U.S. plastics group reacts to Greenpeace Report

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), the leading organization in the United States consisting of those engaged in the plastics industry, has responded to a Greenpeace USA report released on February 18 that finds U.S. companies using misleading “recyclable” labels on hundreds of plastic products. Greenpeace cites the results of a comprehensive survey of the nation’s 367 material recovery facilities (MRFs), revealing that only PET #1 and HDPE #2 plastic bottles and jugs may legitimately be labeled as recyclable by consumer goods companies and retailers. The survey found that common plastic pollution items, including plastic tubs, cups, lids, plates, and trays, may not be labeled as recyclable according to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements for products and labeling. Additionally, many full body shrink sleeves that are added to PET #1 and HDPE #2 bottles and jugs make those products non-recyclable as well.

 

Greenpeace has also identified numerous examples of U.S. companies using misleading labels. Target, Nestlé, Danone, Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Clorox, Aldi, SC Johnson, and Unilever are among the companies that Greenpeace has asked to correct their labels, and some changes are underway. If companies show no willingness to end this deception, the organization plans to file formal FTC complaints.

 

The survey revealed that many MRFs only accept two types of post-consumer plastic items — PET #1 and HDPE #2 bottles and jugs — because the items have sufficient market demand and domestic processing capacity. The survey found that plastics #3-7 cannot be labeled as recyclable because they have low acceptance by MRFs, minimal to negative material value, and negligible processing capacity in the U.S. Consumers cannot “check locally” on recyclability for #3-7 plastics, as many labels instruct, because those plastics are being sent to landfill or incinerator.

 

 

President & CEO of the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Tony Radoszewski said in a statement: “The February 18 report released by Greenpeace is part of a targeted campaign against the nearly one million Americans employed by the plastics industry. Instead of seeking actual solutions, Greenpeace chooses to release sensationalist ‘studies’ that do nothing to address the real issue. There is a lack of sufficient recycling infrastructure for all materials in the U.S. and this must be addressed. However, lifecycle analyses consistently show that, on the whole, plastics are more environmentally beneficial than alternative material—and even more so when they are successfully recycled into new materials.

 

We take issue with the report for many reasons, and there is already an ongoing industry-wide dialogue about how the recycling system is performing today and how it could perform with an updated infrastructure. Measures like the RECOVER Act—which would designate funds to improve the recycling infrastructure in this country—and other efforts like the RECYCLE Act and the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act are the kinds of legislation our industry supports in order to build a robust recycling system here in the U.S.” 

 

PLASTICS, formerly SPI, is the only organization that supports the entire plastics supply chain, representing nearly one million workers in the $451 billion U.S. industry. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to make its members and the industry more globally competitive while advancing recycling and sustainability. To learn more about PLASTICS’ education initiatives, industry-leading insights and events, networking opportunities and policy advocacy, and North America’s largest plastics trade show, NPE: The Plastics Show.