A program designed to expand market demand for recycled plastics has generated almost 26 million pounds of new demand for post-consumer resin (PCR), more than tripling the amount generated in the first year. The APR Recycling Demand Champions Campaign, created by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in 2017 to stimulate new markets for recycled plastics, announced the results at the APR annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arixzona. APR also announced new participants who have committed to increase their use of postconsumer resin (PCR) in the upcoming year, as well as those who have recommitted for another year.

“We are thrilled with the exponential growth with this campaign, especially during this time when the need for expanded demand for recycled plastics has reached a critical point,“ commented Liz Bedard, director of the APR Olefins/Rigid Plastic Recycling Program. “The APR Recycling Demand Champions Campaign is all about ongoing and continued growth in demand, which is key to the success of plastics recycling. APR applauds the efforts of the Demand Champion Companies, and encourages others to commit.”

The group of companies who increased their use of PCR in the past year include Annie’s, Avangard Innovative, Berry Global, Champion Polymer Recycling, Clean Tech, Dart Container Corp., Denton Plastics, DOW Chemical, ECO Products, Envision Plastics, Fabri-Kal, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Nestle Waters, PAC Worldwide, PakTech, Procter & Gamble, QRS, Target, Unilever, and UPM Raflatac. Collectively, these companies increased their PCR purchasing by 25.9 million pounds. This is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 6,369 passenger vehicles driven for 1 year, 337 jobs in plastics recycling, and all of the plastic recyclables from a city the size of Minneapolis, MN (422, 331 population).

The APR Recycling Demand Champions Campaign plays a prominent role in expanding the market for recycled plastics, driving investment, increasing supply, and producing more high quality postconsumer resin (PCR). Champion companies commit to purchase new volume PCR in 3 possible ways:

• Purchase “work in process” (WIP) durable goods for use in manufacturing facilities.
• Develop a new application for PCR.
• Increase PCR usage in a current application.

Click on the infographic below to see the APR Recycling Demand Champions year-end report.