Plastic film is one of the most efficient packaging materials in use today. From extending shelf life to reducing fuel consumption in transport, film use is on the rise as companies strive to reduce GHG emissions. Further GHG savings can be achieved through the use of post consumer resin in new products. The challenge is that few consumers know what and how to recycle plastic film. Instead of focusing on responsible handling of material, the focus has been on eliminating plastic material to prevent litter. The trade off, few consider, is the fact that we consume more fossil resources moving groceries to the kitchen table than the fossil resources needed to produce all of the plastics used in the United States. Educating the value chain and utilizing efficient networks for recovery and are critical steps to improved recovery of film as feedstock for US manufacturing and continued advancements in sustainable materials management.

Light weight and highly recyclable: Polyethylene film

254th National Meeting (2017)

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