02-04 Nov, 2015 - Napa Valley, U S A
Embassy Suites Napa Valley
Embassy Suites Napa Valley
PET thermoform recycling has slowly gained momentum in North America from essentially zero to some 60 million pounds in just a handful of years. However, PET thermoform recycling is still at a nascent stage compared to PET bottles recycling.
It’s only in the last five to six years, that thermoforms have been effectively collected, sorted and made into new products and recyclers have started accepting clamshells, cups, lids and trays and other PET thermoforms.
The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. and NAPCOR analysed the results from a $100,000 grant program that was aimed at PET thermoforms recycling. Montgomery County, Md., Firstar Fiber Inc. and Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center Inc. that received the grant, together collected and sold more than 300 tons of recycled PET thermoforms in the grant period – producing 600,000 pounds of recycled material.
This success indicates that there’s a robust market for PET thermoforms recycling.
In 2013, the United States and Canada collected a total of 60 million pounds of PET thermoform material as compared to 47.8 million pounds collected in 2012.
Despite the increase in thermoform recycling rates in North America, recyclers are concerned about challenges related to labels, inks and adhesives. The recyclers also face challenges of competing with look-alike thermoforms packaging material that are made from other resins – which could contaminate the PET recycling stream.
Analysts observe that use of advanced recycling systems such as optical sorters can help increase the adoption of PET thermoform recycling.
More on PET thermoforms will be discussed at 2nd NAPET North America PET Resin Trade, Recycling & Packaging on 2-4 November, 2015 in Napa Valley, California.
Email hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg or call +65 6346 9218 for details of the conference.
