Blueprint to remedy US material recovery weaknesses

In its report Closing the Loop: Road Map for Effective Material Value Recovery, non-profit body GreenBlue lays out a raft of proposals that it believes would advance the faltering efforts in the US to develop a more effective and consistent recovery framework for packaging materials.

The study defines closed loop recover as “the efficient collection and reprocessing of used materials for re-use in the next generation of products. Effective recovery preserves the embodied value and environmental safety of materials throughout their life-cycle”.​

It provides a detailed systems analysis of international packaging recovery systems, including successful collection, sorting, and reprocessing technologies and infrastructures, as well as the waste management policies that support or limit recycling.

The group said this is particularly true for packaging and declares that the best way to achieve this goal is by employing a range of factors such as policy, funding, infrastructure and technology, geography and demographics, and market forces.

However the researchers stress that an over-arching approach employing all these factors is critical to the success of any recovery system overhaul.

“A focus on only one type of material, one recovery method, one part of the packaging supply chain, or one part of the country will simply not be able to create the kind of change necessary to capture the material and economic value of the packaging materials we use on a daily basis,” ​cautions the report.

International good practice​

The 93-page report focuses on material recovery in Several European nations, including Germany, Belgium and the UK, as well as in Australia and the Canadian region of Ontario.

Within the EU, it highlights the take-up of broadly harmonised approaches as key to progress being made in the region.

“The relative success of packaging recycling programs in the European Union suggests that strong, cross-border policies, such as the EU Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, can provide the necessary framework under which efficient packaging material recovery systems operate,”​ said the research.

It added: “European nations tend to harmonize within their borders as well; some require stewardship organisations to serve the entire country with collection, sorting and reprocessing infrastructure.”​

In contrast the US has traditionally managed waste recovery at a local level where “jurisdictions develop different priorities and practices, resulting in conflicting infrastructures, interests, and incentives”.​

Recommendations​

After an in-depth analysis the report suggests the US could adopt a range of good practice initiatives including:

• A harmonized systems approach for all packaging materials, formats, and end-of-life options
• Four- or five-bin collection systems for clean, high-quality materials
• Investment in state of the art sorting technology
• Clear and nationally-coordinated waste policies, including extended producer responsibility legislation
• Ongoing public education campaigns encouraging participation in recycling and composting
• “Hub and spoke” regional recycling in rural areas

No blank slate​

The report recognizes that no ”blank slate”​ exists in the US It remains difficult for most countries around the world to build effective systems for material and admits “change is never easy, especially when there is substantial and vested interest in the status quo”.​

But it forecasts that “competition for scarce resources in the future will force change”.

In order to avoid being forced into adopting a range of second-best options as a matter of expediency the US packaging industry will “need to work with local and state governments and the public to secure a consistent means of financing resource recovery that is shared between producers and consumers of packaging.”​

It cautions, however, that infrastructure improvements alone will not be enough.

“The key to solving systemic problems is a combination of on-going financing, modern infrastructure, political leadership, public education and outreach, and effective public policy,”​ concludes the report.