U.S. Company Recycled Plastic Content Goals Analysis – Supply and Demand
U.S. Company Recycled Plastic Content Goals Analysis – Supply and Demand
Prepared by: Circular Matters
Commissioned By: AMERIPEN – American Institute for Packaging and the Environment
As interest in the circular economy grows, an increasing number of companies have been setting goals to increase the recyclability and recycled content of their packaging. AMERIPEN – the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment, a policy-based trade association for the U.S. packaging industry, wanted to understand what the relationship between these goals and domestic packaging supply and reprocessing capacity is, and what, if any, additional policies or program supports could be supported to close potential gaps. Success with company goals for post-consumer recycled (PCR) content will require coordination across this value chain. Understanding where and why challenges may be occurring can provide further insight into effective interventions to ensure success.
When we began this study, we assumed that most goals would be developed for a broad portfolio of packaging formats and variety of materials and that we would be able to drill down into demand and supply curves for all those materials. To our surprise, outside of plastics goals, we found most goals were framed in an either/or context (recyclable or sustainably sourced) or there were no recycled content objectives publicly stated. Since we found very few articulated quantifiable recycled content objectives beyond plastics, AMERIPEN therefore narrowed this study to evaluate the potential of meeting plastic PCR resin goals only.