<B>Plastics Recycling Still Facing Challenges</B>

With a falling PET recycling rate because of more out of home consumption, the plastics recycling industry is faced with trying to capture more material in a more on-the-go society.

Adding to the challenge of collecting more materials away from home, plastics recycling is also a very regionalized business, said Jerry Powell, Resource Recycling magazine, Portland, Ore. "There is no one west of Kentucky." The reclaimer market does tend to be more integrated, at about 40%.

Trends Powell said he is seeing include some expansion of bottle deposit systems and a focus on nonresidential sources of PET. New colors in plastics is also on the rise, including blue tints and pastels, prevalent in Europe currently. Powell has also noticed an increase in packagers using hot melt labels and other techniques that make materials more difficult to recycle.

Changes in the colors of PET to catch the buyers eye is something David Cornell, Kingsport, Tenn., is seeing as well, with blue being very popular in Europe. And with the changes in coloring and bottling, he said bottlers have come to the Association of Plastics Recyclers to discuss the recyclability of the materials. Miller Brewing Co. is featuring new plastic beer bottles for their beverages and they have been given the OK by the APR as causing no damage to recycling.

Gary Pratt said the evolution in plastics bottles will continue. Amber colored bottles are becoming more prevalent and like Powell and Cornell, shades of blue, along with reds and yellows will also expand. PET is also invading the milk market, with a 400% growth in test markets with PET milk jugs.

"They’re going to evolve whether we want them too or not," Pratt said. "You can laugh about it or cry about it, but the results are the same. Recyclers need to get out of the 70s and keep up with the packaging world." -- The author is associate editor of Recycling Today magazine.