WESTMINSTER, Colo. and NEW
YORK, March 30, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, international environment consultancy
Eunomia, with support from Ball Corporation (NYSE:
BLL), released a new research report entitled "The 50
States of Recycling: A State-by-State Assessment of
Containers and Packaging Recycling Rates"
(www.Ball.com/RealCircularity), offering the first state-by-state
comparison of recycling rates for the most commonly used containers
and packaging materials throughout the
United States.
Notable findings include:
- Not all recycling is created equal, and we should prioritize
recycling of materials that have the greatest potential to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the highest value for creating
new products.
- Collection and recycling are not synonymous, as the quantity of
material collected for recycling today is often far greater than
what is actually processed and recycled into new products with
non-recyclable contaminants making the entire system less
effective.
- Recycling policies, such as a Deposit Return System (DRS), or
"bottle bill," and investment in infrastructure, such as curbside
collection, are crucial to effective recycling systems.
- Overall, the states that have more comprehensive and current
recycling data along with a state-driven reporting system achieve
higher recycling rates, demonstrating the importance of accurate
measurement in moving the U.S. towards a more circular
economy.
The first-of-its-kind report is intended to set a baseline in
each state that can be leveraged to inform policy, design programs
and assess infrastructure proposals and improvements. Using 2018
data sourced from the EPA, states, counties, municipalities,
sorting facilities and material processors, the study looked at
plastic bottles and trays, glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans,
steel cans and cardboard and boxboard. This study takes a bottom-up
approach to estimating recycling rates, analyzing what is found in
the waste stream based on published state and municipality data to
estimate generation and recycling. Importantly, the report focuses
on recycling rates based on the actual material reprocessed or
"upcycled" into new products, rather than the collection rate, the
more commonly used standard of measurement. By taking actual
material reprocessed into new products as the point of measurement,
the recycling rate is more representative of a material's true
circularity and accounts for material losses at the sorting and
processing stage.
The study found the 10 states with the highest recycling
rate for common containers and packaging materials (CCPM)
excluding cardboard and boxboard in 2018 are: Maine (72%); Vermont (62%); Massachusetts (55%); Oregon (55%); Connecticut (52%); New York (51%); Minnesota (49%); Michigan (48%); New
Jersey (46%); and Iowa
(44%).
The 10 states with the lowest recycling rate for CCPM
(excluding cardboard and boxboard) in 2018 are: New Mexico (13%); Texas (13%); Alabama (11%); Oklahoma (10%); Mississippi (8%); South Carolina (8%); Tennessee (7%); Alaska (6%); Louisiana (4%); and West Virginia (2%).
"Good data is the foundation of smart policy, and this study
shows there is enormous opportunity for improving U.S. recycling
rates with solutions that are already working in several states,"
said Sarah Edwards, Director,
Eunomia North America. "This report is just one piece of the
puzzle. It is crucially important we have consistent and
transparent measurement in order to create meaningful change. We
want to help policymakers, operators, and investors make more
informed strategic decisions when it comes to recycling,
infrastructure investment and reducing emissions in waste
management."
Among the other highlights in the report:
- Of the top 10 recycling states:
-
- 7 have good data quality, availability and state reporting
systems.
- 8 have a Deposit Return System (DRS) or "bottle bill."
- 8 have higher landfill disposal costs on a per ton basis.
- Low-value cardboard and boxboard makes up 73% of the recycling
waste stream.
- Recycling one ton of aluminum has 3x the GHG reduction benefit
compared to recycling one ton of cardboard.
- More effective waste management policies could reduce global
CO2 emissions by up to 5% – the equivalent of grounding
all commercial flights globally and taking 65% of cars off the road
for a year.
- 9 of the top 10 states with the highest recycling rates for PET
bottles and aluminum cans are states with a DRS and curbside
recycling infrastructure.
- 3.5x more PET and 3x more aluminum is recycled in DRS states
than in non-DRS states.
- Only 32% of non-bottle PET (such as clamshells) collected is
estimated to be recycled across the 50 U.S. states.
"America's recycling system is broken, but the good news is
Americans overwhelmingly support some of the most effective
solutions to reform it," said Ball Corporation Chairman and
CEO John Hayes. "If we are
willing to recapitalize our antiquated recycling system by taking a
fresh look at the way we create incentives, invest in adequate
infrastructure and change behaviors to drive real recycling, we can
lead the country toward a more circular and sustainable
future."
