Optimizing Recycling of Flexible Plastic Packaging in Canada
Goal
Evaluate and improve recovery and recycling rates for flexible plastics collected from Canadian households.
Background
Flexible plastic packaging represents a significant portion of plastic packaging used in Canada, but its collection and recycling rates remain low.
Flexible plastic packaging accounts for a significant proportion of plastic packaging used in Canada, but collection and recycling rates remain low. In the context of the evolution of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the consortium’s goal is to increase the proportion of recycled content in flexible packaging. To achieve this, sorting and recycling capacities need to be improved across the country, at both sorting centers and recyclers.
As a first step, the consortium will determine the percentage of flexible plastic packaging currently collected and recycled, by format and type, in each province. Next, it will seek to identify infrastructure gaps at sorting centers and recyclers. Finally, the project team will propose new technologies and optimized processes to increase collection and capture rates, improve sorting and produce higher quality post-consumer recycled resins.
In a second phase, the project will apply these learnings and conclusions to select, install and measure the performance of the most suitable collection methods and equipment in partner facilities across the country.
The instigating members will implement this unprecedented collaboration in four phases:
- Understand the baseline data to determine the percentage of flexible plastic packaging currently recovered and recycled, by size and type, in each province.
- Identify infrastructure gaps in sorting centers and recyclers.
- Propose new technologies and optimize processes to increase capture rates, improve sorting and produce higher quality post-consumer recycled resins.
- Implement the knowledge acquired by installing and measuring the performance of the most suitable equipment in the facilities of the selected partners.
Leadership team
Project managers
