Recycling More and Using Less on Earth Day 2024
The world is in a battle against plastic waste. Alongside reduction and reuse, recycling is a vital strategy for winning that battle. Every year, recycling keeps billions of pounds of plastic out of oceans and landfills.
On Earth Day, we remember that when we recycle more, we can all use less - less of the Earth's finite resources and less energy to extract and process virgin materials.
When virgin plastic is replaced by recycled content, the energy saved can be as much as 70%. This massive reduction in energy demand correlates to fewer fossil fuels burned, and lower emissions of greenhouse gases.
And it is worth noting that this isn't just true for plastic recycling. The benefits of recycling extend across materials. For example, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling aluminum saves about 95 percent, recycling paper saves about 60 percent, and recycling glass saves about 30 percent of the energy that would be needed to produce these materials from scratch. These energy savings result in lower emissions of CO2 and other pollutants that contribute to climate change.
We all want to use less, so how do we recycle more?
First, it's important to know that recycling is working in the U.S. today. The majority – 80% – of rigid plastic packaging is made of 3 types of resins: PET (water and soda bottles), HDPE (laundry detergent and milk jugs), and PP plastic (yogurt and butter tubs). Right now, about 20% of the PET, HDPE, and PP plastics in circulation in the U.S. are recycled. Recyclers estimate they could double current overall recycling rates if they just got more material.
That's more than a theory – it's a proven strategy! The best available data show that over 70% of PET, HDPE, and PP that consumers put into curbside bins are sorted, processed, and effectively recycled. So, when the right material gets in the bin, that material gets recycled.
For Earth Day 2024, here are 4 strategies for growing recycling to reduce virgin plastic production and plastic waste.- Ensure that packaging is designed for recyclability: In a circular economy, manufacturers are their own suppliers. When more packaging (including features like colors, labels, and other packaging components) is designed to be compatible with recycling, more of the plastic that goes out to consumers can come back and be made into something new. Sustainability depends on making today's products with tomorrow in mind. The APR Design® Guide provides the tools and resources for companies to measure compatibility with recycling from the very beginning,
- Grow the amount of material collected for recycling: If recyclers could get more material, they could recycle more, but recycling access and infrastructure can vary widely across different regions. The availability of recycling programs often depends on local government policies, private sector involvement, and community engagement, among other factors. APR actively advocates for proven policies like custom tailored and locally appropriate extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs and meaningful investments in recycling infrastructure.
- Increase the amount of recycled content included in new products: American companies have already committed to buying three times more recycled PET by 2025 than is currently available in the domestic market. Despite this fact, brand companies often cancel contracts for recycled material in favor of less expensive virgin resin or imported material. APR supports addressing demand fluctuations with mandatory domestic recycled content minimums backed by long-term contracts for domestic recycled content supply.
- Verify the authenticity of recycled content: Americans want to recycle. Research by The Recycling Partnership and others consistently finds that Americans believe that recycling is positive. But Americans are also confused about recycling, and some are losing confidence in it. Consumers can support recycling by both putting recyclables into the bin and seeking out products and packaging made from recycled content. They need to know that the products they believe are made from recycled content truly are. APR's PCR Certification Program guarantees buyers that they are truly getting post-consumer recycled material, upholding the integrity of the recycled content market by maintaining transparency and trust in recycled plastics.
A successful circular economy is achievable, but it's not simple. Circularity requires rethinking product design, driving post-consumer plastics collection and investing in recycling infrastructure, as well as committing to using verified recycled content.
As long as plastic is a material best fit for use in many industries; so long as people depend on plastic, we need a robust supply chain for recycling. While we pursue reductions in plastic use overall and reuse programs where appropriate, we must also remain dedicated to recycling.
Recycling enables displacement of virgin plastic, conserving resources, and contributing to energy savings and emission reductions. On Earth Day, the Association of Plastic Recyclers and our members remain committed to recycling more so we can all use less.
When we recycle more, we can all use less. On Earth Day, we recommit to recycling. Recyclable plastic in the bin means more products made from recycled material, and less from virgin plastic. Less virgin plastic means less use of the Earth's finite resources and less energy to extract and produce virgin materials.
