Page 39 - Plastics News February 2022

INTERNATIoNAL NEwS

Houston Signs Chemical Recycling MOU Singapore To Start

With Plastics Companies 'Plastic Bags' Charge

ing apor e
Sh a s
recommended
supermarkets
in the country
start charging
for disposable
carrier bags, a
move aimed
at s las hing
carbon emissions in a nation that
produces enough annual waste to fill
hundreds of Olympic-sized swimming
pools.A 2018 study by the Singapore
Environment Council found shoppers
merica’s fourth-most-populous city, collected about 124,083 tons of curbside take home 820 million disposable
AHouston signed a memorandum of recyclables. FCC Environmental Services bags from supermarkets each year,
understanding (MOU) with ExxonMobil, holds the city contract to sort and market an average of 146 bags per person.
LyondellBasell, Cyclyx International and recyclables at its 3-year-old MRF, which The National Environment Agency
FCC Environmental Services to help was built after Houston leaders awarded (NEA) is seeking public feedback
“establish Houston as a circular hub for it the recycling contract in January 2018. on plans for supermarkets to charge
mechanical and advanced recycling.” The MOU calls for the parties to form consumers for plastic bags, including
The details of what’s being called the a steering committee, operating team a proposal for it to be implemented in
“Houston Recycling Collaboration” and communications committee, with the first half of next year. "Charging
have yet to be worked out, but the membership pulled from the parties. The per bag is an equitable and effective
agreement sets in motion the potential city and companies have yet to form a charging model, as the amount paid
to divert residential plastic scrap to charter for their collaboration. “We are will be proportional to the number
Exxon’s upcoming chemical recycling certainly excited about the collaboration,” of disposable carrier bags taken," said
facility in nearby Baytown, Texas.“The Brent Taylor, a spokesman for Mayor NEA in its consultation paper.On
Houston Recycling Collaboration aligns Turner’s office said. “It’s something the proposed charge of 5 to 10 cents,
perfectly with our Climate Action Plan, that there’s been a lot of work on, and NEA said: "Such a nudge strikes a
which calls to reduce waste and develop we’re glad to see it reach this point now balance between encouraging shoppers
a circular economy,” Houston Mayor
Sylvester Turner said in a statement. where things are officially announced to reduce the number of disposable
“By bringing the community together and we can start really forming what the carrier bags they take and minimising
with waste management, recycling structure is going to look like and coming the cost impact on shoppers who
and chemical companies, we aim to up with some real tangible goals for the make large purchases and lower-
significantly increase recycling rates, collaboration.” Meanwhile, pyrolysis income households." Other proposals
lower carbon emissions and create an technology company Agilyx worked with include applying the charging model
innovative circular model to address the ExxonMobil to set up the joint venture to supermarket operators with annual
challenge of plastic waste recycling.” company Cyclyx International, which revenue above a certain threshold, as
City of Houston crews collect all the aims to provide feedstock to chemical well as for them to publicly disclose the
curbside recyclables from single-family recycling companies. Cyclyx is working number of bags they issue, how much
homes and smaller apartment/condo to build a plant capable of sorting and they collect in charges for disposable
buildings in the city, for a total of about pre-processing up to 132 million pounds bags and how these proceeds are used.
400,000 households. In 2020, city crews of scrap plastic per year. said NEA in the consultation paper.

38 PLASTICS NEWS FEBRUARY 2022 39 PLASTICS NEWS FEBRUARY 2022