Plastics Recycling in the US: Quality, Availability and Future Prospects

Wednesday, March 23rd / 11am ET

While the widely recognized recycling icon ♻ is found on everything - quarts of motor oil to colorful children's toys, and drink bottles to single use utensils - it's become almost invisible. Depending on where we live, we might put items in a blue bin for collection, take them to a local recycling center, or toss them in the trash.

Data from the American Chemistry Council, the National Association for PET Container Resources, and the Association of Plastic Recyclers show a meager 8.7% recycling rate in 2018*, which means after decades of use, those familiar little arrows aren't accomplishing much. What does that mean for us as producers and consumers, and how can we ensure the number grows?

Join Dr. Andrew Dent in conversation with John Standish, Technical Director at The Association of Plastic Recyclers, for a conversation about the state of plastics recycling. Learn more about recycling processes, the challenges with widespread adoption, and how we might design for a more effective recycling stream.

* Source: EPA

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Our Guest

The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) is an international trade association which promotes development of the plastics recycling industry by providing leadership for long-term industry growth and vitality. Learn more →

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What You Can Expect

Sustainability and circular economy are top of mind for manufacturers and consumers... but what does that mean for material scientists, engineers, and designers? How might we best address these issues?

#MCXLive is a series of discussions surrounding material and technology solutions that address the extremes our industries, and the world around us, continue to face with regard to climate change and raw material sourcing.

Each event lasts about an hour: our 45-minute conversation is followed with attendee Q&As. You'll come away with fresh insight and new perspectives from industry leaders.

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A recording will be made available to registered guests.