Showcasing the circular economy

We’re trying to get the message out that a considerable amount of our packaging is designed to be recyclable and should be recycled. To this end, we recently engaged a group of legislators in Ohio to discuss recycling – specifically, packaging made from polyethylene terephthalate resin, better known as PET. This resin is recycled at a rate of more than 55% throughout the world, but only 28% is currently recycled in the U.S., and 11% in Ohio.

We took this group of legislators on a tour that we named, “The Circular Economy of Packaging.” The tour began with a stop at Evergreen, a PET reclaimer with an operation in northwest Ohio. There, our guests saw bales of PET bottles that had been recycled by consumers sorted, shredded, washed, inspected and melted into recycled-plastic pellets. From there, the tour continued at the Amcor Bellevue manufacturing plant in Ohio, where the legislators saw this high-quality recycled plastic turned into a preform, blown, shaped and molded into a new PET bottle or jar, continuing its role in the circular economy. To see the process in action, check out this video.

It was a successful day, but now the work truly begins. Collaborating with influencers and cultivating partnerships is the first step toward our ambitious goals of increasing recycling rates and utilizing more recycled PET in our packaging. Everyone has a role to play in a circular economy. Working with communities to increase recycling efforts and encouraging individuals to recycle is a key component. Recycling a bottle, jar or package reduces environmental impact while helping to increase economic opportunities and jobs within the communities.

More information on Amcor’s commitment to sustainability can be found in Amcor’s 2021 Sustainability Report.