Most Canadians can recycle plastics in curbside programs

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), Mississauga, Ontario, has announced that at 96 percent of residents, nearly all Canadians are able to recycle all types of transparent and opaque plastic bottles, jugs and jars in their residential recycling programs.

The association released the report “Canadian Residential Plastics Packaging: Recycling Program Access Report,” which monitored the changes taking place in Canadian curbside recycling programs, tracking how they have expanded to collect a broader range of plastic packaging materials over several years. Plastic packaging includes both rigid containers like bottles, jugs and tubs as well as pliable materials such as plastic bags and clear overwrap from bulk products, according to CPIA. As part of the analysis, the report calculates the growing percentage of Canadians who have access to residential recycling programs that collect various types of plastic packaging and plastic products.

“We’ve just finalized our analysis for 2015 and are excited to report that more Canadians can recycle more plastic bottles, jugs, jars, tubs and lids as well as plastic bags and plastic overwrap than ever before,” says Carol Hochu, CPIA president and CEO.

Hochu continues, “Plastic definitely plays a central role in recycling programs these days. As more manufacturers turn to plastic packaging, consumers are putting more of these materials into their recycling bins. And recycling program managers continue to add to the list of plastics they accept as markets develop and expand. We’re seeing recycling programs across the country adding plastic tubs and lids, caps, plastic bags, overwrap and foam food and protective packaging to their lists of acceptable materials.”

The CPIA says the biggest gains in access to broader recycling programs in Canada include:

• The percentage of Canadians who can recycle all types of plastic containers (bottles, jugs, jars, tubs and lids, clamshell boxes, etc.) increased by 6 percentage points to 67 percent in 2015 (up from 61 percent in 2014 and 53 percent in 2013).
• Access to programs that accept plastic bags and overwrap (e.g., the plastic used to wrap paper towels and cases of pop) has increased 10 percentage points to 65 percent in 2015 (up from 55 percent in 2014). This is mostly in light of the city of Toronto adding plastic bags and overwrap to its program in mid-2015.
• Access to recycling programs that accept foam food and protective packaging has increased to 44 percent in 2015 (up from 35 percent in 2014), largely because of Montreal adding all foam packaging to its collection program.
• Sixty percent of Canadians now have access to recycling programs that include plastic bottle caps.
• Seventy-one percent of Canadians can recycle smaller (less than 4 liter) tubs and lids and 63 percent can recycle larger (greater than 4 liter) tubs and lids.
• Ninety-nine percent of Canadians can recycle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles.
  

Krista Friesen, CPIA vice president of sustainability, adds, “Canadians use products delivered in plastic containers or protected by plastic materials every day and we want those materials to be managed for reuse and recycling in sustainable ways. That’s why CPIA works closely and continuously with municipalities and provincial stewardship agencies that are collecting recyclable plastic materials, and with end markets to expand opportunities to recover more materials and to develop new uses for postconsumer materials.”

Since 1943, the CPIA says it has served as the national voice of the plastics industry across Canada and beyond, representing the interests of plastics value chain including resin and raw material suppliers, processors/converters, equipment suppliers, recyclers and brand owners.

This information was provided by GlobeNewswire.