NCLRC’s Learnings on Making Automotive-Related Packaging Sustainable in the U.S.
Various industries depend on disposable single-use plastics made from fossil fuel-derived chemicals. The collection and recycling of oil bottles (or any container that contains petroleum-based liquids) is a considerable challenge in the U.S. due to the residual liquid product remaining in the packaging after use. The residual product presents significant challenges to residential and commercial municipal solid waste (MSW) haulers and mechanical recyclers because of the contamination the oil will leave on their recycling equipment and other wastes, requiring additional cleaning. This is particularly challenging for processes when the equipment is used to process other “non-contaminated” waste. Moreover, the processing and cleaning of oil bottles also add costs for environmental compliance to manage the disposal of liquid wastes that are generated properly.
MSW haulers often decline to collect oil bottles because of increased processing costs and challenges associated with handling residual liquids. The limited acceptance of collection and recycling is exacerbated by the petroleum packaging industry’s minor contribution of packaging waste when compared to other industries, limiting opportunities to influence broad adoption or community-based solutions.
Thus, assessing the feasibility of building a sustainable model in a U.S. market became critical. However, improving recycling infrastructure, technology, and practices cannot be accomplished by individual companies alone. Therefore, in the spring of 2022, the NLCRC launched the Collection and Recycling Program with a pilot in 40 locations in the Atlanta region that had the objectives of testing the feasibility of an alternative collection and recycling program for plastic oil bottles, gaining deeper insights into waste disposal behaviors, evaluating economic and market drivers for post-consumer recovery and recycling, and establishing parameters for model development and future scalability.
A large market was chosen to ensure access to a significant quantity of oil bottles for effective recycling feasibility testing. The program included retail stores, auto care centers, and a community collection center.
A series of incentives helped shape the pilot as an economic viable program that is achievable and scalable, and there were various learnings derived from this pilot. Some of these are the following:
For Retailers, the collection rates varied based on factors like existing oil collection programs at locations, demographic characteristics, and customer density.
For Auto Service Centers, company-wide zero-waste-to-landfill goals increased the interest in supporting the program.
For the Community Collection Center, extensive education and community engagement with resources, visuals, and friendly reminders, were crucial to collecting and properly sorting waste.
For the Recycler, it was proven feasible to process and convert plastic oil bottles into a product usable for creating new plastics, completing the loop for an end-to-end technical solution for recovering and recycling oil bottles from multiple sources in the Atlanta Market.
We invite you to read more about the NLCRC’s experience with the process of building and launching the pilot, the engaged participants, and the results of the 21 months of the program operation here.
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., Graham Packaging, Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association, Nexus Circular, Pennzoil - Quaker State Company, Petroleum Packaging Council, Plastipak Packaging, RPM eco, Safety-Kleen, and Valvoline. For more information, visit our website.
