APR Blog

The resin identification codes on packaging tell you what kind of plastic it is. Please remember that you still need to check your local recycling rules to see which types are accepted for recycling in your local area. The resin code is not a “recyclable” symbol. Resin codes also help plastic reclaimers know what is […]

Did you know that recycling doesn’t end at the bin? If you’re like most people, you probably already recycle your empty containers at home and on the go. Thank you! Recycling is such an important step to keep valuable materials out of the landfill and in the economy, preventing pollution while creating green jobs. Now […]

Reduce, reuse, recycle — we’ve all heard it a hundred times. This year, the need to reduce what we buy and the value of reusing and repairing what we can has hit home. But everything has an end to its useful life, and that is where recycling comes in. Recycling is a necessary and important […]

APR President and CEO Steve Alexander answers questions about a new law in California that sets minimum post-consumer resin content requirements for plastic bottles. What is AB-793? AB 793 is a new law in California, passed unanimously by the California legislature and signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom on August 28, 2020, that […]

In 2017 there was a perfect storm for the plastics recycling industry in the United States. With China’s National Sword policy, U.S. recyclers suddenly lost a market for 65% of curbside-collected polypropylene, including nearly all bulky rigids. At the same time, a tsunami of virgin resin hit the marketplace, with over 50 million pounds (260 […]

The success of plastic recycling is dependent on consistent demand from brand companies and manufacturers. As brand companies continue to publicly state a wide variety of sustainability commitments that commonly include increased postconsumer resin (PCR) content and design for recyclability, it would seem the two industries could naturally work hand in hand for mutual success. […]

Every region has different recycling rules, but using common terms helps to reduce confusion and contamination. The terms and tools provided by Stina, Inc. helps community recycling program coordinators more effectively educate their residents about which plastics to recycle. The tools include an outreach builder with sample language and free images that makes it easy […]

The Frontline program, “Plastic Wars,” revisited old, anti-recycling messages and ignored many recent successes of the plastic recycling industry fueled by technology and innovation. The program highlighted a number of challenges facing the plastic recycling industry, but failed to show how APR and our member companies are taking on — and overcoming — these challenges. […]

This Global Recycling Day, people across the world are celebrating recycling as the key to sustainability. Plastics at the end of their useful life are not waste, but a tremendous environmental and economic opportunity. As recyclers, we capture this valuable resource and return it to the circular economy. We are the ones who close the […]