Page 40 - Plastics News February 2026
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FEATURE NEWS
One thing is clear: Coordinated, collaborative ac- incentives or capacity to handle flexibles ef-
tion is the only way to solve this problem. And ficiently. They might be more likely to invest
while the problem is global, this is an area where in sorting infrastructure or have dedicated
the United States is primed to lead on innovative large-scale secondary sorting centers (plas-
solutions, galvanized by leading brands, tech- tic recovery facilities, or PRFs), but only if
nologies and robust public-private partnerships demand from recyclers and end markets is
with state and local governments. strong and reliable.
Momentum On Strategic Alliances ♦ Recyclers typically handle a more granular
level of sorting needed for mechanical and
Flexible plastic recycling is no longer just a tech- chemical recycling of flexible plastics. How-
nical challenge. It has become a business imper- ever, the technology to sort flexibles is ex-
ative for brands, retailers and their suppliers. pensive, which limits its adoption by recy-
clers. Recyclers are more likely to scale their
This reality is driving much-needed cooperation.
Just look at the recent launch of the US Flexible capacity if they have consistent, high-quality
feedstocks and proven end markets. Invest-
Film Initiative (USFFI), which is bringing together
leading consumer brands to tackle the flexibles ment in dedicated PRFs can unlock more
efficient and reliable feedstock supply, ena-
challenge head-on.
bling recyclers to scale with confidence.
We need more strategic alliances like this—es- ♦ Brands and converters set the bar for re-
pecially ones that include each step in the value cycled content and design for recyclability.
chain. If we can bring these players together, we They are more likely to incorporate recy-
have an extraordinary opportunity for coordi- cled plastics when supply is reliable, costs
nated systems change. are competitive and material performance
meets application requirements. And they
Flexible plastics recycling depends on a tightly
interwoven ecosystem. Every link in this chain are more likely to adopt design-for-recycla-
depends on the ones before and after it. When bility guidelines if the infrastructure exists
one link strengthens, the whole system benefits. to support recycling of improved packaging
But when one lags, the entire effort stalls: formats.
♦ Investors are more confident deploying cap-
♦ Waste management companies and munici-
palities determine curbside collection and ital at scale when supported by clear policy
logistics. They might be willing to invest in signals, viable business models and coordi-
more segregated collection and advanced nated value chain efforts.
sorting—but only if downstream demand A Blueprint For Systems Change
and processing capacity are in place.
In the Alliance to End Plastic Waste’s most re-
♦ Material recovery facilities (MRFs) sort ma- cent "Insights Report," we detail our experience
terials from incoming waste streams. They with flexible plastics recycling and propose a
are critical gatekeepers but often lack the
40 PLASTICS NEWS February 2026
