US PET Recycling Hit by Capacity Drop, Import Surge

The shutdown of Evergreen Recycling, once North America’s third-largest facility, alone eliminated the capacity to process roughly 4 billion bottles annually.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The U.S. PET recycling sector is facing mounting pressure as capacity declines and imports surge, raising concerns over long-term sustainability. According to insights shared during a recent webinar hosted by The Recycling Partnership, domestic reclaimer capacity has dropped by more than 25%, while imports have jumped nearly 300%, destabilizing the market.

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The shutdown of Evergreen Recycling, once North America’s third-largest facility, alone eliminated the capacity to process roughly 4 billion bottles annually. Industry experts speaking at the “From Crisis to Correction” session highlighted that seven out of 30 U.S. PET recycling facilities have closed within the past year.

Panelists, including representatives from Association of Plastic Recyclers, Waste Management, and Republic Services, emphasized that rising imports and low-cost virgin PET are undermining domestic recyclers.

Experts stressed that the issue is not technological but economic, pointing to weak buyer commitments. They called for stronger policy frameworks, including Extended Producer Responsibility, alongside firm commitments from manufacturers to prioritize domestically recycled PET to stabilize the U.S. recycling infrastructure.

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