The Partnership sets ambitious goal to increase U.S. polypropylene recycling rate by 5% by the end of 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. (OCT. 31, 2024) – Today, The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition (the Coalition) released its inaugural annual report showcasing measurable improvement in the circularity of polypropylene (PP). Established in 2020, the Coalition awards grants to materials recovery facilities (MRFs), secondary sorters, and reclaimers to increase acceptance, improve capture, and deliver higher-quality recycled PP to responsible end markets. Together, its members have helped deploy over $15 million across 60 grants, resulting in new or improved polypropylene recycling access to 48 million people.
Polypropylene, also known as #5 plastic, is ubiquitous in our daily lives and widely used in packaging for dairy foods, salads, deli items, microwaveable meals, and more. Its high value has resulted in growing demand for post-consumer recycled polypropylene, yet only 8% is recycled annually. The Coalition’s grants address challenges by enabling recycling facility upgrades, improved sortation capabilities, and community engagement needed to boost PP recycling rates.
“In just four years, The Coalition has improved polypropylene recycling access, capture, sortation, and processing in more than half of U.S. states, and there is more to do,” said Brittany LaValley, Vice President of Materials Advancement at The Partnership. “While we celebrate this progress, we know there is significant opportunity to continue to expand the demand for recycled polypropylene, spur investments in access, education and infrastructure, and create a more robust market for this versatile material.”
Together with producers, communities, recyclers, and manufacturers, the Coalition is working to drive a 5% increase in the U.S. polypropylene recycling rate by:
- Increasing community recycling program acceptance of polypropylene: How2Recycle® designated key polypropylene formats as “widely recyclable,” ensuring people have guidance to get more material in the bin. As a result, 48 million people gained new or improved access to recycle their polypropylene.
- Ensuring more recycling facilities can successfully sort polypropylene: Community recycling program acceptance increased by 11%. As one example, the Scott County Waste Commission facility in Iowa received a Coalition grant, and as a result, its new optical sorter, it has captured 7x more polypropylene in the first six months of 2024 than it did in all of 2023.
- Supporting responsible end markets: 64 million new pounds of polypropylene recycled annually, leading to an increased supply of reliable post-consumer recycled polypropylene for reuse in packaging and products. For example, a grant from the Coalition to Ocean County’s Northern Recycling Center in New Jersey for upgraded equipment means the county collects more polypropylene and now sells the material to multiple domestic buyers.
- Informing policy: Polypropylene has been added to “favorable” or potential recyclable lists in states like California and Oregon, paving the way for more of this material to be recycled. As an example of pre-investment, a grant to include dedicated polypropylene recycling at Recology in Sonoma Marin, California, was part of their $35 million modernization completed in early 2024.
Accomplishing a 5% increase in polypropylene recycling rates requires deploying $10 million in new capital throughout 2025, strategically focused on achieving critical milestones. This funding is part of a comprehensive strategy to deploy $55 million in new capital to modernize recycling infrastructure and expand polypropylene capture nationwide.
Learn how to join us in driving this change to build a better recycling system at recyclingpartnership.org/polypropylene-recycling-coalition-annual-report.
About The Recycling Partnership
The Recycling Partnership is a purpose-driven organization committed to building a better recycling system, one that delivers the economic and environmental benefits our communities and the hundreds of thousands of people who work throughout the recycling industry deserve. The Recycling Partnership’s team of experts, practitioners, and thought leaders with real-world experience works with its partners to insist on meaningful change across the recycling system and assist communities, companies, and policymakers in enacting such change. The Recycling Partnership uses its one-of-a-kind National Recycling Database that encompasses more than 9,000 U.S. recycling programs and develops practical and innovative solutions to address critical gaps in the recycling system. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org.