New research shows recyclers can divert more small-format plastic packaging such as caps, travel-size bottles and prescription medicine containers from landfills by upgrades to through sortation equipment.
Closed Loop Partners, which owns a network of material recovery facilities around the U.S., has been examining a dilemma since 2022 that has plagued the plastics recycling industry for years.
MRFs vary greatly in design around the United States, but one thing they typically have in common is that they cannot effectively handle small-format packaging, which falls through sorting machinery and into the waste stream heading for landfills.
But Closed Loop Partners is now saying research shows there is a pathway to recapturing these hard-to-recycle packages.
"Every year billions of units of small-format packaging enter the market from across sectors like beauty, pharmacy, foodservice, beverage, retail, and more," reads a report released by Close Loop Partners Feb. 19. "Most of these end up in landfills. A small fraction of the materials that reach recycling facilities often slips through sorting equipment due to their size."
Closed Loop Partners brings a unique perspective to the issue. Along with MRF ownership, the group also tackles problems facing the circular economy, providing funding and expertise to third parties.
Small packages, commonly made from plastic and metal, end up being separated with glass, which has little or no value for many MRFs in today's recycling markets, that's sent to landfills or glass recycling plants.
But there has been mounting pressure to figure out ways to capture these small packages. Not only is there increasing regulatory pressure, but consumers advocacy is growing, and brands have committed to using more recycled content. And then there's also the value of the small-format packaging that's being lost to disposal, according to Closed Loop Partners.
"The pressure is mounting for brands to act, turning a cross-sector challenge into an opportunity," the report states.
Closed Loop Partners undertook research through the group's Center for the Circular Economy, a research and innovation organization. That field work "uncovered a major opportunity: significant volumes of small materials, including valuable plastics like polypropylene and metals, are currently ending up in landfills but could be recovered with the right equipment upgrades and reconfigurations at materials recovery facilities and glass recycling plants," the report states.
Findings indicate a 67 percent reduction in small plastic contamination in the glass stream after one MRF installed a new glass screen, the report states.
PET, PP and high density polyethylene are the three most common plastics being mixed in with glass. PP accounts for 43 percent of the small materials mixed with glass, followed by PET at 13 percent and HDPE at 10 percent. Metals, meanwhile, make up the other 34 percent.
"Polypropylene is the most abundant plastic resin type identified. Its largely mono-material composition makes it particularly well-suited for resale opportunities," the report states.
"There is a clear pathway to recover tens of thousands of tons of valuable small materials and meet the growing demand for recycled materials," the report continues.
With the new report in hand, Close Loop Partners is now creating Consortium for Small-Format Packaging Recovery in an effort to now go beyond research "to real-world implementation across the U.S." The group is now seeking participation from others, including packaging manufacturers and brand owners.
"This consortium will fund equipment and infrastructure upgrades for rigid small plastics recovery while building a strong recovery value chain with recyclers, policymakers, and more," the report states.
Kate Daly is managing partner of the Center for the Circular Economy.
"We're eager to put our findings to the test and, through the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging, deploy equipment and infrastructure upgrades to drive real-world proof-of-concepts in the field," she said in a statement.
"It's critical that we advance solutions to recover valuable small-format materials, like polypropylene, that otherwise typically end up in landfill. This is inherently a cross-industry challenge, as small-format packaging is used in beauty, pharmacy, foodservice, beverage, retail, and beyond. We're inviting our research-phase partners and brands across various sectors to join the Consortium and help address an urgent waste challenge," Daly said.
Research and testing took place with the help of beauty products maker Maybelline New York and parent company L'Oréal Groupe. Kraft Heinz Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Target Corp. also provided support, Closed Loop Partners said.
"Most makeup packaging is too small to be recycled, it literally falls through the cracks at recycling facilities. That's why it was so important to partner with Closed Loop Partners' Center for Circular Economy to pioneer solutions for small-format recycling," said Trisha Ayyagari, global brand president for Maybelline New York, in a statement.