A group of trade associations and nonprofits has announced the formation of the North American Plastics Recycling Alliance (NAPRA), a new coalition that is working to significantly grow plastics recycling in the United States and Canada. NAPRA represents the full plastics and recycling value chain from resin manufacturers and processors to brand owners and recyclers, all of who share a vision in which plastics are recognized for their value and recovered for their highest and best use.
In recent years there has been dramatic growth in the types of plastics collected for recycling and consumer access to plastics recycling programs in North America. For example, the recycling of plastic film, a category that includes plastic wraps, bags and commercial packaging, has grown 74 percent since 2005 and reached a rate of 17 percent in 2013 with 1.15 billion lbs. recycled. Additionally, U.S. recycling of non-bottle rigid plastics has increased 300 percent since 2007 to over 1.0 billion lbs.
鈥淧lastics recycling reduces waste and carbon emissions, saves energy, and conserves resources鈥攁ll while providing jobs and benefitting the economy,鈥� said Steve Alexander, executive director of the Association of Plastics Recyclers. 鈥淭he organizations that participate in NAPRA are committed to growing these benefits by accelerating progress in plastics recycling.鈥�
鈥淐ollaboration is the key to accelerating our progress towards a more sustainable society. The opportunity for effective improvement of plastics recycling can be greatly enhanced by the collaboration of NAPRA participants,鈥� said Nina Goodrich, executive director of Green Blue and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, which founded the How 2 Recycle Package Label. 鈥淐ollectively we can make a significant impact.鈥�
鈥淪crap plastic is a valuable resource, and represents a dynamic and growing segment of the recycling industry,鈥� said Robin Wiener, President of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. 鈥淚SRI is excited to be part of NAPRA to work together to advance plastics recycling through improved communication and education.鈥�
The following organizations participate in NAPRA:
- American Chemistry Council
- American Institute for Packaging and the Environment
- Association of Plastic Recyclers
- Canadian Plastics Industry Association
- Asociaci贸n Nacional de Industrias del Pl谩stico AC
- Carpet America Recovery Effort
- Foodservice Packaging Institute
- Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
- Keep America Beautiful
- National Association for PET Container Resources
- National Waste and Recycling Association
- PAC, Packaging Consortium
- Recycling Partnership
- SPI 鈥� The Plastics Industry Trade Association
- Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC)
- Vinyl Institute (VI)
NAPRA participants develop, share and increase access to tools and resources designed to promote education, research, and the advancement of technologies that will continuously improve the sustained recovery of plastics.
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