APR, RecyClass release partnership progress report

The Washington-based Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and RecyClass have published the second progress report of their collaboration, which aims to accelerate the global harmonization of plastic recyclability.

According to the organizations, key report updates include streamlining the measurement of intrinsic viscosity variation for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and harmonizing the filter pack used in extrusion during high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) rigid packaging recyclability tests to facilitate future common assessments.

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“We are pleased to maintain the impactful partnership between APR and RecyClass as both organizations remain committed to promoting innovation, harmonizing design for recyclability guidance and continued progress toward a global circular economy for plastics,” APR President and CEO Steve Alexander says.

Over the past year, the organizations say they conducted extensive test campaigns. The main areas of investigation included inks and laminating adhesives for polyethylene (PE) films, additives that cause yellowing in recycled PET for bottles and metallized labels. Following the results, the partners actively participated in their respective technical committees to align the benchmarks of the APR Critical Guidance Test Protocols and RecyClass Recyclability Evaluation Protocols.

“In an era where sustainability is gaining momentum, global harmonization of packaging design is critical to boosting plastic recycling rates and helping brands meet their environmental goals,” RecyClass Chairman Paolo Glerean says. “We are extremely proud of the significant progress made in 2024 and look forward to the next steps in our collaboration with APR.”

The organizations plan to conduct further test campaigns to enhance APR’s Design for Recycling Guidelines for various packaging solutions.