Plastics

Choose from the list of topics below.

Economics
Marine Debris
Recycling
Recovery
Life Cycle Studies and Environmental Product Declarations
Community Tools
Electronics

Economics

The surge of natural gas production from shale has reversed the fortunes of the U.S. plastics industry. Because the competitiveness of plastic resins depends on energy costs—in particular, the difference between oil and natural gas prices—shale gas development has changed the competitive landscape for U.S. plastics.

• Full Report: The Rising Competitive Advantage of U.S. Plastics [May 2015]
  This report provides statistics—including investment, jobs creation, output and exports—on economic impacts of shale-advantaged resin for the U.S. plastics industry.
  

Marine Debris

America's plastics makers are committed to working on the problem of ocean litter. We support efforts to reduce waste, increase recycling and litter prevention programs, and foster regional and global partnerships.

• Progress Report – 2018: The Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter
  This 4th Progress Report summarizes the status of commitments made under the Global Declaration. As of December 2017, approximately 355 projects have been planned, underway, or completed. This represents an increase of more than three and a half times the number of projects since 2011 when the Global Declaration was announced. The projects vary widely, from beach clean ups to expanding waste management capacities, and from global research to awareness and education campaigns. » 2016 Progress Report |  » 2016 Executive Summary |  » 2014 Progress Report

• 2015 Plastics to Fuel Developer’s Guide
  This report and cost estimating calculator are intended as discussion tools for a variety of local and international stakeholders including: municipal and national governments, corporations, community leaders, business associations, NGOs, project developers, and others interested in the management of end-of-life plastic waste. It aims to highlight the opportunities available for creating value from plastics, in concert with the regulatory, technical and logistical barriers that need to be overcome on the path towards the widespread commercial adoption of plastics-to-fuel (PTF) technology. » Plastics-to Fuel Cost Estimating Tool for Developers

• Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter
  As part of their overarching contribution to providing sustainable solutions, representatives of plastics organizations from around the globe have released a “Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter.” The declaration was announced at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference in Honolulu.

Recycling

This includes a broad range of information focusing on plastic benefits, plastics packaging, material comparison studies, lists of recycled products and their manufacturers, and more!

• 2017 National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report
  The 2017 edition of the United States National Postconsumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report is the 28th annual report on plastic bottle recycling. This study is a cooperative effort between the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), the goal of which is to quantify the amount of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) bottles collected for recycling, as well as the rate of recycling of those bottles.  » 2016 | »2015 | » 2014 | » 2013 | » 2012 | » 2011 | » 2010 | » 2009 | » 2008 | » 2007

• 2016 National Postconsumer Plastic Bag & Film Recycling Report
  The 2016 National Postconsumer Plastic Bag and Film Recycling Report is the twelfth annual report on the amount of plastic bags and film recovered in the United States for recycling. Research for this report was conducted by More Recycling (formerly Moore Recycling Associates Inc.) of Sonoma, California, for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council. » 2015 | » 2014 |  » 2013 | » 2012 | » 2011 | » 2010 | » 2009  |  » 2008 |  » 2007 |  » 2006 | » 2005

• 2016 National Report on Post-Consumer Non-Bottle Rigid Plastic Recycling
  The 2016 National Postconsumer Recycling Report on Non-Bottle Rigid Plastics is the tenth annual report on U.S. pounds of postconsumer non-bottle rigid plastics—packaging and non-packaging—recovered for recycling. Research for this report was conducted by More Recycling (formerly Moore Recycling Associates Inc.) of Sonoma, California, for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council. » 2015 | » 2014 |  » 2013 |  » 2012 | » 2011 | » 2010 | » 2009 | » 2008 | » 2007

• 2015-16 Centralized Study on Availability of Plastic Recycling
  This study determines the types of rigid plastics that are collected—curbside and municipal drop-off—in the United States for recycling and documents the percentage of the population that has access to recycle various types of plastics. » 2012 | » 2011

• The Evolution of Mixed Waste Processing Facilities: Technology and Equipment Guide, May 2016
  This report is a supplement to the previous report titled The Evolution of Mixed Waste Processing Facilities, 1970-Today – June 2015. The report reviews ten specific types of commercially proven equipment that are traditionally used or adapted for the handling of solid waste.  » June 2015 Report

• MRF Material Flow Study, July 2015
  This study examined the behavior of numerous individual products in the MRF, yielding data on cups, clamshells, containers, domes/trays, bottles, tubs, lids, gable-top and aseptic cartons, and other materials.

