Advanced recycling can help us recycle a lot more plastics

Here’s how we plan to do it

Today’s recycling systems can recover some used plastic. But not anywhere near enough.

That’s what makes burgeoning private investments in new recycling technologies so exciting.

These technologies can dramatically increase the types and amount of plastic that can be recycled.

Which reduces the need for fossil resources and keeps plastic out of landfills. And our environment.

It’s called advanced recycling.

These technologies turn used solid plastic into its gas or liquid raw materials to be remade into brand new plastic for use in virtually any plastic product or packaging.

The plastics recycling industry is investing billions of dollars in these technologies and has launched dozens of projects designed to divert millions of tons of used plastic per year from landfills.

Multiple large consumer product companies already create packaging using recycled plastics created by these technologies. And they are clamoring for more to meet sustainability goals.

Hundreds of companies have committed to make more of their packaging recyclable and to use more recycled content. For more info, visit U.S. Plastics Pact.

Advanced recycling can help these companies meet their sustainability goals.

Watch some of the people making sustainable change by helping bring advanced recycling technologies to life.

Meet Jeremy: The Disruptor

As President of Alterra, he’s deploying new technologies to recycle previously difficult-to-recycle plastic, again and again.

Meet Natalie: The Finder

Natalie specializes in finding used plastics to remake into new plastics, many of which had previously been difficult to recycle.

Plastic Recycling Chain

What’s needed to make plastic recycling work better? A team effort.

To recycle plastic, an interwoven chain of players must work in concert. The plastic recycling chain can be viewed as a virtuous circle, in which each player enables the next.

LEARN MORE About Advanced Recycling

Take a deeper dive and learn more about how advanced recycling can tackle the 90% of plastics that aren’t recycled today.

Fact Sheets

The following series illustrates how advanced recycling turns used plastic into new plastic and provides more information about the environmental profile of this new manufacturing technology.

Insights

Find out what’s happening in Advanced Recycling and how we’re making sustainable change.