Page 44 - Plastics News November 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Amcor, P&G, APR honored for Henkel joins Plastic Bank

plastics recycling recycling effort in US

trade group and two fficials at Plastic Bank – a Vancouver-based for-
A companies are being Oprofit social enterprise, are forging major business
recognized by the Plastics partnerships, getting props from the United Nations
division of the American and preparing for a Vatican visit as their programs to
Chemistry Council for their stem the tide of ocean-bound plastic spread beyond
work when it comes to plastics the shores of Haiti and the Philippines. The Vancouver-
recycling. based for-profit social enterprise pays poor people to
The Innovation in Plastics pick up plastic from waterways, canals, beaches and
Recycling Awards for 2017 are other access points to oceans. They redeem the items
going to Amcor, the Association at collection centers for money, goods and services like
of Plastic Recyclers and Procter & Gamble, the ACC said. cooking fuel and phone charging. Then partners on the
The winners were announced on Nov. 15, America Recycles ground sort, wash and reduce the plastic to flake for
Day. Amcor, the packaging giant, is being recognized for easy shipping to manufacturers, including Germany-
creation of a mono-material plastic pouch that contains based Henkel AG & Co. The maker of home, laundry
20 percent post-consumer recycled content. and personal care products like Loctite adhesive and
"Amcor notes that the pouch itself can be recycled along Persil detergent announced it is forming a strategic
with other mono-material plastic bags and product partnership with Plastic Bank to become a leader in
overwraps at drop-off locations across the U.S. The sustainability.
pouch features the How2Recycle label, which educates David Katz, founder of Plastic Bank, lauded Henkel
consumers about how to recycle various packaging for becoming the first major consumer goods company
materials, including plastics. The latest company to use to be a strategic partner. He said the manufacturer
Amcor's innovative pouch is Method," according to ACC. will pay a premium for "social plastic" to use in
APR is being honored for its newly created Recycling packaging while it not only meets sustainability
Demand Champions Campaign that encourages companies goals but improves thousands of lives.The plastic
to use durable products such as crates, totes and pallets collectors often put their redemption income toward
that have recycled content. The new program, started
just this fall, already has seen more than 10 companies
agree to participate in the campaign.
And P&G is being recognized for its work with PureCycle
Technologies "to develop a recycling technology that
produces high-quality recycled polypropylene, increasing
the variety of end-market applications for the material,"
ACC states. P&G will use the recycled PP and make it
available to other companies through PureCycle.
"This year's award recipients are doing critical work to
help support and grow domestic end markets for recycled
plastics," said Craig Cookson, senior director of recycling school tuition, which brings educational and career
and energy recovery for ACC, in a statement. "The opportunities. Katz says Plastic Bank addresses the
honorees are leaders in innovation, helping to ensure that root cause of ocean plastic while easing global poverty.
valuable recycled plastics are being kept out of landfills
and used in new products." The awards are designed to In another new effort, Henkel and Shell Oil are
"recognize companies, nonprofits, and government bodies participating in plastic off-set programs like those
that successfully bring new technologies, products, and used to reduce carbon footprint, Katz said. For its
initiatives to communities and the marketplace, which part, Shell has committed to fund the collection of 1
demonstrate significant innovations in plastics recycling," million kilograms (2.2 million pounds) of ocean-bound
according to ACC. plastic and then to use the flake.

Plastics News N ovember 2017 44