Thank you to all who were able to join us last month in Chicago for the April NAPCOR Meeting. There were a total of 60 attendees representing 36 companies over the course of the meeting. NAPCOR slides, guest presentations, and a meeting summary have been posted on our Members Only web site (log in required). The meeting summary is meant to serve as a reference and opportunity for further follow-up that can be shared with colleagues who want to know more about NAPCOR meeting content.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting which will be hosted by PTI on July 13 and 14 in Holland, OH!

New member

We are pleased to welcome Wellman Plastics Recycling, LLC as a returning NAPCOR member, effective as of March 1, 2016. Al Cantey will serve as Wellman's NAPCOR representative.

Member news - TABB Packaging / NRT

NAPCOR Member TABB Packaging has partnered with Emmett County, Michigan to provide new 64-gallon rolling recycling carts to households with curbside recycling in order to boost participation rates and plastic recycling volumes.

Additionally, a recent press release announced that NRT will soon debut a next-generation platform for their optical sorters at the IFAT and WasteExpo tradeshows.

Members are encouraged to share news and updates with their colleagues through NAPCOR News. Please submit to Lauren.

Wanna get involved?

NAPCOR has several active committees that work on key programs and issues, including PET thermoform recycling, non-clear PET bottle recycling, PET promotion, and rPET bale quality issues. Members are welcome to participate in any committee that interests them, and meetings are generally held via conference call. Current committee members are listed at the end of the Member Roster, and background materials can be found on the Committee pages on the Members Only web site. If you see one you'd like to get involved in, please contact Karen to join.

The return of the plastic can?

NAPCOR reclaimer members have recently reported that some bales, particularly from California, include beverage containers that have a PET body with a pull-tab top made of aluminum. These packages, known as "plastic cans," may be making a resurgence, as recent news reports indicate an expansion in their domestic production. Due to their negative impact on recyclability, several states banned plastic cans when they first emerged on the market in the late 1980s.

The American Beverage Association has shared their recent "ABA Environmental Affairs: Issue Alert" with NAPCOR. The alert summarizes the bans on plastic cans in Illinois, Maine, and Minnesota, and emphasizes the potential disruptive effect of packages like this on the recycling infrastructure. NAPCOR will continue to further communications on this issue, and monitor introductions of this package.

PAC NEXT Report

PAC NEXT has recently released Top 15 Packaging Challenges (+Recommendations) For Recycling in a MRF which can be viewed on the Member Reports page of the Members Only website under "NAPCOR Member Only Reports and Documents" (log-in required).

In the news this month

Buhler and NRT respond to plastics recyclers who want single source

How GM created an rPET supply chain

Container group survey: Recycling is popular, but more education is needed

Trash pickers are key suppliers to California's recycling industry

Emma Watson's Met Gala 2016 dress was made out of recycled plastic bottles

Newsletter archive

Members can access the current issue of news from NAPCOR, as well as all previous ones, via the archive button at the top of the Member Page on the NAPCOR web site.

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Best regards,

Lauren

Lauren Laibach

NAPCOR Program Associate

llaibach[at]napcor[dot]com