Dive summary:

• Growing emphasis on sustainability and improved recycling technology is expected to result in a 6.5% rise equaling an additional billion pounds of recycled plastics every year until 2016.
• The study was conduced by Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.
• While plastic bottles are one of the largest contributors to recycling rates, the study targets packaging as the next big step to help the industry grow.

From the article:

The increase – nearly 1 billion more pounds than last year's demand – is attributed to growing emphasis on sustainability among packaging and consumer product manufacturers, improved processing and sorting technologies that can handle more plastic resins, and improved collection infrastructures, according to the "Recycled Plastics" study.

The Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm, conducted the study.

Support by federal, state and local governments for recycling efforts will help boost recycled plastic collection, processing and demand, according to the study. ...