Aligning the value chain

Despite more than 20 years of experience in sustainability and operations, Brittany LaValley, the vice president of materials advancement at The Recycling Partnership (TRP), says her journey to the plastics industry was not straightforward. It wasn’t until 2014 she found herself learning about designing for recyclability from a brand perspective, collaborating with the recycling industry and supporting investments in the residential recycling system.

With TRP, LaValley oversees the Washington-based nonprofit’s strategy for recycling investments designed to increase recycling rates for materials with a scalable path to circularity through the organization’s Film & Flexibles Recycling Coalition, the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition and the PET Recycling Coalition.

“Reflecting on the success of this work, collaborations such as [TRP’s] Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, are an example of what is possible when the full value chain comes together to pool investment and have impact,” she says.

LaValley adds that the progress in plastics recycling has been possible only because the full value chain has come together.

“Given the size of the challenge, no one industry player can tackle it alone,” she says, noting that improving the system for plastics can improve it for all materials.

In the following interview, edited for length, LaValley shares her perspective on how plastics recycling has evolved over the last decade and how TRP’s coalitions have contributed to that progress.

Q: How have you seen plastics recycling change over the years?

A: The journey for plastics recycling in the last 10 years has been one marked by both change and progress. Notably, the use and diversity of plastic packaging has evolved, and the need to support domestic processing of plastics was emphasized with the implementation of China’s National Sword policy in 2018.

While we have seen an increased focus and critical eye on plastics recycling, what has been encouraging are the efforts from the full value chain to come together, recognizing that our residential recycling system needs investment.

Progress has been made possible through full value chain and industry commitments to invest in designing for recyclability, increased community acceptance and education, new or improved materials recovery sortation capabilities, increased reclamation capacity and capabilities and increased end-market product inclusion of domestically derived recycled content.

While there is still a lot of work to be done, the commitment from the industry to support plastics recycling is unwavering. The journey … will take time and continued collaboration, but progress is happening.

Q: Why was it important to establish the PET and Polypropylene Recycling Coalitions? What impact have you been able to make since introducing these coalitions?

A: [TRP’s] Materials Advancement Coalitions were established to harness the power of collective impact by bringing together members of the value chain that are committed to increasing recycling of key materials.

The Polypropylene Recycling Coalition [was] established in 2020 with the goals of increasing community acceptance of polypropylene [PP], ensuring processors can capture the material and supporting responsible end markets. To date, [the coalition’s] 60 grants have resulted in over $22 million in investments to support local recycling acceptance education and outreach and to recycling facilities to support new or improved [PP] sorting. Since the coalition’s founding, we’ve provided new or improved access to [PP] recycling to 48 million people and helped recover 57 million new pounds of valuable [PP] annually for processing in growing domestic markets. Additionally, in just two years, key [PP] formats transitioned from a “Check Locally” [How2Recycle] label designation to “Widely Recyclable” due to the coalition’s efforts.

PET Recycling Coalition [was] established in 2022 with the goals of capturing 250 million new pounds of PET per year and increasing community acceptance of thermoforms. The PET Recycling Coalition has awarded over $5 million in grants across 23 facilities to support the recovery of over 29 million new pounds of valuable PET annually for processing in domestic end markets.

[TRP] launched the Film & Flexibles Recycling Coalition in 2020 to tackle the challenges surrounding this material. This type of packaging is the cornerstone of the U.S. packaging industry as it represents 21 percent of the marketplace, but only 2 percent of households can recycle it due to lack of collection, sorting, processing and end markets. Since its inception, nearly $5 million in grants have supported 19 projects to invest in … end markets, new capture and sorting technology and curbside recycling access.

Q: What are your objectives for the PET and polypropylene recycling coalitions in the coming year? Do you see a time when these coalitions will no longer be necessary?

A: We recognize the landscape has shifted drastically over the past several years, with over five states passing extended producer responsibility [EPR] policies. Our coalitions are prepared to navigate emerging hurdles and opportunities and are positioned to capitalize on the opportunity to align national goals with the goals of EPR systems. Now is the time to double down on ensuring materials with a future in the circular economy are recycled.

Together with producers, communities, recyclers and manufacturers, the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition is working to drive a 5 percent increase in the U.S. [PP] recycling rate by increasing community recycling program acceptance, ensuring more recycling facilities can successfully sort [PP], supporting responsible end markets and informing policy.

Accomplishing a 5 percent increase in [PP] recycling rates requires deploying $10 million in support of education and outreach and new capital throughout 2025, strategically focused on achieving critical milestones. This funding is part of a comprehensive strategy to deploy $55 million in education and outreach and new capital to modernize recycling infrastructure and expand [PP] capture nationwide.

The PET Recycling Coalition is continuing to work with the entire value chain to increase community recycling program acceptance of nonbottle PET to over 60 percent by the end of 2025, ensure more recycling facilities can successfully sort PET, responsible end markets are supported in an effort to capture 250 million pounds of new PET each year and inform policy. Accomplishing this requires deploying $52 million in support of education and outreach … through 2027.

While the goal is transformational change for the residential recycling system in support of these materials, and all materials, there is continued need for investment to accomplish this change. The coalitions will continue their efforts to support investment in the national recycling system and evolve to meet the changing landscape in the years to come.

Q: What lessons have you learned about the industry that have helped you throughout the years?

A: The most noteworthy lesson about the industry that has no doubt supported the progress made in plastics recycling to date, and will continue to, is what is possible when the full value chain comes together to support the system. Given the size of the challenge, no one industry player can tackle it alone.

Another important lesson I’ve learned about the industry is how improving the system for one material can improve the system for all. While our coalitions specialize in specific materials, such as [PP] and PET, progress made for each material pushes us closer toward meeting the five key requirements of an effective recycling system for all materials, which include:

• ensuring 100 percent of packaging is recyclable;
• allowing 100 percent of households to access recycling from their home;
• fully engaging residents in recycling;
• ensuring recycling facilities have the ability to effectively process 95 percent of the material; [and]
• connecting recycling facilities to responsible end markets.

Q: Where do you see opportunities ahead in plastics recycling? What about challenges?

A: Film and flexible packaging is one area where we see both challenges and opportunities. Data show this packaging represents 21 percent of the total U.S. packaging market … but it faces significant challenges in the residential recycling system. With low end-market demand, challenges segregating the various formats for reprocessing, difficulties sorting and capturing the material at MRFs [material recovery facilities] and low community recycling program acceptance, film and flexible packaging requires significant investment.