According to a new report from market research firm The Freedonia Group, U.S. demand for post-consumer recycled plastic will grow at an annual rate of 5.9 percent to 3.4 billion pounds in 2016.
       Several factors will boost U.S. demand for post-consumer recycled plastics, the report said, including an increasing emphasis on sustainability by manufacturers of packaging and consumer goods, improvements in processing and sorting technologies that allow more plastics to be recycled, and a collective basis. Improvements in facilities can increase plastic recycling rates, and federal, state and local government support will greatly facilitate the collection, processing and demand for recycled plastics.
       But overall, as of 2016, U.S. plastic recycling rates were still relatively low, accounting for just under 7 percent of total plastic demand.According to a new report from market research firm The Freedonia Group, U.S. demand for post-consumer recycled plastic will grow at an annual rate of 5.9 percent to 3.4 billion pounds in 2016.
       Several factors will boost U.S. demand for post-consumer recycled plastics, the report said, including an increasing emphasis on sustainability by manufacturers of packaging and consumer goods, improvements in processing and sorting technologies that allow more plastics to be recycled, and a collective basis. Improvements in facilities can increase plastic recycling rates, and federal, state and local government support will greatly facilitate the collection, processing and demand for recycled plastics.
But overall, as of 2016, U.S. plastic recycling rates were still relatively low, accounting for just under 7 percent of total plastic demand.