Publications
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Featured Item Resin Review 2010 The Resin Review is an authoritative resource for comprehensive statistical measurements of the North American plastic resins industry. The 2010 edition contains detailed resin data tables from 1999-2009 on Domestic Production, Sales and Captive (internal) Use by End-use Application, Sales Distribution by Major Market, Industry Capacities, and Capacity Utilization Rates. View the Table of Contents. (Order Online) |
General Publications
This includes a broad range of information focusing on plastic benefits, plastics packaging, material comparison studies, lists of recycled products and their manufacturers, and more!
| Demingling the Mix: An Assessment of Commercially Available Automated Sorting Technology This study is a census of commercially available sorting technology for plastic containers and plastic flake, pellets and other plastic fractions. The evaluation of commercially available equipment was conducted from November 2009 through February 2010. |
| New Report Shows "Dramatic Increase" in Curbside Recycling of Plastic Bags and Film in Los Angeles This study commissioned by Los Angeles County Public Works reveals a 39 percent growth in the recycling of plastic bags and film in Los Angeles County between 2007 and 2009. | |
| 2008 National Postconsumer Recycled Plastic Bag and Film Report The 2008 National Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Bag and Film Report is the fourth annual U.S. report on pounds of plastic bags and film recovered for recycling. The report includes data gathered from both domestic and export post-consumer plastic film markets. Research for this report was conducted by Moore Recycling Associates, Inc. of Sonoma, CA for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). | |
| 2008 National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report The 2008 edition of the United States National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report is the 19th annual report on plastic bottle recycling. This study is a cooperative effort between the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Association of Postconsumer Plastics Recyclers (APR), the goal of which is to quantify the amount of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) bottles recycled, as well as the rate of recycling. | |
| 2008 United States National Post-Consumer Report on Non-Bottle Rigid Plastics Recycling This is the second annual report on pounds of post consumer non-bottle rigid plastics (including packaging and non-packaging) recovered for recycling in the United States. Research for this report was conducted by Moore Recycling Associates, Inc. of Sonoma, CA for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). | |
| 2007 United States National Post-Consumer Report on Non-Bottle Rigid Plastics Recycling This is the first annual report on pounds of post consumer non-bottle rigid plastics (including packaging and non-packaging) recovered for recycling in the United States. Research for this report was conducted by Moore Recycling Associates, Inc. of Sonoma, CA for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). | |
| online | Modern Materials Magazine Provides Architects, builders and owners with the latest information in materials and composite technologies used in the construction market. In insulation, pipes, windows, trim, flooring, roofing and much more Modern Materials is your source for innovation and energy performance in the built environment. |
These publications contain more detailed environmental information, focusing on energy use, recycling, waste impact, source reduction, etc.
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Innovations for Greenhouse Gas Reductions: A Life Cycle Quantification of Carbon Abatement Solutions Enabled by the Chemical Industry Conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, this study used a life cycle carbon dioxide-equivilent (CO2e) emissions analysis to assess the global chemical industry’s greenhouse gas emissions through the life cycle of chemical products and the applications they enable. Analyses were performed for over 100 individual product applications. The study confirms a key role for the chemical industry in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and highlights the important role of plastic products, such as building insulation, packaging, auto parts, and pipe. |
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Brochure: Take a Closer Look at Today's Polystyrene Packaging - Safe, Affordable and Environmentally Responsible |
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Plastics: An Energy Efficient Choice Compares the energy used in producing plastic packaging and common non-plastic alternatives. |
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Understanding Plastic Film A white paper that provides an understanding of what film is, its wide range of applications and contributions to resource conservation. |
| online only | Five Major Myths of Garbage & Why They're Wrong A reprint of a Smithsonian article by William Rathje and Cullen Murphy adapted from their book "Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage." |
| online | The Best Kept Secret The Solid Waste Association of North America's perspective on integrated solid waste systems in America today. |
| online | A Study of Packaging Efficiency as it Relates to Waste Prevention (2007) This study from the ULS Report provides clear and compelling examples of the value of source reduction as a strategy for developing and evaluating sustainable packaging. |
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Plastics' Energy and Greenhouse Gas Savings Using Housewrap |
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Plastics' Energy and Greenhouse Gas Savings Using Refrigerator and Freezer Insulation This document is a case study that examines the greenhouse gas emissions implications of using plastic foam insulation in refrigerators and freezers. |
Environmental Profile Analyses
Resource & Environmental Profile Analyses: Reports that compare the energy use, environmental emissions and waste impact of plastic and alternative materials.
