Driving Circularity: Transforming the Recycling Challenges in Transportation and Industrial Packaging
Single-use plastics, primarily made from fossil fuel-based chemicals, are designed for one-time use and are commonly found in packaging and service ware like bottles, straws, and bags. Their disposal poses a significant environmental issue due to contamination which prevents plastics from being recycled and causes them to end up in landfills.
As every engine needs oil to function properly, according to research conducted among NLCRC members, approximately 90 thousand tons of motor and grease oil containers were sold in the United States in 2023 [1]. These containers come in various packaging formats, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles, bag-in-boxes, and metal cans, which are challenging to recycle with the current U.S. recycling infrastructure. For instance, motor oil bottles made from pigmented HDPE are 7.5 times less likely to be recycled due to the product they carry, often ending up in landfills [2]. The residual oil in these containers makes them difficult to accept at recycling facilities, posing health hazards and environmental contamination when disposed of in landfills.
Recycling bag-in-box motor oil containers presents additional challenges. These containers typically consist of a cardboard box housing a bag made of multiple layers of different plastics and nylon. The combination of these materials makes recycling difficult due to the complexity of separating the layers. Additionally, motor oil residue can contaminate recycling streams, requiring extensive cleaning to process the materials effectively. Current designs are not optimized for recycling, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to redesign these containers for easier recyclability. Addressing these challenges requires improved container design, better recycling infrastructure, and increased awareness about proper disposal methods. Collaboration among Brand Owners, Producers, recyclers, and consumers is essential to develop effective solutions and promote sustainable practices in the transportation and industrial applications industry.
Recent developments in packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws in the U.S. aim to address the growing challenges in packaging recovery and recycling, including hard-to-recycle formats such as motor oil containers. In 2024, Minnesota joined California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon in enacting packaging EPR laws, while Vermont introduced legislation for household hazardous waste (HHW). These laws require Producers to participate in compliance programs and meet state recycling targets. The NLCRC is supporting the industry by raising awareness of EPR requirements, fostering collaboration across the value chain, and advancing packaging design for recyclability and source reduction.
The National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition (NLCRC) is advancing packaging sustainability through circular solutions by focusing on strategic priorities and leveraging technical groups. With 2025 packaging EPR reporting deadlines approaching, the EPR Support group is raising awareness of requirements, engaging in industry forums, and supporting solutions like chemical recycling and recycled content verification. Meanwhile, the Packaging Design group is analyzing packaging volumes by state to better understand product portfolios and recyclability, promoting circular materials, and driving source reduction to enhance recovery and recyclability.
The National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition or “NLCRC” is an industry-led coalition funded by a committed consortium of value chain stakeholders focused on establishing solutions for the recovery and recycling of packaging for petroleum-based and related products utilized in the transportation and industrial applications Industry.
Members include Berry Global, Castrol (part of bp Group), Chevron, CKS Packaging Inc., ExxonMobil, Graham Packaging, Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association, Lucas Oil, Pennzoil - Quaker State Company, Plastipak Packaging, RPM eco, Safety-Kleen, and Valvoline. For more information, visit https://www.nationallcrc.com
[1] This estimation is considered low because it excludes e-commerce, dealerships, quick lubes, and commercial sales.
[2] We are assuming that contaminated and pigmented HDPE is categorized as “other type of plastics packaging” according to EPA.
