The American Chemistry Council (ACC), in partnership with Titus MRF Services, launched a secondary sorting study to measure the potential for additional capture of recyclable materials otherwise destined for landfill. This study is projected to wrap up in early 2021 and will provide real-world data to help guide recycling infrastructure decisions. The Northeast Secondary Sortation Study is the first of its kind on the East Coast and presents an opportunity to gather data that will help increase recycling efficiency. A secondary sorting solution offers a second chance to capture recyclables eit ..read more

If you read the paper, watch the news or scroll through any news media site or social media platform, chances are you’ve seen something about the plastic waste crisis. Our industry is responding and is deeply engaged in unprecedented action to help end plastic waste in the environment and create a more circular economy for plastics. We agree that plastic waste is unacceptable and that the benefits of plastic packaging can be forgotten when it ends up in the marine environment or is improperly deposited on land. The stakes are high. Plastics are critical to modern society and solving critical ..read more

Previously published in Plastics Engineering and posted with permission from the Society of Plastics Engineers. How much of the food produced around the world is thrown out each year? It’s probably more than you think. Experts typically differentiate between food “loss” that happens in the supply chain and food “waste” that happens at the retail and consumer levels. In the U.S., these experts today estimate that combined food loss and waste – from farm to fork – is approximately 42 percent. That’s right – more than four out of every ten pounds of the food produced in America for our consumpti ..read more

Although calculating food waste is a tricky endeavor, some experts estimate that food loss—from the farm through distribution to our table—is approximately 40 percent in the U.S. And that’s just a stat from here. We all know that food waste is a global problem with many causes. And here’s another glum statistic— In 2017 alone, EPA estimates that almost 41 million tons of food waste were generated,  with only 6.3 percent diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting. more food becomes municipal solid waste “than any other single material. Just imagine all the time, energy, and re ..read more

The World Needs Plastics to Live Sustainably; and to Live Sustainably, We Must End Plastic Waste Last week, the Pew Charitable Trusts released a new report, “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution.” The American Chemistry Council (ACC) welcomed the report and looks forward to working with the report’s authors and sponsors on solutions to help end waste. Plastic waste in the environment, including in our oceans and waterways, is a significant, urgent problem. Yet, importantly, we believe it is solvable. Eliminating pl ..read more

Recently, while sorting recyclables at home, my 15-year-old expressed frustration with our overflowing trash and recycling bins. He pointed out that because COVID has forced us to remain at home so much more, we are no longer spreading our waste between home, school, work and public trash receptacles and recycling bins. Instead, he observed, most everything we now use and eat is at home. And my family is not unique.  More Household Waste Than Ever  According to The Food Marketing Institute’s rec ..read more

Originally published on Chemistry Matters, a blog of the American Chemistry Council. I just got back from the Super Bowl. Not the football game. The plastics recycling “Super Bowl.” Held just a few weeks after the (somewhat more) popular sporting event, the Plastics Recycling Conference and Trade Show for years has been the ultimate opportunity to gather key stakeholders to analyze the state of plastics recycling. Sponsored by the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), this year’s event attracted more than 2,200 key players across the plastics recycling value chain, including chemical and pl ..read more