Tracking Our Progress
Welcome to our progress tracker
At the top of this page, you’ll find (1) aggregate information on recycling infrastructure projects around the globe. Further down the page, you’ll find (2) examples of plastic products that have been designed for greater circularity. Together, these projects and products are accelerating plastics circularity, in which more used plastics are remade into new plastics.
1.) Recycling Infrastructure Projects around the Globe
The projects we are tracking on this dashboard include recycling facilities (mechanical and chemical), plastics sortation/processing facilities, and projects that leverage technologies to enable communities to participate in and enhance recycling at the local level.
This dashboard serves as a repository of the significant investments that plastic makers and the plastics value chain are making around the globe to create a more circular future. Given the momentum and sheer number of projects, tracking developments is an ambitious and constantly changing endeavor, so we encourage you to come back here often for updates.
While we strive to remain up to date, we cannot guarantee that all the information is current or comprehensive.
Projects
Our Map: tracking plastics circularity projects in countries around the globe
Search by country, status and/or category to find projects that contribute to a circular economy for plastics. Or hover over points on the map to learn more about country-specific projects.
2.) Products Designed for Circularity
To achieve circularity, where plastics are used again and again, we must design for it. Here you’ll find examples of products that contribute to plastics circularity, predominantly through (re)design to enable compatibility with recycling streams, incorporation of recycled feedstocks, or both. You can search by brand or product name and/or category.
Following up on the 2019 launch of its ReFresh™ Recycle-Ready product portfolio, Winpak has made significant progress within the last 18 months on the commercialization of its forming and non-forming recycle-ready films – ReForm and ReLam. Anchored in its vision “To Provide the Best Packaging Solutions for People and Planet”, Winpak has already onboarded customers throughout North America on a fully commercial scale.
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ReFlex PCR™ incorporates post-consumer recycled plastic. Using ReFlex PCR™ to package products reduces the amount of plastic waste associated with operations and contributes to the circular economy.
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Glacier™ is a recycle-ready film with enhanced transparency, ideal for showcasing premium seafood products. Made from high-performance resins and utilizing advanced extrusion technology, Glacier™ supports sustainability goals while maintaining excellent visibility.
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ProActive PCR Retort pouches are a sustainable alternative to conventional retort options. These pouches contain up to 30% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) content by mass, reducing the use of virgin plastics. They also support the circular economy and are compliant with UK Plastics Packaging Tax (PPT). ProActive PCR Retort pouches provide the same filling efficiencies, shelf-life, and mechanical performance as standard retort pouches.
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“ProActive Recyclable FibreSculpt complies with OPRL guidelines and boasts over 90% fibre content. This latest innovation underscores ProAmpac’s unwavering commitment to helping brands meet their sustainability goals,” shares Ali McNulty, market manager for ProAmpac.
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CKF has attained its 2025 goal of having 100% of its packaging be recyclable and/or compostable. All substrates produced (Molded Fiber, PET, and Polystyrene) are fully recyclable or compostable. As Canadian Provinces and Territories move to 100% Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), they hope to see all substrates included in their collection and recycling programs.
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A bespoke 14 litre HDPE reusable container designed and manufactured by Berry Global is playing a central role as the vessel for a new refill packaging solution from the Refill Coalition. The pilot for the solution was initiated at Aldi UK in its Solihull branch on October 23rd.
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Berry Global’s leading balewrap brand, Silotite®, has added a new film made with 25% post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) to its B Circular Range of agricultural films. Additionally, SilotitePro1800 Sustane film has been certified by RecyClass, giving users full traceability to the origin of the recycled content. The product is also conveniently packaged in a polyethylene (PE) sleeve, allowing the balewrap and outer packaging to be recycled together and eliminating the need for separation. SilotitePro1800 Sustane incorporates PCR into a high-performance product to deliver a quality silage film with an improved environmental profile.
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By 2025, all shipping sacks and shrink film produced by Balcan Packaging and Plastixx FFS Technologies (Plastixx) will contain a portion of PCR resin (up to 70%) and by 2030, 50% of all resin purchases used in the group’s technical films & flexible packaging will be PCR.
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Mitsui Chemicals has developed Chemipearl™, a polyolefin-based Aqueous Dispersion coating that offers a recyclable and repulpable alternative for any polyethylene-laminated paper packaging material. According to Mitsui Chemicals, by using Chemipearl™ coated paper, the packaging can be easily processed through the paper recycling stream using conventional paper recycling equipment because Chemipearl™ coated paper is easily crushable and easily becomes pulp slurry in the recycling process.
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Packaging maker Bereks is using ExxonMobil’s polyethylene made using chemical recycling to offer its customers certified-circular polyethylene films for food packaging. ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ chemical recycling technology enables the use of recycled polyethylene in food contact applications.
