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As you’re aware, there’s been a great deal of controversy lately regarding the success or failure of plastics recycling. There has also been the expected amount of industry defensiveness in response.

I’ve asked the U.S. recycling experts on the SPRING team to weigh in on the discussion. They are:

I’m proud of SPRING’s overall level of recycling experience and expertise. You might be interested to learn that it took more than a week for the group to vet all this information and agree on both key findings and conclusions.

This is because data collection in the solid waste space is like trash collection: There’s a lot of it. Much of it smells and should be thrown away.

And finally, no one wants to take responsibility for it ;-)

Listed below are the team’s key points and findings:

Further, studies show that beverage container legislation has reduced total roadside litter by between 30% and 64% in the states with bottle bills. (Source: "Bottle Bills Prevent Litter", BottleBill.org.) Yet, after 30 years, there are only 10 deposit states in the US.

Based on all the above, here’s what we collectively conclude:

Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater! Regardless of recycling issues related to LDPE, polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), rigid containers — bottles, jars, clamshells — made from PET and HDPE are not only being successfully recycled, but recycling rates are also relatively high compared to other plastics. Further, there is currently a strong business case for recycling them, as there is supportive infrastructure already in place and ready markets exist. Also, through legislation these markets are being strengthened.

We already know how to significantly increase both the tonnage and yield of rPET. New bottle bills can increase the recycling rates of rigid PET containers to virtually double the current national recycling rate, from 28% to about 54%. Further, my own brief analysis indicates that doing so would add about three times more recycled tonnage to the PET stream. What’s more, this additional tonnage would be significantly cleaner than without bottle bills, thus increasing overall yield by about 33%!

However, we must be sensitive to the fact that bottle bills will reduce the amount of profitable aluminum can and PET bottle recycling business at municipal recovery facilities (MRFs) in non-bottle bill states.

As Chaz Miller stated to the group, “This problem can be fixed but must be addressed.”

It’s time for the plastics industry to acknowledge that all plastics are not created equal. By continuing to talk about plastics recycling, rather than rigid container recycling primarily related to HDPE and PET, organizations like the American Chemistry Council and PLASTICS do a disservice to their industry. Here’s what should be done:

Finally, the plastics industry should stop talking to itself and start addressing the American public directly and honestly. What the public wants is for the industry to acknowledge their concerns; frame solutions in terms that they understand and believe are addressing their problems; and update them constantly as to industry progress — both successes and failures.

Robert (Bob) Lilienfeld has been involved in sustainable packaging for 25 years, working as a marketing executive, consultant, strategic planner, editor, writer, and communications expert. He’s President of Robert Lilienfeld Consulting, working with materials suppliers, converters, trade associations, retailers, and brand owners. He is Executive Director at SPRING, The Sustainable Packaging Research, Information, and Networking Group. You can also write him at [email protected]  or visit his LinkedIn profile.

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