Page 51 - Plastics News February 2025
P. 51
PRODUCT NEWS
expected in this type of market, and we need to the Great Lakes Region also launched its Boat
really look at these different contracting meth- Wrap Collection Program in 2023.)
ods to make sure that we’re marrying up supply
and demand on the correct grade of PCR.” “There was a perfect marriage of local com-
panies working together to build this economy
In addition, consolidation has made the market of scale, of marina plastic wrap recycling,” said
a lot less fragmented and has helped improve Walker.
the quality of the material as well to have bigger
companies providing resources, Bayliss said. Before long, the county added pallet wrap to
its recovery efforts, and later HDPE film bags,
Hano added that one worry is that as “goody which required an alternative outlet since Petos-
two-shoes and early adopters” the company will key Plastics didn’t accept those grades, Walker
end up paying higher prices until the rest of the said.
producers get on board.
“We made sure we had multiple end markets if
As for what’s ahead for PCR markets, Bayliss we could, to leverage those so that we were in
said she sees online trading platforms gaining a good position,” Walker said. Unlike PET and
steam, and helping to connect more buyers and HDPE containers, plastic film has limited end
sellers as well as adding transparency into con- uses. “You can go export, or you can go waste
tract discussions and pricing. “So that’s widen- to energy, which we don’t like to do,” she said.
ing the number of people that can participate in “We’d rather not do chemical recycling when we
the marketplace.” can mechanically recycle.”
Alternative sourcing networks provide additional Similarly, farmers in Wisconsin were seeking a
volumes solution for their used agricultural plastics, such
as silage wrap, said Melissa Kono, an associate
While the lion’s share of PCR moves through professor with the University of Wisconsin and
larger channels such as MRFs, smaller, incre- community development educator for Clark and
mental volumes have emerged through less tra- Trempealeau counties in that state. In this role,
ditional sources. she coordinates agricultural plastics recycling
throughout the state, working with both public
In Michigan, stakeholders for the many local ma-
rinas approached Emmet County, asking for sug- and private partners.
gestions on what to do with their plastic boat Kono found a Wisconsin company that would
shrink wrap. Research revealed that PE film pro- place dumpsters on farms producing large vol-
cessor Petoskey Plastics was headquartered in umes of plastics, and capture bags for farms
the area, said Lindsey Walker, who leads recy- that generate smaller volumes. One challenge
cling outreach and market development for Em- is making the economics work – potential end
met County. The company’s products include markets are often too far from rural Wisconsin
shrink wrap for the state’s automotive industry. to justify trucking expenses, she said.
So in 2008 the county launched a pilot boat-wrap Kono said she only hosts a collection event if she
recovery program, Walker said. (The Council of knows an outlet exists, though this has meant
February 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 51
