California recyclers look for new PET solutions in wake of rPlanet closure
Plastic Recycling | 2025-09-30 00:04:28
PET bottle recycler Evergreen Recycling closed a portion of its facility in February, citing “economic factors.”
By Paul Ploumis
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): California PET recyclers say they will continue seeking state interventions — and new markets — in an effort to prevent more PET-related industries from closing in the wake of rPlanet Earth’s closure earlier this month.
“The recent shutdown of rPlanet Earth should be a wake-up call to policymakers in California and across the country,” noted the Association of Plastic Recyclers in a statement.
rPlanet Earth, a California-based PET recycler and food and beverage packaging manufacturer, closed this summer. The facility was the main large-scale regional reclaimer that processed Grade B bales, which typically denotes curbside-collected material.
The closure rang alarm bells in the PET recycling industry, as it was the second PET reclaimer to close in California this year. PET bottle recycler Evergreen Recycling closed a portion of its facility in February, citing “economic factors.”
rPlanet Earth represented about 4% of the nation’s rPET capacity, APR said, “and its vertically integrated operations supplied critical product streams — including thermoform trays and PET bottle material — that are now under severe strain.”
The closure comes at a time when prices for rPET, particularly Grade B, are “super low,” said James Derrico, division president at CellMark Recycling, a broker for the material. At the same time, PET prices are still transitioning out of a seasonal period known for higher supply and lower demand.
Players in California’s recycling industry have called for CalRecycle or the state legislature to more closely monitor and support the rPET markets in the state. Recycling policy groups hoped the California legislature could intervene by passing a bill updating a subsidy program for reclaimers that wash and convert bottles into resin or sheet, but two bills with such language did not move forward.
For now, some recyclers plan to continue to engage with CalRecycle, the state agency that manages the bottle bill and related subsidies. Others are currently holding onto some PET bales until market conditions improve, or are are seeking farther-away markets despite making little to no profit from the material, Derrico and other recyclers said.
Courtesy: www.wastedive.com
