Foodservice Packaging: Trash? No, Treasure! Carolina Recycling Association 25 th Annual Conference March 25, 2015 - DRAFT - PRG MEMBER PRESENTATION 12/12/12
About Us 2 Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) Established in 1933 Includes ~85% of the North American foodservice packaging industry Houses 3 special interest groups: Paper Recovery Alliance (PRA) formed in 2011 Plastics Recovery Group (PRG) formed in 2012 Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC) formed in 2014
About Our Products 3 Foodservice packaging (FSP): Includes a variety of products Made from a variety of materials Found in a variety of places and still expanding and evolving after over 100 years
Should You Be Interested in Foodservice Packaging? 4 Yes! Reality is that new, valuable materials are entering the recycling stream, including FSP Helps public officials reach environmental goals Helps with changing waste stream and increase supply for MRFs and end markets Growing interest in and use of recycled materials Makes good business sense
How Much FSP is Available to be Recovered? 5 Clay Coated Paper Poly Coated Paper Other Coated Paper Napkins Paper Bags OCC Molded Pulp PS/PP/PET/PLA EPS Plastic Bags Total: ~5.5 million tons in U.S.
Where Can FSP be Recovered? 6 Public Space Industrial Commercial Institutional Home In Store
Isn t FSP Too Contaminated? 7 No! 2013 study in Boston: No appreciable difference in the amount of residue on FSP and food contact packaging recycled curbside (but samples were exceptionally clean) 2014 study in Delaware: FSP had only marginally more residue than other food contact packaging recycled curbside (but samples were exceptionally dirty) BUT we acknowledge that increased food contamination is an issue for all packaging
Will FSP Flow in a MRF to Appropriate Bales? 8 TBD Finalizing MRF flow analysis study now Project Sponsors: ACC, APR, Carton Council, FPI, NAPCOR Project Partners: RRS, Reclay StewardEdge, Moore Recycling Target: 5 MRFs with range of sizes, geography, input and sorting technologies
9 Yes! Are There End Markets for Recovered FSP Materials? Adding FSP to Mixed Plas2cs Bale (at 10% recovery rate) Beverage Cups - PS (Rigid) Beverage Cups - PP Food Containers - PP Food Containers - PET Food Containers - PS (Rigid) Beverage Cups - PET Current
10 Will I be the Only One Recycling FSP? No! 2013 study of almost 70 MRFs in the U.S. and Canada found: FSP is recycled in numerous communities Many cities collect some FSP materials, even if they do not promote this to their residents On average, the MRFs in the study accepted 7 of the 19 FSP types n Cup sleeves, pizza boxes and paper carryout bags were most widely accepted FSP items, followed by rigid plastic FSP items
11 Do I Need Special Equipment to Recycle FSP? No, but maybe for foam FSP FRC offering grants to public and private businesses in the U.S. and/or Canada to recycle foam FSP and protective packaging Recipients to receive funding for equipment, technical assistance 2015 recipients to be announced in late April
Is the PRA/PRG/FRC Done? 12 No! Resolve outstanding questions on marketability of FSP material in existing bales Increase outreach to MRFs, communities, end markets and other stakeholders Assist a municipality in adding FSP to their recycling program Document acceptance by municipalities Create recovery toolkit for foodservice operators
What Resources Are Available? 13 www.fpi.org/stewardship - information on the PRA, PRG and FRC, study results and webinars www.fpi.org/recovery - FSP Recovery Toolkit geared to communities, MRFs and end markets Data (generation, dispersal and impacts on bale specs) Results of studies (food residue, MRF acceptance of FSP) Interactive map of end markets Case studies of successful FSP recovery
Questions? Please contact: Lynn M. Dyer President ldyer@fpi.org 571.255.4211 - DRAFT - PRG MEMBER PRESENTATION 12/12/12