Don’t discourage recycling by dismissing the science

On February 11, The Denver Post  published NAPCOR’s letter to the editor responding to the January 24 column by Karen Mockler titled “Time to end the lie of plastics recycling and get real about reducing their use.” Mockler, a self-reported “dedicated recycler,” contradictorily concludes her column, “instead of recycling plastic, we need to focus on phasing out its use everywhere we can.” In her published response, NAPCOR’s Executive Director Laura Stewart demonstrates PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic as a proven, scalable solution for a sustainable economy.

PET plastic, easily identified by the “1” resin identification code, is lightweight, durable, FDA-approved, and important in healthcare, food safety, and disaster relief. PET is also the most recycled plastic in the world. In 2023, the North American (the US, Canada, and Mexico) PET bottle recycling rate also reached an all-time high of 41.3 percent in 2023. A PET bottle can be recycled repeatedly and can be made with up to 100 percent post-consumer recycled material. In other words, PET plastic is made to be remade.

What’s more, multiple studies, including NAPCOR’s peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessment conducted by Franklin Associates, have shown a typical PET soda bottle has less than half the total greenhouse gas footprint of an aluminum can and about a fifth of a glass bottle.

In her letter, Stewart provides proof that plastic recycling works: Oregon’s bottle deposit program achieves PET plastic recycling rates above 75 percent, demonstrating the power of smart policies. She continues, “Colorado is likewise taking the lead with an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program to expand recycling and increase recovery of materials like PET statewide.”

Stewart concludes by stating, “The solution isn’t to abandon recycling but to strengthen it. Investments in infrastructure, public education, and supportive policies can improve recycling rates nationwide and help PET reach its full potential as a sustainable solution.”

Stewart’s letter was published alongside a response from the Plastics Industry Association’s Vice President of Sustainability and Policy Peter Krieger, who states, “The solution isn’t eliminating plastics; it’s ensuring we recycle more of it.”

Stewart and Krieger agree: recycling is not part of the problem — it’s part of the solution.

Click here to read the full content of their letters to the editor in The Denver Post (subscription required.)