Market interest in post-consumer recycled resins should continue, thanks to interest from major consumer firms including Wal-Mart and Unilever.
“[Post-consumer resins are] very important to some brand owners,” said Pedro Morales, recycling sales and marketing director at KW Plastics. KW is North America's second-largest plastics recycler, according to a recent Plastics News ranking, with annual reprocessing volume of 570 million pounds.
The Troy, Ala.-based firm's recycling output is evenly split between polyethylene and polypropylene.
Morales added that recycling technology has improved in recent years, leading to improved quality control, washing, blending and extrusion.
And although post-consumer plastics suppliers, virgin resin makers and processors “don't always have the same objectives,” Morales said that the groups “should be allies — because public opinion is very important.”