Bioplastics Recycling Options Expand

Although bioplastics are still a very small part of the plastic waste stream, some manufacturers are talking to recyclers about developing recycling processes for their products. NatureWorks, for example, is working with the Association of Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers to help develop mechanical and chemical recycling processes for its Ingeo materials, as well as end-markets for the recycled plastic, Steve Davies, global director of marketing and public affairs, told us.

Non-recycled petroleum-based plastics are a big problem in landfills. If left untreated, they don’t biodegrade for a long time. And if not recycled or converted to fuel or electricity, the energy they contain is wasted. Estimates of how much plastic goes into landfills vary depending on who’s measuring, but according to the EPA, only 12 percent of US plastics got recycled in 2010.

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Tags: recycling processes, food serviceware, Ingeo materials