download »Report and Appendices »Report Only »Appendices Only |
Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastics Resins and Four Polyurethane Precursors (Franklin Associates 2010) Produced by Franklin Associates, this report provides an in-depth look at the environmental profiles for the production of major plastic resins and polyurethane precursors. Known as a life cycle inventory, the study offers a cradle-to-resin (or “cradle-to-gate”) picture of plastics production. The report provides current data that quantifies the total energy requirements, energy sources, atmospheric pollutants, and solid waste resulting from the production of plastic materials in North America. |
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Life Cycle Inventory of 100% Postconsumer HDPE and PET Recycled Resin from Postconsumer Containers and Packaging (Franklin Associates 2010) Sponsored by ACC, APR, NAPCOR and PETRA, this study uses life cycle inventory (LCI) methodology to quantify the energy requirements, solid wastes, and atmospheric and waterborne emissions for the processes required to collect postconsumer PET and HDPE packaging, sort and separate the material, and reprocess it into clean recycled resin. |
download »Coffee »Tuna »Milk Containers |
Plastic Packaging Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Studies for Coffee, Tuna and Milk Containers (Franklin Associates 2008) Plastic packaging is often lighter than packaging made from alternative materials. These three reports quantify the environmental benefits of lighter, or source-reduced, packaging throughout the life cycle of each product in terms of reduced energy use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and less waste. |
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Life Cycle Inventory of Polystyrene Foam, Bleached Paperboard, and Corrugated Paperboard Foodservice Products (March 2006) |
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Profile Analysis: Polyethylene Paper Sacks Polyethylene and Unbleached Paper Grocery Sacks |
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Profile Analysis: Polyethylene Milk Containers Polyethylene Milk Bottles and Polyethylene Coated Paperboard Milk Cartons |
Operation Clean Sweep (OCS)
The Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and SPI are working together on a revitalized OCS program to strengthen efforts to educate and change behavior in the plastics industry with a goal of zero pellet loss.
| online | OCS Manual The Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) program and manual contains guidelines to help plastics industry operations managers reduce the loss of pellets to the environment. |
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OCS Brochure |
Community Tools
Here, the recycling coordinator and industry employee will most likely find valuable information on solid waste management and tools to promote these programs to communities.
Community
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Perfecting the Plastics Drop-off A practical guide for designing and reducing contamination in a drop-off program. |
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Sorting Plastic Bottles for Recycling This Guide is intended for existing MRF operators, potential new MRF owners and design engineers. Information presented in this Guide can be used to improve the efficiency of sorting and recovering plastic containers collected from the residential and commercial recyclables streams. |
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MRF Model User's Guide You may wish to go a step further in analyzing the operations at your MRF by taking advantage of the EPIC (Environment and Plastics Industry Council) MRF Model, which was used as an analytical tool during preparation of the Guide. The EPIC MRF Model is a Microsoft Excel 5.0 spreadsheet tool that helps you systematically analyze certain operating and cost parameters at your MRF. |
| online | Vinyl Siding Recycling A guide that overviews the steps involved in recycling vinyl siding scrap, including market research, collection program development and quality control. |
Reclamation
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Demingling the Mix: An Assessment of Commercially Available Automated Sorting Technology |
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Plastic Film Recovery Guide A complete guide for businesses, governments, and recyclers on how to effectively recover plastic film from the waste stream. |
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Plastics Recycling Cost Optimization The report contains detailed discussions and results from implementation and field testing of eleven cost optimization strategies to see if the recommended strategies could actually reduce costs, create jobs and lead to the development of sustainable recycling markets. (Please Note: Download time for this report will be high.) |
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Stretch Wrap Recycling A guide that takes recyclers step-by-step through the design and implementation of a stretch wrap recovery program. |
End-Use
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U. S. and Canadian Recycled Plastic Products Directory |
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How Green is Your Garden? |
Durables
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Plastics from Residential Electronics Recycling RPT 2000 A report that provides a comprehensive summary of the role of plastics in consumer electrical and electronic (E&E) equipment from product design through recovery and recycling. |
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An Industry Full of Potential: Consumer Electronics - 2003 Update An Industry Full of Potential: Ten Facts to Know About Plastics from Consumer Electronics - 2003 Update |
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Ten Facts to Know about Plastics from Electronics Abbreviated fact sheet |
| online | Composition, Properties and Economic Study of Recycled Refrigerators An economic comparison of recycling plastics from post-used refrigerators from the 1970's through today. |
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Designing for the Environment: A Design Guide for Information and Technology Equipment A guide addressing environmental design criteria for design engineers and others involved in manufacturing information and technology equipment. |
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Hands on Plastics TM 2 Kit |
