Dive summary:
- A report released at the Plastic Recycling Conferences yesterday showed the recycling of non-rigid plastics reached 934 million pounds annually in 2011, a 13% rise from the previous year.
- The report also showed that 61% of rigid plastics collected in the U.S. were recycled, compared to only 33% in 2007.
- More than 1,400 cities and 300 counties in the United States now collect all rigid plastic containers along with plastic bottles.
From the article:
According to the report, rigid PP containers are the next likely class of rigid plastics to approach FTC's "recyclability" threshold with 58.4 percent of U.S. consumers currently able to recycle these items locally.
A third report released March 19 explores major factors that are contributing to the rapid growth in rigid plastics recycling, such as increased demand, public commitments, excess MRF capacity, and improved consumer education. Growth Trends and New Drivers for Non-Bottle Mixed Rigid Plastics Recycling, prepared by Resource Recycling, Inc. and sponsored by ACC's Plastics Division, contains recommendations for communities that are considering adding rigid plastics to their recycling programs, four case studies, and examples of successful community education programs. ...