• Progress Report – 2014: The Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter
  In March 2011, leaders from plastics associations across the globe signed a declaration to combat marine litter. The Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter (Global Declaration) represented a public commitment by a global industry to tackle a global problem: plastic litter in the marine environment. This Progress Report provides an update on that commitment.

• 2013 Growth Trends and New Drivers for Recycling of Non-Bottle Mixed Rigid Plastics
  This report explores major factors that are contributing to the rapid growth in rigid plastics recycling, such as increased demand, public commitments, excess MRF capacity, and improved consumer education. Completed by Resource Recycling, it contains recommendations for communities that are considering adding rigid plastics to their recycling programs, four case studies, and examples of successful community education programs.

• Plastic Film and Bag Recycling Collection: National Reach Study (April 2012)
  The purpose of this project is to document the percentage of the U.S. population that has access to plastic retail bags and plastic film (wrap and sack) recycling. This data will provide a better understanding of the progress toward the goal of increased national collection of all plastic. The data will also provide information that will help in efforts to focus resources and programs to increase bag and film recycling in areas clearly underrepresented.

• Latest Report Shows "Dramatic Increase" in Curbside Recycling of Plastic Bags and Film in Los Angeles
  This study commissioned by Los Angeles County Public Works reveals a 39 percent growth in the recycling of plastic bags and film in Los Angeles County between 2007 and 2009.

• Plastics Recycling Cost Optimization 
  The report contains detailed discussions and results from implementation and field testing of eleven cost optimization strategies to see if the recommended strategies could actually reduce costs, create jobs and lead to the development of sustainable recycling markets.

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Recovery

• The Effects of Non-Recycled Plastic (NRP) on Gasification: A Quantitative Assessment, 2018 
  This 2018 study measures the effects of increasing the percentage of non-recycled plastics (NRP) in gasification feedstock. Gasification converts materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW) into a useable gaseous product that can be converted into a variety of useful products, including chemicals such as methanol and transportation fuels such as ethanol. These products can help offset the use of petroleum for fuel and manufacturing, keep plastics out of landfill, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study was conducted by The Earth Engineering Center at The City College of New York with the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, and Enerkem, a Montreal-based energy company.

• Report from Columbia University’s Earth Engineering Center: Energy and Economic Value of Non-recycled Plastics and Municipal Solid Wastes, 2014 Update 
  Conducted by the Earth Engineering Center (EEC) of Columbia University, this study calculates the energy value of non-recycled plastics that are currently landfilled in the United States using currently available technologies. The study also estimates the energy of diverting non-recycled plastics and all municipal solid waste produced in the United States into modern waste-to-energy facilities. Data is provided for all fifty states. » 2011    

• Plastics-to-Oil: Conversion Technology—A Complement to Plastic Recycling 
  The benefits presented by plastic to fuel (PTF) technologies are two-fold: transforming non-recycled plastic into a valuable commodity, and creating a reliable source for alternative energy from an abundant, no-cost feedstock.
  
  

• Demingling the Mix: An Assessment of Commercially Available Automated Sorting Technology 
  This study is a census of commercially available sorting technology for plastic containers and plastic flake, pellets and other plastic fractions. The evaluation of commercially available equipment was conducted from November 2009 through February 2010.

• Plastic Film Recovery Guide 
  A complete guide for businesses, governments, and recyclers on how to effectively recover plastic film from the waste stream.

• Stretch Wrap Recycling 
  A guide that takes recyclers step-by-step through the design and implementation of a stretch wrap recovery program.

Life Cycle Studies and Environmental Product Declarations

These publications contain more detailed environmental information, focusing on energy use, recycling, waste impact, source reduction, etc. They also compare the energy use, environmental emissions and waste impact of plastic and alternative materials.

• LCI Summary for Four Half-Gallon Milk Containers
  The ACC Plastics Division chose the primary packaging of three common consumer products from the 2007 report, A Study of Packaging Efficiency as it Relates to Waste Prevention, on which to perform life cycle inventory (LCI) case studies. Primary packaging for milk was chosen as one of these case studies. This summary evaluates the life cycle inventory results of the primary package for 10,000 half-gallon milk containers as sold in each packaging system.

• Role of Plastics in Decoupling Municipal Solid Waste and Economic Growth in the U.S.
  A new study by the Earth Engineering Center at The City College of New York finds that plastics play a role in creating an environment where Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generation rates actually decline, even with rises in per capita income and consumption.

