Access to Canadian plastics recycling is growing and at its highest level in the last 10 years

TORONTO, Feb. 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) has released its "2014 Recycling Access Report for Plastic Containers and Packaging", which shows that recycling programs have become a regular part of daily life for the majority of Canadians, and the number of recycling programs that now accept and recycle a wide range of plastic packaging has grown to the largest ever in 10 years.

The CPIA is committed to increasing the volume and types of recyclable plastic being diverted from landfills across Canada. "This year's study, which marks a decade of data, provides validation of our support and outreach efforts to help industry, government and fellow Canadians to have more opportunities to recycle plastic packaging" says Krista Friesen, Vice President of Sustainability, CPIA.

While access to recycling of plastic beverage containers continues to hold steady at 98 percent or more, the report found that the biggest gains have been realized for non-bottle rigid containers made from a variety of resin types. The national rate for access to recycling of plastic non-bottle containers is at least 93 percent for the most common resin types of PET and HDPE (also known by resin identification codes #1 and #2 respectively). And for non-bottle containers made from other resin types, such as PVC, LDPE and PP (#3, #4 and #5 respectively), recycling access rates are greater than 80 percent. For non-container plastic packaging, there have been steady gains in the national and provincial access rates with more and more municipal recycling programs beginning to include these items in their systems. Of note, the latest access for municipal recycling of retail shopping bags is 67 percent and horticultural rigid plastics is 74 percent.

The annual report provides valuable information on a national scale with specific details of each province's plastic container and non-container recycling access rates. "Each year the Canadian plastics industry undertakes proactive outreach and program support to municipalities across Canada in order to increase the amount and types of plastics collected for recycling. Our 2014 study shows that Canadians have even greater opportunities to recycle plastics through their municipal programs than they did last year," said Carol Hochu, CEO and President, CPIA.                
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The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the national voice of Canada's plastics industry, representing the interests of processors, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and brandowners across the country.

For the report: http://www.plastics.ca/_files/file.php?fileid=itemCpPXNePRaI &filename=file_Access_to_Residential_Recycling_of_Packaging_and_Packaging__Materials_in_Canada_2014___CPIA_update_Jan_22_lr.pdf