On November 7, 2017, the industry groups Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) published the “2016 United States national postconsumer plastic bottle recycling report.” In 2016, 1.32 million metric tons of post-consumer plastic bottles were collected for recycling, marking a decline of 2.4% compared to 2015. The overall U.S. plastic bottle recycling collection rate decreased from 31.1% in 2015 to 29.7% in 2016. When looking at the different plastic materials, collection of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles decreased, while collection of polypropylene (PP) bottles increased (see tables below).
| Collected for recycling | 2016 | compared to 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| PET bottles | 795,147 t | -2.5% |
| HDPE bottles | 504,440 t | -2.8% |
| PP bottles | 16,601 t | +15.1% |
| Total plastic bottles | 1.32 mio t | -2.4% |
| Collection rate | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| PET bottles | 28.4% | 30.1% |
| HDPE bottles | 33.4% | 34.4% |
| PP bottles | 20.2% | 17.9% |
| Total plastic bottles | 29.7% | 31.1% |
Read more
ACC (November 7, 2017). “Plastic bottle recycling dips in 2016; longterm outlook still strong.”
Anne Marie Mohan (November 13, 2017). “Plastic bottle recycling dips in 2016.” Greener Package
Steve Russell (November 15, 2017). “A dip in plastics recycling. Now what?” ACC
Reference
APR & ACC (2017). “2016 United States national postconsumer plastic bottle recycling report.” (pdf)
