Building Solutions For Recycling Lubricant Containers
2021 has been a year of building the foundations of the National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition (NLCRC) to work towards establishing solutions for post-consumer recovery and recycling of plastic lubricant containers in the US.
The NCLRC was established as an industry-led technical coalition at the beginning of 2021 by a committed group of industry leaders in lubricant and associated plastic packaging manufacturing, focused on establishing solutions for post-consumer recovery and recycling of plastic lubricant containers.
It is known that the wrong disposal of plastics represents a threat to the environment and has the potential to become perceived as a global health issue. With rising social awareness around plastic waste, driven by increased research and media coverage, many are demanding immediate action such as prohibitions on single-use packaging.
The disposal of single-use plastics is a well-known environmental issue present in some U.S. states’ agendas. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is an example of one type of single-use plastic, which is made from petroleum and is one of the most versatile plastic materials used for a variety of applications. Motor oil bottles are made from pigmented HDPE, and due to the residual oil, these carry after disposal, these are 7.5 times less likely to be recycled and, therefore, end up in landfills.
The implementation of effective and sustainable waste management strategies is of critical importance for the upcoming years. The challenges with recycling HDPE from lubricant containers, given the costs of virgin plastics, have led to minimal solutions. Therefore, landfills are the only economic choice for disposal over other options such as recycling or incineration. Identifying methods to reduce the cost of recycling lubricant containers relative to landfilling is becoming a priority.
It is important to search for technology-based solutions to improve recycling methods and rates. Collective action is important to organize recycling and recovery initiatives, especially for pigmented HDPE plastics. There is no company alone that can shift the existing industry and community standards. To be able to make bold changes within a community, building trust and collaboration between many is essential.
Therefore, advanced recycling (or chemical recycling) is one of the solutions for recycling hard-to-degrade plastics. This method allows the production of sustainable materials and uses the natural resources wisely while reducing the post-consumption disposal to landfills.
The attention towards the use of chemicals to recycle plastic continues to gain traction as a more mainstream option in the US. Chemical recycling is being defined as a waste diversion strategy. The chemical processes often use pyrolysis to break plastics down to their molecular level to produce new plastic products or fuels. These processes have the potential to dramatically improve recycling rates and divert plastic waste from conventional practices.
Government plays a major role in helping to create a new circular economy where plastic waste becomes minimal or never becomes waste. The attention earned by EPR legislation in 2021 could bring the possibility of future changes within the lubricant container recycling scope. This represents an opportunity for the lubricant container industry to come together under a unified approach and collaborate to bring the change needed for recycling hard-to-degrade plastics such as lubricant containers.
Additionally, every business operation is intertwined with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. A strong ESG proposition can create value for the company and for the society where it operates. Consumers are demanding high standards of sustainability from businesses. Regulators and policymakers are more interested in ESG because they need the corporate sector to help them solve social problems such as environmental pollution.
Businesses sit at the core of the transition to a circular economy, and the collaboration with suppliers and customers to build the infrastructure needed is the path towards a system that benefits the whole society.
There are plastic recycling coalitions in the US, and the NLCRC has leveraged knowledge to deploy more effective and efficient strategies towards recycling hard-to-degrade plastics as is the case for HDPE lubricant containers. Stakeholder engagement efforts, membership diversification, and engaging in every step of the recycling supply chain are the main learnings for the NLCRC.
For 2022, NLCRC is working to launch a pilot project in a market in the US to demonstrate an understanding of market dynamics by partnering with service providers and retailers, collection companies, recycling companies, and other critical stakeholders by incorporating chemical recycling as a strategy for the recycling lubricant containers into post-consumer recycled content.
A lack of action to contribute to reducing the impact of post-consumer disposal of hard-to-degrade plastics through sustainable solutions will cripple the economy. 2022 is the year to scale investments for the post-consumer recovery and recycling of hard-to-degrade plastics future.
From industries to households, everyone has an essential role in reducing the lubricant container waste problem in the US. The NLCRC founding leaders include Castrol, Valvoline, Pennzoil - Quaker State Company, Graham Packaging, and Plastipak Packaging.
Learn how the NLCRC is addressing the waste problem by becoming a member. Connect with us through LinkedIn and Twitter. If you have any questions or inquires, send us an email at hello@nationallcrc.com.
