Majority of Canadians have access to recycling plastic packages

TORONTO (Scrap Monster): An increasing number of Canadians have access to recycling many different forms of plastic packaging, including nearly Country-wide access to plastic bottle recycling and 91% access to recycling of household tubs and lids used for yogurt containers and other dairy products, up from 88% in 2009, according to the data from newly updated Residential Recycling Access for Consumer Plastic Packaging, December 2011.

The report, prepared for the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) by CM Consulting, also highlights access for PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) non-bottle rigid packaging, which can now be recycled by 76% of Canadians, three percentage points more than in 2009.

The largest increase in access for a particular material noted in the report is for foamed polystyrene. Foamed polystyrene for food packaging is now recyclable by 32% of Canadians and access to recycling for expanded polystyrene protective packaging has more than doubled, increasing from 12% to 31%, in that same time frame.

Access to recycling of plastic bags and other films is estimated at 56%. It is important to note that the report only measures access as having municipal or private curbside pick up of the material or a drop off depot where the material is accepted. Plastic bags are accepted at many retail locations across the county so the opportunity to recycle these is likely significantly higher than 56%.

The research team, CM Consulting virtually visited nearly every municipal recycling program in the country and tracked which plastic materials were and were not accepted in either in the municipal curbside, depot drop-off program, beverage container redemption locations, or curbside subscription programs. This 2011 update provides estimates of recycling access in terms of permanent households covered and as a percent of population. It highlights strengths and weaknesses by province and plastic type, and compares 2011 results with those from a similar study done in 2009.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the national voice of Canada's plastics industry, representing the interests of processors, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and brand owners across the country.