• Life Cycle Impacts of Plastic Packaging Compared To Substitutes in the United States and Canada: Theoretical Substitution Analysis
  The goal of this report is to use LCA methodology to assess the environmental impacts of plastics packaging relative to alternative packaging in North America and answer the question: "If plastic packaging were replaced with alternative types of packaging, how would environmental impacts be affected?"

• Study Finds Plastics Reduce Environmental Costs By Nearly 4 Times Compared to Alternatives
  Replacing plastics in consumer products and packaging with a mix of alternative materials that provide the same function would increase environmental costs from $139 billion to $533 billion annually.

• Packaging Flexes Its Resource Efficiency
  Plastic packaging is lightweight, cost-efficient and does a great job protecting and preserving food. And that's just the beginning of the story.

• 2016: A Study of Packaging Efficiency as it Relates to Waste Prevention   
  This study from the ULS Report provides clear and compelling examples of the value of source reduction as a strategy for developing and evaluating sustainable packaging.  » 2007

• Life Cycle Assessment for Three Types of Grocery Bags – Recyclable Plastic; Compostable, Biodegradable Plastic; and Recycled, Recyclable Paper
  The results show that single use plastic bags made from polyethylene have many advantages over both compostable bags made from a blend of EcoFlex, polylactic acid or PLA and calcium carbonate; and paper bags made with a minimum of 30% recycled fiber.

• Impact of Plastics Packaging on Life Cycle Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States and Canada
  Prepared by Franklin Associates for the American Chemistry Council and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, this study assessed the energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions of six general categories of plastic packaging produced and sold in the United States and Canada. These include caps and closures, beverage containers, other rigid containers, carrier bags, stretch/shrink wrap, and other flexible packaging. The assessment found that for the baseline year 2010, replacing all plastic packaging with non-plastic alternatives for these six types of packaging in the United States would: require 4.5 times as much packaging material by weight, increase energy use by 80 percent, and result in 130 percent more global warming potential.
  
  

• 2011 Study: Polystyrene Foam Cups and Plates Use Less Energy, Water Than Paper or Corn-based Alternatives
  The primary intended use of the 2011 study by Franklin Associates is to provide the Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group (PFPG) with more complete information about the environmental burdens and greenhouse gas impacts from the life cycle of disposable foodservice products.

• Innovations for Greenhouse Gas Reductions: A Life Cycle Quantification of Carbon Abatement Solutions Enabled by the Chemical Industry
  Conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, this study used a life cycle carbon dioxide-equivilent (CO₂e) emissions analysis to assess the global chemical industry’s greenhouse gas emissions through the life cycle of chemical products and the applications they enable. Analyses were performed for over 100 individual product applications. The study confirms a key role for the chemical industry in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and highlights the important role of plastic products, such as building insulation, packaging, auto parts, and pipe.  » full report | » executive summary

• Brochure: Take a Closer Look at Today's Polystyrene Packaging—Safe, Affordable and Environmentally Responsible
  With today’s growing concerns about the environment and climate change, polystyrene packaging solutions are becoming more recognized as environmentally-preferable for a host of reasons including their lightweight properties. Polystyrene packaging makes sense for business, consumers, and our planet.

• Plastics: An Energy Efficient Choice
  Compares the energy used in producing plastic packaging and common non-plastic alternatives.

• Understanding Plastic Film
  A white paper that provides an understanding of what film is, its wide range of applications and contributions to resource conservation.

• Plastics' Energy and Greenhouse Gas Savings Using Housewrap
  This study is an analysis of the energy savings and related reduction in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the use of an exterior barrier to airflow applied to single family houses.

• Plastics' Energy and Greenhouse Gas Savings Using Refrigerator and Freezer Insulation  
  This document is a case study that examines the greenhouse gas emissions implications of using plastic foam insulation in refrigerators and freezers.

• Impact of Plastics Packaging on Life Cycle Energy Consumption & Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States and Canada
  Prepared by Franklin Associates for the American Chemistry Council and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, this study assessed the energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions of six general categories of plastic packaging produced and sold in the United States and Canada. These include caps and closures, beverage containers, other rigid containers, carrier bags, stretch/shrink wrap, and other flexible packaging. The assessment found that for the baseline year 2010, replacing all plastic packaging with non-plastic alternatives for these six types of packaging in the United States would: require 4.5 times as much packaging material by weight, increase energy use by 80 percent, and result in 130 percent more global warming potential.
  
