Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) releases a new study that tries to define a recyclable packaging. The 2015-16 Centralized Study on Availability of Recycling is a collective work of 13 packaging trade associations and non-profit groups related to recycling. They examined more than 2,000 American recycling programs and picked up 49 types of packaging as acceptable for recycling.
SPC agrees with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s philosophy regarding the definition of a recyclable packaging: To avoid greenwashing, there must be a strong likelihood the package will be recycled. This information on acceptance in the recycling bin is the important first step in understanding that likelihood.
The study found positive results for a large number of major packaging types including aluminium packaging. Aluminium beverage cans and glass bottles are listed well over the 60% acceptability rate. Steel and aluminium aerosol containers also came in over 60% lot.
The study also listed a number of packaging types in 20% to 60% acceptability range in the recycling programs. The acceptance of rigid polystyrene containers, polypropylene and polyethylene lids, aluminium foil food containers, bulky plastics and others must be improved before claims of recyclability can be made. This is because of their lack of widespread acceptance in recycling programs and absence of an accompanying qualification regarding their recyclability.
The packaging types that fall above the 60% range, it is important to take into account that collection as well as the reprocessing stage. This holds true for a steel mill, plastics reclaimer, glass plant, paper mill and aluminium mill.
The material recovery facility (MRF) can only sort out the most valuable recyclable materials. To assess the actual recyclability of an item and avoid greenwashing, it is also important that the package is correctly sorted, sold to a reprocessor, and finally recycled to become a new raw material with a brand new life cycle.
The study is expected to find relevant use in the packaging industry and encourage more collaborative efforts to improve the recyclability of various types of packaging.
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