Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
February 23, 2015 01:00 AM

Survey shows high recycling rate for post-industrial plastics

Jim Johnson
Staff Writer
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Kim Holmes

    DALLAS — A glimpse into how several companies handle their post-industrial plastic waste is producing some rather dramatic recycling numbers.

    A new report by the Society for the Plastics Industry Inc. shows that nearly 90 percent of all plastic manufacturing scrap is recycled or recovered for energy at companies who took part in SPI's membership survey on the issue.

    While numbers have been developed and refined over the years on the post-consumer side of plastics recycling, the survey is an attempt by SPI to gain a better understand of the recycling rates and habits in the post-industrial sector.

    A total of 27 material suppliers, plastic processors and brand owners submitted information to SPI for a response rate of 12.9 percent for the web-based survey. Those who responded generated and handled 2.3 billion pounds of post-industrial material, including 2 billion pounds that were recycled.

    The survey asked respondents about the amount of post-industrial scrap generated in the U.S. that was handled at their facility in 2013. The 2014 SPI Recycling Report found that among plastics materials suppliers, plastics processors and brand owners, respondents reported generating and handling 2.3 billion pounds of post-industrial material, of which 2.0 billion pounds were recycled.

    While the response rate leaves room for growth, said Kim Holmes, senior director of recycling and diversion at SPI, it is just about double that of the previous survey.

    “We really wanted a better understand of how much scrap is being generated and how that scrap is being managed,” Holmes said after the conclusion of SPI's Recycling Tech Summit in Dallas Feb. 23.

    “I think the general assumption has always been that post-industrial material is largely recovered because it's valuable material. But we really didn't have the data to back up that general understanding and certainly not with any sort of recovery number or measurement of that behavior,” Holmes said.

    “This is the first time that we're beginning to really understand from a data perspective what that recovery looks like,” she said.

    Increased participation in the survey this year gives Holmes hope that more and more companies will participate in future survey efforts after they have seen the value of the latest results.

    “The response rates aren't where we want them to be. We're really beginning to get snapshots. We can't draw sweeping inferences about the industry just yet,” the recycling official said.

    Even Holmes said she was surprised by just how large the recycling rate is among the survey participants.

    “I certainly expected at least three quarters of the material to be recovered. And that's mainly based on the fact that I talk to our members, and I felt I had a pretty good sense of how they are handling material,” she said.

    “I understand the magnitude of their operations and their capabilities,” she said. “I was pretty confident we were going to see high numbers, but certainly 90 percent, that exceeds expectations,” Holmes said.

    “Lots of opportunities remain to grow participation in this report. While participation amongst generators was lower than hoped, readers will see that significant volumes were accounted for in this survey, and these numbers are likely just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. SPI will continue to work to unveil the billions of pounds of scrap plastics being generated and diverted in the product manufacturing process,” the report states.

    SPI also took the opportunity to survey independent recyclers among the trade group's membership, and 26 companies took part for a 12.5 percent response rate.

    That group, which includes brokers, toll service providers, compounders of recycled material and “others offering value-added services for these materials” reported handling 95.3 billion pounds of post-industrial scrap plastics, the report indicates.

    That total, however, could include the counting of the same material more than once as it passed through different hands, SPI cautioned. But the total still provides an idea of just how large the recycling industry is in North America, Holmes said.

    The hope is that the numbers will be further refined in the years to come as more companies participate in the survey.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Australian startup Samsara to commercialize its enzyme recycling
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Top-dollar deals, repeat buyers highlight 2022 M&A
    2
    This is the year the reality of plastics EPR arrives in the US
    3
    Prices on the rise for PP, PVC
    4
    Auto supplier Seoyon E-Hwa to invest $76M, add 740 jobs in Georgia
    5
    Illinois AG sues 14 firms over PFAS contamination
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified