NAPCOR, APR and PETRA Report Seventh Straight Year of U.S. PET Recycling Rate Increase

The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), and the PET Resin Association (PETRA) announce the release of the “2010 Report on Post Consumer PET Container Recycling Activity” and a 2010 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container recycling rate of 29%. This is the seventh straight year that the United States’ recycling rate has increased. Total PET collected for recycling was also highest to date, as was the use of recycled PET in end-use applications, at more than 1.5 and 1 billion pounds, respectively.

“NAPCOR is pleased to report these consistent increases in the PET recycling rate, year over year, and is committed to building on this trend,” says Tom Busard, NAPCOR Chairman and Vice President, Global Procurement and Material Systems, Plastipak Packaging, Inc. “PET recycling and use of recycled PET in new products and packaging are integral components of what PET offers as a sustainable package; it’s important to NAPCOR to foster and facilitate this essential component of the PET package premise.”

The 2010 Report also details the end uses for a record 1,002 million pounds of recycled PET utilized in manufacturing applications, reflecting increases over 2009 in Sheet & Film, Food & Beverage Bottles, Strapping, and Fiber end-use categories.

“Recycling plastic such as PET and reprocessing it for next-life use is not only critical to the viability of our industry, but it’s simply good practice, both environmentally and economically,” says Scott Saunders, APR Chairman and General Manager of KW Plastics Recycling. “Recycling and remanufacturing of recycled material captures and repurposes the value inherent in the material, provides local jobs, and local tax revenues.”

This is the sixth year that NAPCOR, the APR, and PETRA have partnered to produce this Report and the sixteenth year that NAPCOR has issued the Report in its current format.

 “The PET Recycling Rate Report provides an important industry benchmark as well as a valuable snapshot of recycling trends,” says John Cullen, Chairman of PETRA’s Sustainability Committee and Commercial Manager of DAK Americas LLC.

Founded in 1987, the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) is the trade association for the PET plastic packaging industry in the United States and Canada. NAPCOR is dedicated to the promotion of the PET package; to overcoming hurdles to the successful recycling of PET; and to the communication of the attributes of the PET container as a sustainable package.

The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) is the national trade association representing companies who acquire, reprocess, and sell the output of more than 90% of the post-consumer plastic processing capacity in North America. Founded in 1992, its membership includes independent recycling companies of all sizes, processing numerous resins. APR strongly advocates the recycling of all post-consumer plastic packaging.

PETRA is the trade association representing North America’s producers of PET resin. It is dedicated to promoting the benefits and value of PET and PET resin products, educating the public about the safety and uses of PET, and providing accurate technical and scientific information about PET.

The full “2010 Report on Post Consumer PET Container Recycling Activity” can be found on the NAPCOR and APR web sites,www.napcor.comandwww.plasticsrecycling.org