ISRI Foresees Long-Term Opportunities for Domestic Plastic Recyclers

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The ban imposed by the Chinese administration on imports of consumer plastic scrap has impacted recyclers across the U.S. The over-reliance of U.S. recyclers on China as export market for collected recyclables left them with limited alternative markets. This led to landfilling of plastic scrap in some regions. In addition, community recycling programs put restrictions on the types of plastics accepted for recycling.

However, participants at the ISRI 2018 Annual Conference and Exposition hosted by the Institute of Recycling Industries (ISRI) held recently in Las Vegas highlighted that the Chinese restrictions are most likely to benefit U.S. recycles in the long run. The speakers at the ‘Spotlight on Plastics’ session held during the conference stated that the Chinese ban may increase opportunities to increase domestic recycling of plastics. At the same time, they noted that the Institute must do the needful to address the short term impacts caused by the ban.

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Maite Quinn, business development and marketing manager, Sims Municipal Recycling noted that processing of bales of Ns. 3 to 7 plastics has been badly impacted due to ban and closure of many local plastics recycling facilities that used to offer sorting and marketing of these scrap materials.

Steve Alexander, Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) noted that the organization believes that it is mostly unlikely that China may re-emerge as primary destination for post-consumer plastics scrap generated in the country. Hence it has already indulged in efforts to boost the value and demand of material domestically. The U.S. already has capacity and markets available, he said. However, he admitted that some plastics will continue to pose challenge to recyclers in the short term.