Page 38 - Plastics News April 2018

internAtionAL news

US Plastics groups push for federal spending on recycling

he plastics and recycling on improving our recycling infrastructure, and jump-
Tindustries announced a push starting the nation's ability to collect, process and recycle
for stronger federal investment more of these valuable commodities," said Scott DeFife,
in recycling infrastructure on vice president of government affairs at the Washington-
April 11, saying that boosting based Plastics Industry Association.Other signatories
domestic U.S. capacity is critical include the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries, the
to deal with challenges like National Waste & Recycling Association, the Recycling
China's recent import ban. The Partnership and the Solid Waste Association of North
Plastics Industry Association, the America, along with the Flexible Packaging Association
American Chemistry Council and and the Food Service Packaging Institute.
the Association of Plastic Recyclers joined nine other
organizations in sending a letter to leaders of Congress UK to introduce deposit return
supporting a series of financial and regulatory changes they
say can boost recycling. "We believe strongly that a federal scheme for Palstics
investment targeting recycling and recycled materials is
critical to America's economic success, will create jobs he UK government has announced plans for a
throughout the United States and yield environmental Tdeposit return scheme for plastic and glass bottles
benefits," the groups said. as part of a bid to crack down on plastic pollution. In a
The changes sought by the dozen associations and non- March 28 statement, the department for environment,
governmental organizations include retrofitting existing food & rural affairs (DEFRA) said the scheme would be
material recovery facilities to better handle flexible film introduced later this year. UK consumers, said DEFRA,
and other packaging, quicker permitting of new facilities go through an estimated 13 billion plastic drinks bottles
and using more recycled material in infrastructure a year, more than 3 billion of which are incinerated,
projects. As well, they are seeking broadened use of sent to landfill or left as litter. The scheme, which
private activity bonds for recycling, more grants for state will be launched in England, will include all single-use
and local governments to expand curbside recycling and drink containers whether plastic, glass or metal. A
more education and training around recycling. The groups consultation period has been launched to look at the
said China's decision last year to sharply clamp down on details of how such a scheme would work, alongside
imports of recycled plastic and other materials is a key
motivator, and creates opportunities to use material that
used to go to China."Recent decisions by China to reduce
or end the importation of scrap material are disrupting
recycling programs throughout the United States, and
make it more critical that we make new investments
in domestic recycling capacity," they said. "Without
significant investment in such capacity, millions more tons
of otherwise recoverable and recyclable material will be
lost to landfills each year."
other measures to increase recycling rates. Nearly
The letter noted that of the 37 million tons of U.S. three quarters of British consumers (74 percent) would
recyclables exported in 2016, 16.2 million tons went be likely to return plastic bottles and aluminum cans
to China. It also cited 2016 EPA data that said recycling under a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) if they had to
generated 757,000 jobs and $36.6 billion in wages. "Our pay a deposit of just 10 pence on each one according
letter to lawmakers invites the start of a national dialogue to the general feedback.

Plastics News April 2018 38