P&G, L’Oréal Groupe, Maybelline, Kraft Heinz and Target have formed the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging.
The consortium has been set up by the Closed Loop Partners’ Centre for the Circular Economy which has produced a new report on small-format plastic packaging recovery.
Its research finds that it is possible to recover tens of thousands of tons of valuable small materials (e.g., plastics like polypropylene) from materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and glass recycling plants located across the USA. There is the potential, with the right equipment, to successfully recycle large volumes of these materials, rather than see them reduced to waste. Discarded materials at glass recycling plants can now be sorted and directed to appropriate bales for sale in the recycled materials market. These findings prove the positive economic and environmental impact related to the recovery of small-format packaging.
“We’re eager to put our findings to the test and, through the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging, deploy equipment and infrastructure upgrades to drive real-world proof-of-concepts in the field,” said Kate Daly, Managing Partner, Closed Loop Partners’ Centre for the Circular Economy. “It’s critical that we advance solutions to recover valuable small-format materials, like polypropylene, that otherwise typically end up in landfill. This is inherently a cross-industry challenge, as small-format packaging is used in beauty, pharmacy, foodservice, beverage, retail and beyond. We’re inviting our research-phase partners and brands across various sectors to join the Consortium and help address an urgent waste challenge.”
Five key highlights into the recovery of small-format packaging:
- Small-format plastic materials often hold significant market value.
- Logistical solutions already exist that will combat this issue.
- There is potential to adapt current technologies to recover portions of small-format plastics at MRFs and glass recycling plants.
- There is pre-existing strong market demand for these materials, especially from mechanical recyclers.
- Investment at recycling facilities is essential to help build a compelling, scalable business case for the recovery of smaller materials.
Recycling facilities across the country could apply these findings which would result in potentially tens of thousands of tons of plastics being recovered annually, avoiding landfill and generating market value.
These findings lay the groundwork required to launch a new industry consortium, the Consortium for Small-Format Packaging Recovery. Focusing on advancing the recovery of small-format packaging, the Consortium will test the Centre’s findings in real-world scenarios throughout the USA. Brands across various sectors (e.g., beauty, pharmacy, food and beverage, retail, and more) can join the Centre as research-phase partners.
In the future, these findings can be built upon with equipment investment and infrastructure upgrades for rigid, small plastics recovery. The Centre believes a “quantifiable tonnage of materials diverted from landfill, carbon emissions avoided, and post-consumer recycled content generated” is possible.
