Last month, the annual post consumption plastic recycling data was released. It shows that the amount of post consumer plastic recycled in the United States in 2021 has increased by almost 300 million pounds compared to 2020. This is a significant piece of information, as recycling declined in 2020, with the pandemic being the main cause.
American recyclers process 5 billion pounds of post consumer plastic in 2021. This week, the annual recycling report released by Plastics News seems to show that this trend continues into 2022. But this ranking is not comparing apples with previous reports. The annual post consumption plastic recycling report provides comprehensive data in the field through research, and researchers carefully analyze the data to ensure that the statistical quantity is not duplicated. The purpose of plastic news reports is different. They sorted North American plastic recyclers, allowing readers to understand their scale and the types of materials they process.
Through a questionnaire survey, North American recyclers and brokers reported 179 companies, of which 160 had recycling data. The ranking lists 13.8 billion pounds of plastic, of which 76% is equivalent to 10.6 billion pounds being recycled. This is 2.9% higher than the previous year. The survey included materials disposed of by dealers, which was 4.8% higher than in 2021. 42% of the total amount provided by recyclers in the report is post consumer, and the remaining 58% is post industrial. Although global sustainable development is currently focused on the post consumption sector, post industrial plastic recycling remains a huge business.
From a variety perspective, the first three plastics are HDPE, PP, and PET. In terms of total growth, Recycling Technology Consultants, located in Houston, has the largest growth, increasing by 150 million pounds and ranking 11th. The total amount of recycled plastics is 232.5 million pounds. The largest growth percentage is also Recycling Technology Consultants, with a growth rate of 181.8%; The second one is Majic Plastic Company in Milwaukee, with a growth rate of 81.8%
1.Waste Management recycles 453.8 million pounds (approximately 200000 tons) from American companies*
2.KW Plastic Recycling Company 438 million pounds
3.Merlin Plastic Supply Company 419 million pounds
4.Clean Tech £ 330 million*
5.ADS recovers 297 million pounds*
6.Georgia Pacific recycles 270 million pounds*
7.PetStar SAPI £ 241 million
8.Evergreen recycles £ 220 million
9.Revolution Sustainable Materials £ 210 million
10.DAK Americas £ 200 million*
*Plastic News estimates its own data