A new report from Suppliers Partnership for the Environment has found that internal plastic dunnage poses the greatest recovery challenges when it comes to recycling automotive plastic packaging.
The report, “Moving Automotive Supply Chain Plastic Packaging Toward a Sustainable Circular Economy: Full Report and Playbook,” was developed in collaboration with Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and looked at how to increase recycling of internal plastic dunnage and packaging. Because internal plastic dunnage includes materials like foams, films and other low-weight plastics, it poses greater recovery challenges, the report said, due to the logistics of economically collecting and transporting the materials from different facilities along the supply chain.
“We are committed to driving sustainability across the entire supply chain,” Bridget Grewal, Director, Packaging Continuous Improvement at Magna, said. “This new report provides valuable insights and practical guidance for increasing the recycling of plastic packaging in the automotive industry, helping us to reduce waste and improve environmental outcomes.”
The report provides guidance on how to implement programs to manage plastic packaging in the automotive supply chain, while emphasizing the importance of collaboration to consolidate plastic waste which allows for more efficient recycling solutions, officials said.
“By leveraging our technical expertise and deep experience in recycling systems, we helped identify practical solutions for increasing the recyclability of plastic dunnage,” Bryce Hesterman, Senior Consultant at RRS, said. “SP’s leadership and commitment to tackling these challenges truly positions them as the driving force behind meaningful change in the automotive supply chain.”