues of PCW publications, click here.

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Carpet recycling sees increase

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) announced that it recovered almost five percent more carpet in 2012 than it did the year previous.

The carpet industry-led CARE released its annual report, reporting that 351 million pounds of carpet were diverted from U.S. landfills in 2012, up from the 333 million pounds diverted the year previous, a more-than five percent increase.

"When we started in 2002 there was virtually no carpet-to-carpet recycling," said Robert Peoples, the group's executive director in a press release releasing the diversion figures. "Today almost 30 percent of recycled carpet goes back into carpet itself."

CARE serves as the stewardship organization for California's AB 2398 carpet recycling law. During 2012, the first calendar year under the law 80 carpet manufacturers participated in the CARE Stewardship Plan and 112 million pounds of carpet were diverted from landfill, 48 million pounds of which were recycled in the Golden State.

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Consolidation creates new packaging giant

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

Five packaging companies have combined to form the sixth largest plastic packaging firm in the world.

Partners in the new firm, dubbed Exopack Holdings Sarl, include Chicago-based Exopack, as well as the U.K.-based Paragon Print & Packaging and The Britton Group, and German rigid plastics packaging producers Kobusch and PACCOR. Combined, the new Luxembourg-based firm will have 8,650 employees working in 63 plants worldwide. Aggregate annual revenues for the venture are estimated to be over $2.5 billion.

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NewsBits

Trex is rolling out a new line of compressed-air mini balers to aid collection of thin-film plastics in South Carolina. The machines are compact and can be installed at retail collection sites. Trex hopes to eventually expand the statewide program to the rest of the country.

Get ready for bio-based plastic, China, because Coca-Cola has announced it will soon be launching its PlantBottle in the country, according to a report in Plastics News. Since first hitting the market in 2009, the sugarcane-sourced PET bottle resin has been used in 24 countries.

Eugene, Oregon has become the latest city to ban plastic bags. The ban in Oregon's second-largest city follows Portland's bag ban in 2011 and includes a 5-cent charge for paper bags as well.

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Exports edge up in February

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The volume of plastic scrap exported in February 2013, at 373.76 million pounds, was up 2.0 percent from its January 2013 figure. When matched against its February 2012 position, the volume of exports was down slightly by 0.4 percent.

The weighted price of recovered plastic exports in February, at 20.14 cents per pound, was up 5.3 percent from its January 2013 standing. When compared to its year-over-year (YOY) level, the price was up, as well, by 2.2 percent.

Through February, at 740.32 million pounds, the volume of recovered plastics exported was up 2.5 percent from its 2012 year-to-date (YTD) figure. At 19.64 cents per pound, however, the average price through February was down sharply 8.1 percent from its 2012 YTD standing.

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RR Conference 2013: Understanding recycling's economic impacts

Many communities are struggling with the threat of significant cuts to their recycling programs. The economic impact of recycling is a critical subject in the debate over protecting your existing programs or establishing new ones. But what kind of information will you arm yourself with in the battle for your recycling budget?

This timely presentation by Chaz Miller of the National Solid Wastes Management Association will analyze a wide variety of national and regional studies in terms of their conclusions, how recycling was defined, what jobs were included and the methods used in the study. You will walk away from this presentation with a broader understanding of measuring economic impacts and when you get back to the office you will be better prepared for the next time you do an economic impact study.

Find out what works for recycling at the 2013 Resource Recycling Conference to be held August 27-28 at the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, including information on booking a hotel room, session topics, or exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.rrconference.com or click on the banner below.

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PetroChem Wire: HIPS, GPPS pellet prices slip in April

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

HIPS and GPPS pellet prices declined 2 cents per pound in early April. In the second half of the month prices continued to weaken, with decreases totaling as much as 3 cents per pound for the month.

Weak demand is partly attributed to seasonality as buyers stand back and assess their second-quarter supply needs. In addition, some are switching to more cost-effective resins. HIPS mixed color pellets were offered at 69-71 cents per pound in first half April, down 2 cents per pound from March. GPPS regrind prices also declined, with MC regrind offered at 37-38 cents per pound, also down 2 cents per pound. Prime HIPS was offered in April at 97-98 cents per pound, down 2-3 cents from March.