  
• Plastics vs. Steel: Is Automotive Light Weighting A No-Brainer?
  The life cycle performance of polymers in comparison to commonly used steel alloys was assessed in automotive applications. The cradle-to-grave LCA considers a total service life of 150,000 miles for two case studies: A 46 percent lighter plastic bolster on the 2010 Ford Taurus that replaced the 2008 plastic and steel bolster and, a 51 percent lighter plastic running board for the Chevrolet Trailblazer/GMC that replaced the previous steel running board. The life cycle stages included in these critically reviewed and ISO compliant LCA studies address the production of upstream materials and energy, product manufacturing, use, and the end-of-life treatment for all materials used throughout the life cycle.
  • Life Cycle Assessment of Polymers in an Automotive Assist Step
  • Life Cycle Assessment of Polymers in an Automotive Bolster
    
    

• Life Cycle Inventory of Plastic Fabrication Processes: Injection Molding and Thermoforming
  The intent of the study was to develop unit process data sets for two rigid plastic product fabrication methods using primary data from plastic converters. The data quality goal for this study was to use data that most accurately represents current U.S. rigid plastic fabrication processes.

• Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastics Resins and Four Polyurethane Precursors
  This newly revised report, “Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastics Resins and Four Polyurethane Precursors (2011),” provides current data that quantify the total energy requirements, energy sources, atmospheric pollutants, waterborne pollutants, and solid waste resulting from the production of commonly used plastic materials in North America. The plastic resins studied are: High-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), general-purpose polystyrene (GPPS), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). The four polyurethane precursors include flexible foam polyurethane (PU) polyether polyols, rigid foam PU polyether polyols, methylene diphenylene diisocyanate (MDI), and toluene diisocyanate (TDI). » report only | » appendices only

• Life Cycle Inventory of 100% Post-consumer HDPE and PET Recycled Resin from Post-consumer Containers and Packaging
  Sponsored by ACC, APR, NAPCOR and PETRA, this 2011 study by Franklin Associates uses life cycle inventory (LCI) methodology to quantify the energy requirements, solid wastes, and atmospheric and waterborne emissions for the processes required to collect post-consumer PET and HDPE packaging, sort and separate the material, and reprocess it into clean recycled resin.

• Plastic Packaging Life Cycle Inventory Studies for Coffee, Tuna and Milk Containers
  Plastic packaging is often lighter than packaging made from alternative materials. These three 2008 reports by Franklin Associates quantify the environmental benefits of lighter, or source-reduced, packaging throughout the life cycle of each product in terms of reduced energy use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and less waste.  » coffee study |  » tuna study | » milk study

• Life Cycle Inventory of Polystyrene Foam, Bleached Paperboard, and Corrugated Paperboard Foodservice Products
  This peer-reviewed 2006 study from Franklin Associates Ltd. provides an extensive and comparative look at the energy and environmental performance of foodservice packaging products made with polystyrene foam, bleached paperboard or corrugated paperboard.

• Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of Polyethylene Milk Bottles and Polyethylene-coated Paperboard Milk Cartons
  The purpose of this study is to quantify the energy requirements and environmental emissions of both 128-ounce and 64-ounce high-density polyethylene (HDPE) milk bottles and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) paperboard milk cartons.

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Community Tools:

Here, the recycling coordinator and industry employee will most likely find valuable information on solid waste management and tools to promote these programs to communities.

• Perfecting the Plastics Drop-off
  A practical guide for designing and reducing contamination in a drop-off program.

• Sorting Plastic Bottles for Recycling  
  This Guide is intended for existing MRF operators, potential new MRF owners and design engineers. Information presented in this Guide can be used to improve the efficiency of sorting and recovering plastic containers collected from the residential and commercial recyclables streams.

• MRF Model User's Guide  
  You may wish to go a step further in analyzing the operations at your MRF by taking advantage of the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) MRF Model, which was used as an analytical tool during preparation of the Guide. The EPIC MRF Model is a MS-Excel 5.0 spreadsheet tool that helps you systematically analyze certain operating and cost parameters at your MRF.

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Electronics:

• Plastics from Residential Electronics Recycling
  A 2000 report that provides a comprehensive summary of the role of plastics in consumer electrical and electronic (E&E) equipment from product design through recovery and recycling.
  
  

• An Industry Full of Potential: Consumer Electronics
  Ten Facts to Know About Plastics from Consumer Electronics—2003 Update

• Ten Facts to Know about Plastics from Electronics
  View this abbreviated fact sheet.

• Designing for the Environment: A Design Guide for Information and Technology Equipment  
  A guide addressing environmental design criteria for design engineers and others involved in manufacturing information and technology equipment.

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