American Chemistry Council recognizes Amcor, APR and P&G

The Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Washington, has announced that Amcor, the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and Procter & Gamble (P&G) have been selected to receive Innovation in Plastics Recycling Awards in 2017.

The awards recognize companies, nonprofits and government bodies that successfully bring new technologies, products and initiatives to communities and the marketplace that demonstrate significant innovations in plastics recycling. ACC announced the awards Nov. 15 in celebration of America Recycles Day.

The ACC says it is recognizing the 2017 winners for supporting end markets for recycled plastics. Since China’s National Sword took effect, more recycled material is staying in the United States, and there is an opportunity to grow domestic end markets for recycled plastics, the association says.

“This year’s award recipients are doing critical work to help support and grow domestic end markets for recycled plastics,” says Craig Cookson, senior director of recycling and energy recovery for ACC. “The honorees are leaders in innovation, helping to ensure that valuable recycled plastics are being kept out of landfills and used in new products.”

Amcor, with corporate offices in Zurich, created a monomaterial plastic pouch that contains 20 percent postconsumer recycled (PCR) plastic. In addition, Amcor notes that the pouch itself can be recycled along with other monomaterial plastic bags and product overwraps at drop-off locations across the U.S. The pouch features the How2Recycle Label, which educates consumers about how to recycle various packaging materials. Method is the latest company to use Amcor’s pouch.

APR, based in Washington, launched its Recycling Demand Champions Campaign to encourage the use of recycled plastics in durable products. Demand Champions voluntarily commit to purchase “Work in Progress” items, such as crates, totes and pallets, that contain postconsumer recycled resin produced from mixed residential plastics. Since the campaign’s launch in fall 2017, more than 10 companies have taken the Recycling Demand Champion Pledge.

Cincinnati-based P&G worked with PureCycle Technologies to develop a recycling technology that produces high-quality recycled polypropylene (PP), increasing the variety of end-market applications for the material. P&G plans to use the recycled PP in more of its packaging and says the recycled plastic will be available for other companies to purchase through PureCycle. (Read a Recycling Today article on the technology here.)