The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), based in Sonoma, Calif., is refuting claims that polylactic acid (PLA) containers can be successfully mixed in to the existing stream of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers collected for recycling, citing concerns about the cost of separation, increased contamination and yield loss and impact on recycled PET quality and processing.
"We don’t doubt that PLA can be recycled," says Tom Busard, NAPCOR chairman, "but there are unquestionably some big issues yet to overcome. The current reality is that these issues transfer significant system costs and logistics burdens to the PET recyclers, impacting the viability and continued sustainability of their businesses."
Because PLA and PET containers are not readily distinguishable by sight, some type of automated technology is necessary. Recent tests conducted by Primo Waters using NatureWorks PLA bottles indicate that near-infrared (NIR) sorting systems may be an effective means of sorting out 93 percent of the PLA from the PET recycling stream.
Dennis Sabourin, executive director of NAPCOR, says, "The reality is that the PLA container becomes a contributor to PET bale yield loss, which is already a big concern for PET reclaimers, as is the additional fraction of marketable PET which will invariably get sorted out along with the PLA."
Long-Time Paper Recycling Firm Changes Name
Harmon Associates, which has been in business for almost 40 years, has changed its name to GP Harmon Recycling. The company, headquartered in Jericho, N.Y., made the change to reflect its position as a leader in the international paper recycling business as well as its expanded commodity business.
Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific (GP) acquired the company in 2000. It is the sole provider of recovered fiber to GP’s paper and paperboard mills.
"We have built a collaborative network of trading partners around the world," says Marc Forman, president of GP Harmon Recycling. "Internationally, many countries are challenged with meeting the ever-growing demand for recycled raw materials. By bringing the world's markets to our suppliers, GP Harmon Recycling is improving the availability of recycled fiber around the world."
GP Harmon Recycling is exploring other avenues to grow the amount of recyclables it handles, including adding plastics and aluminum.
Polystyrene Recycling Group Releases Tool Kit
The Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers (AFPR), Crofton, Md., has released "Thinking Clean, Acting Green," an environmental tool kit focusing on expanded polystyrene (EPS) transport packaging.
The booklet provides detailed information about EPS in simple, user-friendly terms and demonstrates how EPS is playing an important role in sustainability, according to the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers. The tool kit includes extensive life cycle information from third-party sources, recycling guidelines for internal collection programs and a packaging insert to promote increased consumer access to recycling.
The tool kit offers life cycle data, including an EPS environmental profile analysis that quantifies resource use, energy use and environmental emissions associated with manufacturing and distribution. The study shows that as recycling increases, atmospheric and waterborne emissions decrease by up to 9 percent, while energy use can achieve a 14 percent reduction depending on the level of recycled content and the actual recycling method.
In related news, AFPR recently released its 2008 "EPS Recycling Rate Report." The report, compiled by R.W. Beck, reports an overall 41 percent recycling rate, with nearly 20 percent representing post-consumer and post-commercial collection. More than 69 million pounds of EPS was recycled in 2008, which includes 28.5 million pounds of post-commercial packaging; 5.1 million pounds of post-consumer packaging and 35.8 million pounds of post-industrial material.
A copy of a CD-ROM with all the OEM sustainability tool kit materials is available from the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers by calling (410) 451-8340 or e-mailing info@epscentral.org.
NAPCOR Refutes Claims that PLA Can Be Recycled with PET
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