APR recognizes plastics recycling leadership

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), Washington, announced the winners of the second annual APR Recycling Leadership Awards Feb. 25 during the Closing Plenary Session at the 2026 Plastics Recycling Conference (PRC) in San Diego. 

Launched to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability, the awards recognize packaging designers, manufacturers, researchers and innovators who are improving plastics packaging recycling:

• Ed Socci, Ph.D., was honored for outstanding leadership in championing recyclable package design and research. Socci has transformed recyclable packaging design, contributing materials science expertise to shape the engineering criteria in the APR Design Guide and helping protect the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling stream through his role as vice chair of the PET Technical Committee at the APR. Socci is the director of Sustainable Materials and Technologies at PepsiCo, but his influence extends far beyond his organization to instill a responsible science-based mindset throughout the sustainable packaging community, the APR says.
• CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller and the CalRecycle staff were honored for outstanding leadership in recycling policy. In 2022, California enacted one of the world’s most ambitious laws to cut plastic waste and transform the recycling system, according to the APR, and Heller and the CalRecycle team are responsible for overseeing the policy’s bold targets and all state programs on recycling, as well as many other critical issues. This award recognizes their leadership and commitment to improving plastic recycling.
• Éco Entreprises Québec, Circular Materials, Recycle BC, SK Recycles and Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba were recognized for outstanding leadership in adopting recyclable package design. Together, these five leading producer responsibility organizations are advancing ecodesign guidelines to improve the recyclability of packaging and paper products in Canada, the APR says. The guidelines align with the APR Design Guide and represent a significant step toward a cohesive national framework for the thousands of producers operating across multiple provinces and territories.
• Blue Mountain Plastics (BMP) Recycling was named processor of the year for excellence in plastics recycling innovation for redefining what’s possible in plastics recycling, the APR says. By successfully using existing equipment in innovative ways, BMP Recycling processes bottles and thermoforms together in the same wash lines, demonstrating that materials commonly seen as waste can deliver value for reclaimers. This approach increases recovery rates, reduces waste and lowers transportation-related emissions from trucking waste materials.
• Charter Next Generation was honored for outstanding utilization of postconsumer recycled content (PCR). The company hascommercialized a high-strength flexible film that incorporates certified, domestic polyethylene PCR without compromising performance or aesthetics in the final package. The film was developed in partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. for the Scotts Earthgro mulch bag. It achieves a 25 percent increase in film toughness properties while maintaining excellent optics and sealability, ensuring seamless conversion and superior package durability, the APR says.
• Pizza Hut was honored for excellence in package design innovation for recyclability. The redesigned Pizza Hut Wing Bowl sets a new, scalable benchmark for recyclable packaging in the quick-service restaurant industry, APR says. This innovative redesign removes carbon black and excess mineral fillers, materials that previously rendered the container unrecyclable, and contains 10 percent PCR. The redesign unlocks a new source of food-grade polypropylene (PP) at a previously unavailable scale for recyclers and brands seeking food-grade recycled PP.

“We are pleased to once again honor the winners of APR Recycling Leadership Awards on a national stage at PRC,” says Steve Alexander, APR president and CEO. “As we celebrate the companies and individuals unlocking the future of plastics recycling, we commend those who are driving significant change and pioneering new innovations to transform how the world uses and recycles plastics.”