Is PCR plastic more expensive?

U.S. Pact&#;s PCR Commitment Statement

Postconsumer recycled content (PCR) or responsibly sourced biobased content use is one of the critical paths to reduce the environmental impact of plastic products and achieve a circular economy in the plastics packaging industry. The U.S. Plastics Pact (U.S. Pact) abides by the ISO definition for PCR, which states that PCR is, &#;material generated by households or by commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of material from the distribution chain.&#; 

With competitive price and timely delivery, EcoPlas sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

The U.S. Pact has voluntary PCR usage requirements for all its Activators based on their place in the plastics value chain, with the goal of creating momentum to reach Target 4 of the U.S. Plastics Pact Roadmap of an average of 30% (by weight) postconsumer recycled content in plastic packaging sold within the United States by . The U.S. Pact expects that Activators who already have a publicly stated general recycled content commitment specifically call out PCR commitments instead of or in addition to using the term &#;recycled content.&#; For U.S. Pact Activators who produce and distribute plastic packaging, such as consumer product goods companies (CPGs), retailers, and converters, we expect each to publicly state a commitment to a quantifiable target of PCR that is incorporated into their plastic packaging by . For Activators that are non-plastic packaging producers, such as government entities, nonprofit organizations, and recyclers, we expect that each Activator publish external statements on quantifiable internal PCR procurement. PCR internal procurement includes, but is not limited to, office supplies, trash bags, pallets or bins/totes, and trash and recycling bins. The U.S. Pact also encourages non-packaging Activators to have a public statement supporting the use of PCR to address PCR markets on a larger scale, closing this loop of the circular economy.

Historically, companies have used post-consumer resin (PCR) because it was a lower cost feedstock than virgin. In recent years, however, pricing for virgin plastic (mostly &#;wide spec&#; resin) has fallen below that of PCR (mostly high quality PCR that is suitable for food contact).

Developing PCR that can compete with virgin resin, in terms of performance or consistency in specifications, requires significant cost in handling and processing. The breakdown of those recycling costs for two common types of recycled plastic &#; color and natural HDPE &#; are shown in the bar graph.

It&#;s important to remember resin costs generally do not account for the environmental benefits from the use of PCR or the impacts of using virgin. For PCR to become a more attractive option, drivers beyond price will need to be taken into account by resin purchasers.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website pcr plastic recycling company.

Data Sort is produced each quarter by More Recycling. For additional information, go to morerecycling.com.

This article originally appeared in the Spring issue of Plastics Recycling Update. Subscribe today for access to all print content.

For more Is PCR Plastic Recyclableinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.