The Poly Coated Paper Alliance (PCPA), Ann Arbor, Michigan, has launched a new strategy to advance the recovery of polycoated paper and meet emerging extended producer responsibility (EPR) requirements being established in several U.S. states.
“As states implement EPR programs, demonstrating the recovery of polycoated paper products is crucial,” Teo Medellin, director of global packaging sustainability at Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble and a member of the PCPA leadership, says. “PCPA’s strategy today successfully positions more polycoated paper packages to meet the standards of these emerging recycling systems.”
The strategy focuses on achieving widespread collection and recycling of polycoated paper products by filling data gaps, preparing for EPR implementation, establishing universal design guidance and expanding communication efforts.
PCPA plans to conduct research documenting the flow of polycoated paper so it can be included on EPR collections lists and in other communities across the U.S. To prepare for EPR implementation, the organization will collaborate with partners and mills to expand end-market acceptance of polycoated paper and meet responsible end-market requirements.
Introducing universal design guidance aims to provide brands, municipal recycling facilities, converters and end markets with an understanding of what will be introduced into the market, sorted and delivered to end markets. The organization also plans to help communities, recyclers and other stakeholders understand the value of recovering highly recyclable polycoated paper packaging.
Implementation of the renewed strategy is now underway. According to Scott Byrne, vice president of global sustainability at Sonoco Products Co., a South Carolina-based packaging company that serves on the leadership of PCPA, this accelerated collaboration will ensure polycoated paper packaging reaches its fullest potential as a widely recovered and recycled material.
“By combining research, market development, clear design standards and stronger communication, the renewed workplan addresses every step of the recycling chain,” Byrne says. “It’s the pathway to accelerate making polycoated paper a common item in the recycling bin.”