Keep caps on plastic bottles when recycling
Keefe Harrison
Caps on Bottles for Recycling
Groups Call for Partnership from MRFs, Haulers, Communities
Washington, DC. The Closure and Container Manufacturers Association (CCMA) and the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) have partnered to increase the recycling rates of plastic closures. The new program, titled “Caps On” encourages communities to ask its residents to include caps on plastic bottles at time of recycling. In addition to developing educational resources, the groups are working with Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) and recycling haulers to ask for their partnership and support.
The groups stress the importance of collecting valuable, recyclable plastics. “We are committed to increasing the available supply and the actual amount of plastics being recycled while at the same time reducing litter and waste,” explains CCMA Board of Directors Chairman Jack Hoscheit. “We want to assure recycling coordinators, MRF operators and other collectors of recyclables that plastics recyclers will process these bottles and recover the caps for recycling purposes,” continues APR’s CEO/Director Steve Alexander.
There are domestic markets for recyclable plastics, especially those types of plastics found in bottles, containers, and their closures. APR member companies report growing demand for recycled plastic resins such as the polypropylene and polyethylene commonly found in caps and lids. “The marketplace is eager to consume caps as an expanding source of material,” says Alexander.
While this change to keep closures on bottles is an about-face from industry-based recycling requirements of years before, it is an indicator of long lasting market demand and technological advances. “This call for caps on is here to stay. MRFs can trust in the ability to market bales of containers with caps on,” says Alexander. CCMA and APR expect that this shift will take time as communities work to adopt their communication methods and at times, processing equipment. “This is the beginning of a continued effort to increase the recovery of more plastic containers and closures,” continues CCMA’s Hoscheit. “It will not be a quick shift, but boosting plastic recycling rates is an important ongoing commitment.”
As consumer products companies continue to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging and as recyclers work to supply growing demand for recycled materials, capturing caps on bottles will remain an important practice. Studies show that the most effective way by far to recover that valuable material is by including it on the container itself as opposed to throwing them loosely into recycling containers. With approximately 1.5 billion pounds of plastic closures produced every year, there’s plenty material to be recovered, reprocessed, and recycled.
Keefe Harrison
Association of Postconsumer Plastics Recyclers
www.plasticsrecycling.org
864.222.2997
Christine McCoy
Christine McCoy
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 12:53:11 -0500
Subject: [GreenYes] Keep caps on plastic bottles when recycling
From: ke...@plasticsrecycling.org
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SandraB-MT
want to capture the lids, why aren't the lids permanently attached to
the plastic bottles? Remember pop-tops, anyone? Industry says they
want this plastic? Why make it necessary to remove or discard the top
in the first place?
On Feb 1, 10:53 am, Keefe Harrison <ke...@plasticsrecycling.org>
wrote:
> *Caps on Bottles for Recycling*
>
> *Groups Call for Partnership from MRFs, Haulers, Communities*
>
> * *
>
> * *
>
> *Washington, DC.* The Closure and Container Manufacturers Association
Helen Spiegelman
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