For more information about PetroChem Wire's Repro/Regrind Resin Report and daily prime grade polymers and monomers report, or to arrange a free trial subscription, contact Cindy Bryan at cindy@petrochemwire.com or (713) 385-1407. To see sample issues of PCW publications, click here.

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SPI seeks data on management of post-industrial recycling in the U.S.

The manufacturing process for almost any product inherently creates byproducts that must be managed. For the plastics industry, much of that byproduct is in the form of post-industrial scrap plastics. Off-spec material, spruce and runner pieces, and material generated at production start-up are all byproducts of the resin making and plastic molding process. The reworking of post-industrial scrap plastics back into the manufacturing process is an activity that much of the plastics industry engages in on a regular basis. But the extent to which this occurs, and how exactly it is happening, remains largely unknown.

The plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the U.S., so byproduct management is an important issue, and is one that the recycling industry plays a key role in. SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association has turned new focus on improving recovery opportunities for plastics. One of the initial efforts underway as part of SPI's recycling program is to gather information on post-industrial scrap management in the U.S. The trade association has developed surveys that seek information that will paint a clearer picture of post-industrial scrap generation and management.

"In general, post-industrial scrap plastics are of high quality, and are a fairly straightforward material to work back into the manufacturing process. We expect to learn that much of this material is currently being diverted from landfills," notes Kim Holmes, director of recycling at SPI. "What is unclear is where the barriers lie. Are there some types of post-industrial resins that are more challenging to recycle, or for which markets are not as strong? In addition to the positive story that we think will emerge around byproduct management for the plastics industry, we're also hoping to uncover any impediments that may exist so we can begin to address those and move the plastics industry closer to the zero waste pursuit adopted by SPI."

Any recycler buying and managing post-industrial scrap from generators in the U.S. is encouraged to participate in the survey. Those wanting to participate in the survey, or who may have questions about participation, should email Kim Holmes at kholmes@plasticsindustry.org.

The findings of this survey will be presented at the SPI National Board meeting being held in Boston from Sept. 18-20.

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Europe makes progress on vinyl recycling

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

Nearly 397,000 tons of PVC were recycled in Europe in 2012 as part of the decade-long VinylPlus program.

Envisioned as a way to both improve the recycling of PVC as well as reduce the negative environmental attributes associated with the material, the VinylPlus program includes over 175 companies, government entities and partner organizations across Europe. In outlining its progress last year, the organization pointed out that the use of lead stabilizers is down 76 percent from 2007 levels, and is expected to be phased out completely by 2015. Additionally, the organization rolled out specific safety data sheets for PVC recycling firms and continued work on commercializing VinyLoop — a solvent that can aid in processing difficult-to-recycle PVC scrap.

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Patent watch

Patent No. 8,420,875 has been awarded to Rational Energies LLC of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, describing a method of converting plastic scrap to liquid fuel.

Becton, Dickinson and Company of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, now holds Patent No. 8,426,480 outlining a method of reclaiming plastic from medical scrap.

German firm Krones AG has received Patent No. 8,426,530 for a process to control the blending of virgin and recycled PET.

German inventors Harald Rust and Holger Sasse have filed Patent Application No. 20130093114 outlining a method of blending plastics with wood particles.

For more information on these or any patents, please consult the U.S. Patent Office database online.

Copies of patents can be ordered by number for $3 each from the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA, 22313-1450.

To return to the Plastics Recycling Update newsletter, click here

NewsBits

Plastic packaging design is a threat to European Union recycling targets, according to the trade organization Plastics Recyclers Europe. The group is pushing for the widespread adoption of the RecyClass classification system which would aid packaging designers in creating packaging that is designed for recycling. The system is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled at the upcoming Interpack conference in Germany.

An interactive, community-edited map is now available that tracks plastic bag bans and fees across the globe.

ASTM International has released a new standard covering plastic lumber. The ASTM D7568 standard applies to solid, rectangular, structural-grade plastic lumber products where polyethylene constitutes at least 50 percent of the weight, and specifies how such products can be produced.

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