U.S. Plastic Recycling Rate Dipped in 2019

The U.S. reclaimer capacity remained more or less unchanged at 2.4 billion pounds, compared with 2018.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The latest report published by Washington-based Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) suggests marginal dip in U.S. plastics recycling rate during 2019. The report attributes the fall in rate to systemic issues. The ‘2019 U.S. Post-Consumer Recycling Data Report’ states that the recycling of plastic bottles, nonbottle rigids and films witnessed a marginal decline by 0.5% in 2019.

During the year, 5.09 billion pounds of postconsumer plastic were recovered for recycling. In 2019, nearly 1.78 billion pounds of PET bottles were collected for recycling. Also, HDPE bottles collected for recycling totalled 998 million pounds. Around 1.29 billion pounds of nonbottle rigids were collected, whereas the collection of plastic film totalled 977.7 million pounds. The U.S. reclaimer capacity remained more or less unchanged at 2.4 billion pounds, compared with 2018.

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The nonbottle rigid plastics recorded largest increase in recycling, whereas the largest decline was seen in PET bottles. A total of 87.9% of the material recovered in the U.S. in 2019 was purchased by reclaimers in the U.S. or Canada. Nearly 12% of the plastics collected were exported overseas.

Steve Alexander, President and CEO, APR noted that the declining recycling rates suggests that the system needs further support.

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