AF&PA (CONT’D FROM PAGE 18)
cycling complex. A home inside city limits might have a contract with a specific waste management company. That company has a list of items that they’re willing to collect based on what they can sell on the recovered materials marketplace. A home outside of city limits in the county uses a dif- ferent waste management company. The list of what they collect is different from what is collected inside city limits. The frequency that they run collection routes can differ too. This is just one example of how the list of what’s ac- cepted for recycling can differ across city and county lines. It’s also one of the reasons why states need to understand the current system before they make changes. Why Should a state Complete a Needs Assessments Be- fore Implementing an EPR Program? Needs assessments are useful tools and help states develop data-based solutions. A study might show op- portunities to improve certain parts of the system. Then, states can focus on solutions to strengthen those areas. The needs assessment could highlight areas where the system is working well. That allows the state to build in flexibility and reproduce solutions that already work. EPR programs are costly for states to implement. Us- ing data from a needs assessment helps states focus their resources. Starting with a needs assessment study also helps states avoid unintended consequences such as: • Negatively affecting recycling rates for easy-to-recycle materials like paper • Impacting already established end-markets • Increasing costs for residents How is the Paper Industry Helping To Improve Recycling? Investing in and improving paper recycling has been an industry priority for decades. Our industry first set a goal to help improve paper recycling in the 1990s. The recycling rate has doubled since that time. We maintain consistently high recycling rates. We have an ownership stake in the recycling system. AF&PA members own and operate more than 100 materi- als recovery facilities nationwide. When you recycle paper, our industry turns it into new paper and packaging. In fact, about 80 percent of U.S. paper mills use some recycled paper in their process. Our industry is investing in man- ufacturing infrastructure. Nearly $7 billion in investments, planned or announced (2019-2025), will use more than 9 million additional tons of recovered fiber. We’re also work- ing to advance a circular value chain through Better Prac- tices, Better Planet 2030: Sustainable Products for a Sus- tainable Future. This goal includes: • Increasing the use of secondary materials like recycled paper in new paper products to 50 percent • Increasing the percentage of our products that are re- cyclable or compostable • Innovating manufacturing processes, products and packaging Visit afandpa.org for more information.
Setting the Standard In Anilox & Glue Roll Technology
20 March 18, 2024
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