Degradable Additives Provide Poor End-of-Life Option for PET Packaging, Says NAPCOR

“There is still insufficient evidence that these additives do ‘no harm’ to the PET recycling stream under reallife conditions, nor is there data to confirm that the lifespan and functionality of the many next-use products made from recycled PET won’t be adversely affected,” said Tom Busard, NAPCOR’s Chairman.

5/4/2011 --- The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) reiterated its position on degradable additives, confirming its opposition to their use in all PET packaging. The PET trade organization had previously urged caution in the use of these additives (May 2009), citing lack of data about potential effects on PET recycling. NAPCOR’s decision to reaffirm its public stance on this issue was prompted by continued new package introductions and related claims, without adequate new data demonstrating additives’ efficacy as an end-of-life strategy, or their effects on recycling.

“There is still insufficient evidence that these additives do ‘no harm’ to the PET recycling stream under reallife conditions, nor is there data to confirm that the lifespan and functionality of the many next-use products made from recycled PET won’t be adversely affected,” said Tom Busard, NAPCOR’s Chairman. “This is of serious concern to the PET packaging and recycling industries.”

Degradable additives are commonly added during the production of plastic packaging in order to promote degradation of that packaging under certain circumstances. These additives are impossible to detect visually, or through any commonly used recycled material sorting technologies. NAPCOR maintains that the use of degradable additives in PET packaging not only jeopardizes PET recycling due to unknown potential consequences, but runs counter to the principles of sustainability and sound environmental stewardship, making it a poor end-of-life option:

- Increases GHGs emitted in landfills and elsewhere;
- Squanders value of the energy inherent in a plastic package that would be captured through recycling and re-converting to a new end-use application;
- Provides no nutrient value to the environment in which it decomposes;
- Endangers post consumer plastic recycling for those resins in which the additive is used;
- Solves no solid waste management problems, including litter.