Scanning For Trends: Filter, Identify, Prepare

  • Confronted with a chaotic world overloaded with data and information, it’s difficult to cut through the noise and identify relevant industry trends early on.
  • This series enables you to identify disruptions or opportunities ahead of time, and anticipate and prepare for potential shifts in industry dynamics.
  • Each month, we’ll filter and analyse the latest recycling market information and identify relevant market trends.

The Trends Matrix below shows those market changes that we believe deserve greater attention. Full Opinions covering each of the key trends will follow through the month.

undefined

This Month’s Top Trends  

US States Push Forward on Plastic Regulations

  • Plastic taxes and regulations are gaining momentum as more states attempt to adopt new recycling regimes.  
  • Maine and Oregon become the first states to pass extended producer responsibility laws, with similar bills pending in at least six other states, whilst a 20 c/lb fee on virgin plastic has been proposed in Rhode Island. 
  • After many years of pushback, has the dam finally burst on recycling regulations in the US? 

Click here to read related article >>>  

Recycling’s Digital Revolution

  • The tech community has been attempting to find innovative solutions to challenges within he recycling sector, from mobile apps that foster consumer engagement in recycling activities, to the use of cryptocurrencies as rewards.  
  • Blockchain is also providing greater visibility and traceability across waste plastics supply chains. 
  • We’ll explore this trend and look for opportunities within the recycling sector. 

Click here to read related article >>>  

Consumers and Scientists Target Hard-to-Recycle Plastics

  • · The challenge of hard-to-recycle plastics is being tackled across the value chain, from the end-user to the ocess engineer. 
  • Whilst new advanced recycling technology pathways emerge, programs to sort and collect these plastics are also gathering pace.  
  • New technologies capable of recycling these materials also need a high-quality feedstock in large enough volumes, making this trend a crucial steppingstone for the industry. 

Click here to read related article >>>  

Recycling Investment Booms Post-COVID

  • The recycling industry is witnessing an unprecedented wave of investment and consolidation as companies clamber for ownership of future supply chains.  
  • Multiple high-profile investments were announced in August from Australia and Southeast Asia, to the US.  
  • Will they be enough to meet the growing RPET demand? 

Click here to read related article >>>  

Brands Push Further and Faster on Recycled Content

  • Large food and beverage companies continue to accelerate their initiatives to address plastic waste.  
  • Many are now forging ahead setting ever more ambitious targets on recycled content, with lots of leading brands striving towards 100% within ever shorter timeframes.  
  • But in a world of limited RPET supply, not everyone can go 100%, so who will be the winners and losers in this race? 

Click here to read related article >>>  

                   

Other Opinions You Might Be Interested In… 

· High Freight Rates Until 2023? 

Explainers You Might Be Interested In…

· Czapp Explains: What is PET?  

undefined

Gareth Lamb

Gareth joined CZ in 2021 and is CZ’s PET analyst and recycling specialist. As well as regularly reporting on key market trends and dynamics, Gareth is also developing new research products and analytics within the PET and rPET space. Prior to joining CZ, Gareth led Wood Mackenzie’s PET research service and was Senior Consultant at IHS Markit, working within the petrochemical consulting team. Dr. Lamb graduated from the University of St Andrews with a PhD in organometallic chemistry; and has a masters of Chemistry degree from the University of Liverpool.

More from this author