Dive Brief:
- Policy shifts and brand commitments are boosting demand for food-grade polypropylene that can be used as recycled content in packaging, but the supply is limited, says a new report by Closed Loop Partners. Using artificial intelligence-enabled equipment at MRFs aids material recovery at scale, according to the report, which covers results from a study done in collaboration with technology company Greyparrot.
- Clear and white food-grade PP, such as beverage cups and yogurt tubs, is abundant in recycling streams, representing more than 75% of the PP captured at the four MRFs in the study, according to the report.
- AI-enabled technologies provide characterization data for huge amounts of material at a more granular level than what was previously available, which contributes to increased recovery and value creation, the report says.
Dive Insight:
This study, led by CLP’s Center for the Circular Economy and the Closed Loop Foundation, is described as one of the most extensive material characterization initiatives so far. Understanding what’s in a PP bale is the first step toward meeting demand for the material, according to the report, which is why the partners embarked on the characterization study.
They analyzed more than 650 tons of materials at four U.S. MRFs that already accepted PP material. The team installed Greyparrot’s AI-enabled analyzer technology at each location. Participating MRF operators included Balcones Recycling in Texas, Cougles Recycling in Pennsylvania, Rumpke Waste & Recycling in Ohio and Eureka Recycling in Minnesota
The analyzer units were installed above moving belts at MRFs. They recorded an image of each object that passed along the belt and generated classifications that included object mass and area, as well as the likelihood of the item being food-grade material. Greyparrot’s system included classifications for 20 PP items, including white and black containers and lids.
AI equipment and more granular data collection increases transparency, the report says. Plus, it offers opportunities for MRF operators to experiment with creating different bales, such as bales dedicated to food-grade PP. That can boost quality and create more value, the report says.
White PP was about a third of the material examined at the MRFs in this study, and clear PP was about half. Beverage cups were the most prevalent clear packaging, at 31%, followed by lids at 27% and pots and tubs at 20%. While nearly all the clear and white PP in the study was food-grade material, about 90% of colored PP was likely made of non-food-grade material.
The study specifically worked to uncover data at one point in the PP recycling chain, and the next step is to leverage such data to create downstream opportunities, the report says. This could help to identify and break up bottlenecks that prevent food-grade materials from reaching their highest and best-use end markets. CLP said this study lays the groundwork for additional material recovery studies, and future work could focus on other materials besides food-grade PP.
“We look forward to identifying more opportunities to pull valuable food-grade materials back into food service packaging supply chains –– a critical step toward recycled content goals and packaging circularity,” Kate Daly, managing partner and head of the Center for the Circular Economy, said in a news release.
The study was co-funded by the CLP-managed NextGen Consortium, which includes major companies such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, the Coca Cola Co. and PepsiCo.
