Today, Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular
Economy unveils a
first-of-its-kind report on increasing recovery of small-format plastic
packaging. The report builds on over two years of market research and
comprehensive recycling tests in partnership with Maybelline
NY and its parent company, L’Oréal
Groupe; with the support of additional
partners Kraft Heinz,
P&G and Target.
The findings demonstrate the positive economic and
environmental impact of recovering small-format packaging, catalyzing the launch
of a new industry collaboration managed by the Center for the Circular Economy:
The Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging.
Alongside the NextGen
Consortium,
the Composting
Consortium
and the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail
Bag,
the Consortium for Small-Format Packaging Recovery is the latest cross-industry
collaboration advancing the Center for the Circular Economy’s mission to
identify, test and scale solutions that solve material challenges and advance a
circular economy.
The newest Consortium is focused on testing the Center’s research findings about
increasing recycling of small-format plastics in real-world scenarios across the
US. As small-format packaging is used in beauty, pharmacy, foodservice,
beverage, retail and beyond, this is a cross-industry challenge; so, the Center
is inviting research-phase partners to join while also expanding participation
to brands across various sectors.
The study, and why it matters
The Center for the Circular Economy’s latest research reveals a viable pathway
to recover tens of thousands of tons of valuable small materials, including
plastics such as polypropylene, from materials recovery facilities
(MRFs) and glass recycling plants across the US. With the right equipment
upgrades and reconfigurations, significant volumes of these materials can be
successfully recycled instead of being lost to waste. For example, upgrading the
glass screen (a type of material sorting equipment) at a MRF resulted in a 67
percent relative reduction in mid- to large-sized "small" plastics contaminating the glass stream —
materials that would have otherwise been discarded are now effectively sorted
and directed into appropriate bales for sale in the recycled materials market.
Each year, consumers buy billions of beauty items, medications and
food packaged in small-format plastic that is difficult to recycle due to
its size and other factors. Currently, most of this ends up in landfills or
incinerators; the small fraction that does end up at recycling facilities often
slips through sorting equipment due to its size, contaminating the glass stream
and ultimately being sent to landfills.
As brands work to meet waste-reduction goals and achieve compliance with
Extended Producer Responsibility
(EPR)
legislation, the opportunity to capture previously unrecovered small-format
plastic packaging can have a significant positive impact.
“We’re eager to put our findings to the test and, through the Consortium to
Recover Small-Format Packaging, deploy equipment and infrastructure upgrades to
drive real-world proof-of-concepts in the field,” says Kate
Daly, Managing Partner at Closed Loop
Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. “It’s critical that we advance
solutions to recover valuable small-format materials, like polypropylene, that
otherwise typically end up in landfill. This is inherently a cross-industry
challenge — we’re inviting our research-phase partners and brands across various
sectors to join the Consortium and help address an urgent waste challenge.”
The research was conducted in collaboration with Circular
Services — a Closed Loop Partners company that
operates over 20 MRFs across the US and manages municipal contracts in major
cities including Austin, New York City, Phoenix and San Antonio.
The study consisted of an extensive, in-field process to identify solutions for
small-format packaging recovery — including evaluating glass stream
contamination at more than half a dozen MRFs across the US. The Center collected
samples from two MRFs’ glass streams and one glass recycling plant’s residue
streams, trialed equipment configurations to sort plastics from these streams,
sent samples to reclaimers to test their processability and market value, and
iterated this process multiple times.
How brands can benefit
In the beauty industry, while a growing number of brands are leading with
circular packaging
solutions
— including
plastic-free,
reusable and
refillable
containers — both material and recycling solutions for conventional packaging
formats remain piecemeal.
"As the number one makeup brand in the world, we have a responsibility to create
the most sustainable makeup life cycle possible,” says Trisha
Ayyagari, Global Brand
President at Maybelline New York. “Most makeup packaging is too small to be
recycled — it literally falls through the cracks at recycling facilities. That’s
why it was so important to partner with Closed Loop Partners’ Center for
Circular Economy to pioneer solutions for small-format recycling and to help us
and the beauty industry accelerate our sustainable transformation. We look
forward to making progress together.”
The report highlights five key insights critical to increasing recovery of small-format packaging and how consumer-products companies can benefit:
-
Many small-format plastic materials hold significant market value
-
Logistical solutions already exist to handle them
-
Current technologies can be adapted to effectively recover portions of them
at MRFs and glass recycling plants
-
Market demand for these materials is strong — especially from mechanical
recyclers
-
Targeted investment in recycling facilities is essential to build a
compelling, scalable business case to recover smaller materials.
These findings can apply to recycling facilities across the country and beyond —
meaning tens of thousands of tons of plastics in the US alone could be recovered
annually, avoiding landfill and generating market value.
Come one, come all
A next step identified by the study is investment in equipment and
infrastructure upgrades for rigid small plastics recovery in the field. The
Center anticipates significant brand benefits — including a quantifiable
tonnage of materials diverted from landfill, carbon emissions avoided, and
post-consumer recycled content generated. The Consortium will lead the
establishment and engagement of a robust value chain for recovery of small
materials from recyclers, reclaimers, policymakers and more.
If your company is part of the small-format packaging value chain — whether as a
manufacturer, brand owner, or other stakeholder — and you're interested in
joining the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging to advance
collaboration, recycling infrastructure investments and policy for nationwide
recovery, contact Closed Loop Partners
here.
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Feb 19, 2025 8am EST / 5am PST / 1pm GMT / 2pm CET