An additional 10% of plastic packaging was recycled in 2012 compared to 2011 as reported by Moore Recycling Associates Inc. Regarding to CPIA’s press release this increase is the result of more material collected for recycling as well as more companies providing recycling information. In total, over 285 million kilograms of post-consumer plastic packaging was collected for recycling in Canada.
The results are derived from an extensive survey of companies that handle recycled plastics in North America. These companies are made up of manufacturers, re-claimers, exporters, brokers and MRFs (Material Recovery Facilities).
Plastic packaging collected for recycling includes plastic bottles, non-bottle rigid plastics such as deli and dairy containers, bakery, vegetable, fruit containers, and plastic film, bags and outer wrap. These valuable resources are reused to make, for example, fleece jackets, new plastic bottles, pipe, pallets, crates and buckets, decking and other lawn and garden products.
The plastic recycled quantities reported for 2012 by Moore and Associates Inc. compared to 2011 represent an increase of 3% for bottles (for a total of 174.7 million kilograms), an increase of 29% for non-bottle rigids (for a total of 35.6 million kilograms), an increase of 18% for plastic bags and outer wrap (for a total of almost 44 million kilograms) and an increase of 24% for polystyrene foam (for a total of 926,000 kilograms).
Recycling of plastics increases in Canada
The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) released the 2012 Post Consumer Plastics Recycling in Canada Report stating that for the third year in a row, the amount of post-consumer plastic packaging being recycled across Canada has increased.
