Polypropylene Recycling Coalition announces second round of grants

The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, has announced a second round of grant funding through its Polypropylene Recycling Coalition. In this round, nearly $1 million will be distributed to three material recovery facilities (MRFs), allowing them to invest in equipment to recover polypropylene (PP), which is used in food and nonfood packaging, and supporting targeted consumer education:

• American Recycling in Candler, North Carolina;

• Dem-Con in Shakopee, Minnesota; and

• Independent Texas Recyclers in Houston.

The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition was launched in July 2020. It is a cross-industry collaboration supported by steering committee members Keurig Dr Pepper, Braskem, NextGen Consortium and the Walmart Foundation.

To date, the coalition has awarded grants to seven MRFs across the U.S. These investments aim to improve curbside PP recycling access for an additional 3 percent of all U.S. households, affecting 7.2 million people nationally, and to increase PP recovery by an estimated 4,300 tons annually.

“The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition is leading the effort to rapidly drive meaningful, measurable change that will improve and increase the capture of polypropylene in U.S. curbside recycling,” says Sarah Dearman, vice president of circular ventures, The Recycling Partnership. “We continue to encourage all companies that use polypropylene to join us in being part of the solution to ensure greater and better capture of this recyclable material. This fast, meaningful and collaborative work will support jobs, preserve natural resources and help support the transition to a circular economy in the United States.”

The coalition awards grants to MRF candidates that face significant challenges in their ability to effectively sort and recycle PP. With these strategic investments, PP now will be accepted curbside in more communities and sent to established end markets, encouraging the shift to a circular economy, according to The Recycling Partnership. Further supporting the shift, community members in these areas also will be educated as to what is and isn’t accepted in their curbside recycling.

The coalition continues to accept grant applications, with the next grant proposal request due June 30. More information is available at http://recyclingpartnership.org/polypropylene-coalition.

In addition to the steering committee, other members of the coalition include American Chemistry Council, Campbell Soup Company, Danone North America, EFS-plastics, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, KW Plastics, LyondellBasell, Merlin Plastics, Milliken & Co., Nestlé, PolyQuest, Procter & Gamble, St. Joseph Plastics, Winpak and the newest member Sabert Corp.

The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition is advised by the Association of Plastic Recyclers, former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner, Closed Loop Partners, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, Sustainable Packaging Coalition and World Wildlife Fund.