The European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem) publishes an updated version of sustainable plastics report; discuss challenges, scope, technical readiness, and impact; many projects still in the pilot or research stage
December 14, 2020
Report advocates for improving chemical recycling LCAs
Rethink Plastic Alliance reviewing four commonly cited life cycle assessments (LCAs) on chemical recycling; report identifies undisclosed data, flawed assumptions, questionable accounting methods; suggests LCAs should not be used for public communication or as the basis for political decision making or investment decisions, should be improved to be “more independent,” “transparent,” “comprehensive”
December 9, 2020
CHEMTrust report reviews chemical recycling technologies
Investigates technologies within three categories for plastic recycling; identifies concerns regarding substantial energy use, waste plastic input quality, presence of hazardous chemicals; recommends lack of data transparency be urgently addressed before further investments are made
November 23, 2020
US government and stakeholders debate how to improve recycling
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets target national recycling rate of 50% by 2030; stakeholders identify recycling data gaps as key limitation; call for new national standards and legislation improving reporting, use of recycled content; upcoming changes in government administration create uncertainty
November 11, 2020
Review on mechanical recycling of plastic packaging
Article in peer-reviewed journal provides thorough overview of mechanical recycling processes by polymer, discusses chemical additives used; concludes mechanical recycling will remain most effective method to recycle plastics
October 16, 2020
C&EN examines perspectives on chemical recycling
Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) article reports on significant investments being made across the plastics supply chain to scale up chemical recycling technologies, growing skepticism from critics not convinced of the technologies’ viability and unwilling to support expanded use of plastics
September 18, 2020
Greenpeace report criticizes plastic-to-fuel technologies
Organization reviews current chemical recycling projects, finds less than half are plastic-to-plastic recycling, none likely to become viable; criticizes labeling waste- and plastic-to-fuel technologies as ‘chemical recycling’, describes it as misleading for governments, investors and the public
August 25, 2020
Plastics Circularity Multiplier online conference
Plastics Circularity Multiplier conference presenting Horizon 2020-funded circular economy projects to take place online on October 14-16, 2020; webinars free of charge, additional registration to open soon
July 30, 2020
GAIA report: ‘All talk and no recycling’
Global Initiative for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) report investigates chemical recycling projects in the US; advocates against plastic-to-fuel processes, rejects use of term ‘chemical recycling’ to describe them; American Chemistry Council (ACC) statement defends technology’s potential
July 14, 2020
Joint statement on effectively regulating chemical recycling
Non-governmental organizations including Zero Waste Europe publish 7 steps to legislate chemical recycling technology; call for harmonizing definitions, establishing methodology to calculate environmental, health, and climate impacts, limiting application to contaminated and degraded durable plastics only
