Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Curbside Film Recycling Pilot Unlocks New PCR Streams

A pilot program for residential recycling of hard-to-recycle plastic films is being piloted by Dow, WM (Waste Management), and leading edge film converter Natura PCR. The project is concentrating on recoverable mono-material PE films common in households.

From left, Dan Leif, managing editor at Resource Recycling, Inc.; Brent Bell, president, Waste Management; Haley Lowry, global sustainability director, Dow; and Jon Stephens, CEO, Natura PCR.
From left, Dan Leif, managing editor at Resource Recycling, Inc.; Brent Bell, president, Waste Management; Haley Lowry, global sustainability director, Dow; and Jon Stephens, CEO, Natura PCR.

A pilot program for residential recycling of hard-to-recycle plastic films is being piloted by Dow, WM (formerly Waste Management), and leading edge film converter Natura PCR (formerly Avangard Innovative, acquired by WM). The two publicly traded companies, plus WM’s Natura PCR, are rolling out a program allowing consumers in select markets to recycle them directly in their curbside recycling, announced at the end of 2022.

According to the Recycling Partnership, only 1.9% of U.S. households currently have access to curbside plastic film recycling, which is the plastic material with the lowest overall recycling rate.  At this point, mono-material polyethylene films are the recovery goal; the technology for recycling of multilayer flexible packaging isn’t there yet, though the panel says that chemical recycling has a lot of promise in this arena. 

Three of the key cogs in this circular mechanism were at the Packaging Recycling Conference today to explain more and respond to questions.

WM has a controlling interest in Natura PCR, a company that’s expected to scale recycling capacity to produce an estimated 400 million pounds of PCR pellets, per year, in five years. It’s also expected to provide circular solutions for films and clear plastic wrap used commercially, such as plastic stretch wrap for pallets, furniture film, grocery bags, and potential, shrink wrap around food and beverage containers.


Read article   Read about another film-to-film, food-grade recycling program that's rolling out in Minnesota. MBOLD engages materials suppliers like Charter Next, brands like General Mills and Conagra, and recovery facilities and reprocessors like MyPlas USA. 


“When we look at plastics for WM, especially on the recycling side, it's only about 5% of the material that we collect every day in our customers’ bins. But it represents about 40% of the value,” says Brent Bell, president of WM. “And it also represents nearly 100% of the conversations we have. Everywhere we go, we get asked about our supply of it. We're in a unique position because we're often seen as the gatekeeper for this material, and we’re asked to unlock more supply.”

Coding, Marking, and Labeling Innovations Report
Explore our editor-curated report featuring cutting-edge coding, labeling, and RFID innovations from PACK EXPO 2024. Discover high-speed digital printing, sustainable label materials, automated labeling systems, and advanced traceability solutions that are transforming packaging operations across industries.
Access Report
Coding, Marking, and Labeling Innovations Report
2024 PACK EXPO Innovations Reports
Exclusive access: Packaging World editor-curated reports revealing PACK EXPO's most groundbreaking technologies across food, healthcare, and machinery sectors. Each report features truly innovative solutions selected from hundreds of exhibitors by our expert team. Transform your operations with just one click.
Access Now
2024 PACK EXPO Innovations Reports