Plastic bag manufacturers working with the American Chemistry Council have set a goal to increase the recycled content of plastic bags to 40 percent by 2015.
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Plastic bag manufacturers working with the American Chemistry Council have set a goal to increase the recycled content of plastic bags to 40 percent by 2015.
The Full Circle Recycling Initiative, developed by the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council, would require a $50 million investment from industry members to increase the collection of bags and update manufacturing processes.
The Initiative also aims to have 25 percent of that 40 percent content come from postconsumer recycled plastic. To achieve the two goals, plastic bag makers would need to use 470 million pounds of recycled plastic (300 million pounds of which is postconsumer) annually, the equivalent of 36 billion bags.
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In 2007, the latest year there are figures available for plastic bag recycling, 830 million pounds of plastic bags and plastic wrap were recycled.