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Working with Karl Bachl GmbH & Co KG (Germany), BASF produces an expandable polystyrene (EPS) that contains mechanically recycled EPS waste. BASF says its Neopor® F 5 Mcycled™ contains 10% recycled material and is suitable for numerous applications in buildings. More Information
StePac (Israel) uses a a chemically recycled polyamide 6 plastic from BASF (Ultramid® Ccycled™) to make modified atmosphere plastic packaging to extend shelf life of foods.
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BASF produces a polyol derived from used mattresses on a large scale. NEVEON processes the recycled polyols and other sustainably certified materials to make new mattresses with up to 80% recycled content. To aid recycling, the various foam components are not glued together but instead are connected with a zipper. This makes it easier to recycle the individual components of the mattresses.
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BASF, Mercedes-Benz, Pyrum Innovations AG and WITTE Automotive collaborated to make automotive components from mass-balanced plastics. Pyrolysis oil from scrap tires and biomethane from organic waste replaced fossil raw materials to make the plastic.
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BASF introduced a polyurethane rigid foam for the construction industry that contains recycled plastics to help improve sustainability of insulation products.
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BASF is collaborating with KraussMaffei, RAMPF and REMONDIS to develop a new process for recycling polyurethane insulation foam from used refrigerators. The partners are using a chemical recycling process (depolymerization) to obtain a recycled polyol, which will be used to make new polyurethane.
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3T Industries (Malaysia) uses BASF’s IrgaCycle™ additive to enhance the performance of recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets that protect pineapples from sun damage. This enables the use of recycled plastic in this application and helps increase fruit yields.
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The mobile spectroscopy provider trinamiX, a subsidiary of BASF, launched an on-site system for identifying more than 15 textile types and compositions. This enables improved sorting of textiles for recycling, supporting a circular economy for textiles.
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Imballaggi Alimentari (Italy) launched Remaxigel boxes for ice cream packaging made from BASF’s Styropor® Ccycled™. This mass-balanced expanded polystyrene is made using pyrolysis oil from chemical recycling of mixed used plastics.
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A polyamide plastic (BASF’s Ultramid®Ccycled®) made from chemically recycled feedtsock is used to produce a new bicycle bag called Pendik under the pinqpong brand by baesiq GmbH (Cologne, Germany). BASF: “BASF feeds pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tires into production of materials for the bag, replacing all fossil resources otherwise that would otherwise be needed.”
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Integrating circular plastics into petfood packaging for household name brands is the goal of a collaborative advanced recycling effort using ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ technology. This collaboration will use International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) PLUS certified-circular plastics in the petfood packaging.
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Plastic cups for single servings of diced fruit have been successfully made using 30% circular PP content. The recycled PP, certified under the ISCC PLUS standard, is made using ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ technology for advanced recycling. This breaks down plastic waste into feedstock for new plastics with the same quality and performance as virgin plastics. The recycled cups are themselves recyclable.
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A food packaging tray circularity initiative in Australia aims to generate value from food-grade plastics. This advanced recycling project – involving SEE Australia’s CRYOVAC fresh red meat trays made using ExxonMobil’s Exxtend™ technology – will divert 900 tonnes/year of plastic waste from landfill or incineration. The resins and tray manufacturing are certified to the ISCC PLUS standard; the circular trays are curbside recyclable within Australia.
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A circular PE food packaging waste solution has been created by a collaborative advanced recycling initiative. Flexible plastic packaging is collected from grocery stores and broken down into feedstocks for certified-circular polymers, which are used to create new food-grade packaging. Circular PE – certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS process – has been used in select packaging of Nature’s Promise antibiotic-free fresh poultry.
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Polyethylene stand-up pouches – used for foods, drinks, medical and other products – have been used to create new pouches with up to 30% recycled PE film. The recycled full PE stand-up pouches retain performance and contain ExxonMobil’s Exceed™ XP, Exceed™ and Enable™ PE polymers.
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High performing collation shrink packaging – used to bundle various products for protection and shelf appeal – is being made using up to 30% recycled PE. The recyclable, monomaterial packaging can wrap six-packs of 1.5 liter bottles, while maintaining performance due to the inclusion of ExxonMobil’s Exceed™ XP and Enable™ performance PE polymers in the formulation.
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See Hau Global, a major Malaysian producer of plastic pallets, wished to use recycled PE and PP in its products. By adding Vistamaxx performance polymers the recycled plastics were able to be remade into pallets that were tougher, more durable, and had improved impact performance and reduced indications of cracking.
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Over 1,200 tons of discarded fishing rope made of PE and PP have been successfully recycled into high-impact resistant crates. Instead of polluting Patagonian ecosystems, the ropes are recycled with addition of ExxonMobil Vistamaxx™ polymers. These allow incompatible PE and PP to mix together when melted, improving strength, enabling high-quality outputs, and reducing costs.
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Polypropylene cups used to serve milk tea – a popular drink in China – have been recycled into cell phone cases. Adding ExxonMobil’s performance polymer, Vistamaxx™, it enhances strength and durability of the recycled PP and repurposes the used cup to make a new product.