In coordination with the new report's publication, Ball released
findings from a national survey of 4,000 U.S. adults conducted
March 6-15, 2021, which shows strong
support for policies that would improve recycling and reduce
packaging pollution. Among the survey findings:
- 90% agree that "companies should use packaging that can be
easily reused or recycled."
- 84% agree that "investing in expanding and improving our
nation's recycling infrastructure should be a higher
priority."
- 84% agree that "the U.S. should create a nationwide beverage
container refund program to encourage recycling, where consumers
get back a small fee for returning empty glass jars, aluminum cans
and plastic bottles."
- 81% agree that "difficult or impossible to recycle packaging
materials should be phased out of use in the U.S. to reduce
pollution."
- 67% agree that "companies that manufacture food and beverage
containers should be responsible for the cost of collecting and
recycling their products after people discard them."
"Understanding the current state of our recycling system is
crucial to designing policies, infrastructure and products that
support true circularity in our communities," said Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling
Partnership. "This report demonstrates that no one thing will
heal recycling's challenge alone. The key is addressing the
system holistically to drive real and meaningful change."
As lawmakers at both the state and federal level consider
legislative and regulatory proposals to improve recycling and
reduce packaging pollution, including the recently reintroduced
Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act in the U.S. Congress,
this national survey and "The 50 States of Recycling" report are
instructive as these debates continue. They demonstrate that many
of the most effective legislative measures are also popular among
the American public.
To view the full report and download fact sheets, visit
www.Ball.com/RealCircularity. The full report is also available for
download on the Eunomia website.
About Ball Corporation
Ball Corporation supplies
innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage,
personal care and household products customers, as well as
aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the
U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ
21,500 people worldwide and reported 2020 net sales of $11.8 billion. For more information, visit
www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
About Eunomia
Established in 2001, Eunomia Research
& Consulting ('Eunomia') is an international environmental
consultancy dedicated to adding value to organisations through the
delivery of improved outcomes. Eunomia has over 100 employees, with
offices in Bristol, London, Manchester, Brussels, Athens,
New York and Auckland.
Working throughout the UK, other EU Member States and beyond,
Eunomia's consultants have experience and expertise in
environmental, technical and commercial disciplines. For more
information about Eunomia, please visit www.eunomia.co.uk.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains
"forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial
performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates,"
"believes," "targets," "likely," "positions" and similar
expressions typically identify forward-looking statements, which
are generally any statements other than statements of historical
fact. Such statements are based on current expectations or views of
the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could
cause actual results or events to differ materially from those
expressed or implied. You should therefore not place undue reliance
upon any forward-looking statements and any such statements should
be read in conjunction with, and, qualified in their entirety by,
the cautionary statements referenced below. The Company undertakes
no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise. Key factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual outcomes and results to be different are summarized in
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including
Exhibit 99 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and
at www.sec.gov. Additional factors that might affect: a) our
packaging segments include product capacity, supply, and demand
constraints and fluctuations, including due to virus and disease
outbreaks and responses thereto; availability/cost of raw
materials, equipment, and logistics; competitive packaging, pricing
and substitution; changes in climate and weather; footprint
adjustments and other manufacturing changes, including the startup
of new facilities and lines; failure to achieve synergies,
productivity improvements or cost reductions; unfavorable mandatory
deposit or packaging laws; customer and supplier consolidation;
power and supply chain interruptions; potential delays and tariffs
related to the U.K's departure from the EU; changes in major
customer or supplier contracts or a loss of a major customer or
supplier; political instability and sanctions; currency controls;
changes in foreign exchange or tax rates; and tariffs, trade
actions, or other governmental actions, including business
restrictions and shelter-in-place orders in any country or
jurisdiction affecting goods produced by us or in our supply chain,
including imported raw materials; b) our aerospace segment include
funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and
commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical
uncertainties affecting segment contracts; c) the Company as a
whole include those listed above plus: the extent to which
sustainability-related opportunities arise and can be capitalized
upon; changes in senior management, succession, and the ability to
attract and retain skilled labor; regulatory action or issues
including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety,
including U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting
products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used
in raw materials or in the manufacturing process;
technological developments and innovations; the ability to manage
cyber threats; litigation; strikes; disease; pandemic; labor cost
changes; rates of return on assets of the Company's defined benefit
retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding
geopolitical events and governmental policies both in the U.S. and
in other countries, including policies, orders and actions related
to COVID-19, the U.S. government elections, stimulus package(s),
budget, sequestration and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest
rates affecting our debt; and successful or unsuccessful joint
ventures, acquisitions and divestitures, and their effects on our
operating results and business generally.
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SOURCE Ball Corporation