We are hearing more and more about recycling technologies other than conventional mechanical methods, with the promise they can better manage hard-to-recycle plastics, especially packaging. They go by several names: “advanced” or “chemical” recycling and sometimes “molecular.”
The three terms are often used interchangeably, so it can be hard to know exactly what to take away from recent headlines, such as Kentucky becomes the 18th state to pass legislation to support “advanced” recycling. Or Closed Loop Partners estimates that “molecular” or “advanced” recycling could double plastics packaging recovery in North America by 2030.