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Dow’s INVISU™ 7007 wash-off label adhesive offers high adhesion performance while ensuring cleaner recycled materials, addressing both converter and recycler needs in sustainable package design.
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By recovering ocean bound plastic, SABIC and Scientex have created a flexible polypropylene (PP) packaging for premium brand noodles sold in Malaysia. The PP packaging contains 30% recovered ocean bound plastic made into new packaging via chemical recycling.
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By recovering ocean bound plastic (certified by ISCC PLUS), SABIC converts the recovered plastic into new polyethylene-based packaging via chemical recycling. The new, food-contact approved plastic is used to package frozen seafood.
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Garofalo introduced a novel packaging using SABIC’s certified circular polypropylene (PP). The material is derived from chemical (advanced) recycling of plastic waste, and is the first pasta mono-PP packaging material in the market containing 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. The mono-PP bags can easily be recycled again in existing PP waste streams.
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Flexible plastic packaging collected from Tesco stores was used to produce certified circular polypropylene (PP) from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio for microwavable Heinz Beanz Snap Pots, made from 39% recycled soft plastic.
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Sumicle® is a polyethylene that boasts high rigidity achieved by using a special compounding technology. Single material plastic packages and containers can be made by applying Sumicle® to their outer base layer, for which nylon or PET is traditionally used, and combining it with a polyethylene sealant layer. This new polyethylene product thus contributes to the realization of horizontal recycling—recycling of used plastics back to resin that can be used in similar applications.
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Fuji Seal Group and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation have partnered to recycle shrink-sleeve labels on plastic bottles, which aren’t normally able to be recycled. The process removes printing inks from the labels, which can then be remade into new shrink-sleeve labels.
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The companies created eye drop containers made by Röchling Medical using CirculenRenew polymers. The LDPE plastic is made from renewable bio-based feedstocks which meet stringent pharmaceutical application standards.
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This project made cosmetic tubes and caps for L’OCCITANE en Provence’s “almond” range using plastic supplied by Plastic Energy’s chemical recycling technology.
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This project uses 30% post-consumer mechanically recycled content for PE based heavy duty shipping sacks. The stringent application requirement for this high-performance material is not compromised in the process.
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SYNDIGO recycled polyethylene EX-PCR-WR3 is a mechanically recycled resin sourced from PE agricultural film that is suitable for use in e-commerce mailers, can liners, carry-out bags, protective packaging and shrink film.
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EX-PCR-NC4 is a 100% mechanically recycled resin sourced from back-of-store distribution center PE stretch film and front-of-store consumer drop-off. It can be used to manufacture heavy-duty sacks, e-commerce mailers, stretch wrap, collation shrink, protective packaging and industrial films.
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EX-PCR-HD5 is a mechanically recycled resin sourced from high-density polyethylene milk jugs. It can be used in flexible packaging, heavy-duty sacks and small-part blow molding.
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BOPE-HD film is a fully recyclable, all polyethylene, monomaterial film structure that can be used in food packaging, heavy duty sacks, e-commerce, and other applications. More Information.
Packaging for coffee made of polyethylene without metallization, enabling it to be more recyclable.
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Dow has recycled over a 100 metric tons to improve roads by modifying the formula of traditional asphalt with ELVALOY™ RET and post-consumer recycled plastic. This innovative solution reduces plastic waste, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, optimizes energy consumption, and minimizes resurfacing needs.
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Dow’s INNATE™ TF polyethylene resins have enabled nine of Liby’s laundry products to come in recyclable packaging. Liby then adopted recyclable cushion packaging made with Dow’s post-consumer recycled resins provided by Dow’s recycling partner LOVERE. More Information.
Made with 30% recycled plastic, NanoGreen strech film is a monomaterial film that can be recycled. In 2022 alone it is estimated to have displaced over 250mt of virgin plastic substituted with recycled plastic.
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SABIC PP Impact Copolymer is used to package of Magnum ice cream. The food-safe plastic was made via chemical recycling of post-consumer mixed plastic packaging and can be recycled after use.
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Circ has employed chemical recycling to recycle polycotton blended clothing into new textiles for Zara containing recycled polyester and cotton blends.
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Lumene beauty brand uses Eastman Cristal One E Renew, a recyclable plastic compatible with the PET recycling stream, and a plastic made via chemical recycling, to package its Nordic Hydra Birch Dew Jelly.
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CPChem’s Marlex® Anew™ circular polyethylene made from chemical recycling is being used in CNGs films in for food and medical packaging applications.
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AmSty’s post-consumer recycled polystyrene, made via chemical recycling, is being used by Pactiv Evergreen for its fresh food and beverage packaging.
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**Descriptions of the following examples and associated product properties have been summarized from information made publicly available by the featured manufacturers via their hyperlinked webpages. The Global Partners for Plastics Circularity (GPPC) makes no express or implied endorsement of the featured products. GPPC has not verified the information upon which the summaries are based and is not responsible for any claims or inaccuracies contained therein. Readers are directed to consult the manufacturers’ webpages and to contact the companies directly for further details and any questions.