3/3/2022
Boy, oh boy, is this month packed! March not only marks the start of spring, but brings days such as Global Recycling Day, Earth Hour and even St. Patrick's Day (That is a whole lot of green). So, without further ado, let’s talk more about what we here at Lyrba USA will be up to in this special month!
To start things off, this March 7th-9th, we will be participating in the Plastics Recycling Conference in Washington DC! This is a really big deal, as it gathers more than 2,000 industry decision-makers and is even touted as being one of the largest North American gatherings of plastics recycling and sustainability professionals! This year, we are attending the expo because we are interested in-
Learning about the critical market shifts that influence the fast evolving world of plastic recycling and sustainability
Connecting with other plastic processors, buyers and sellers
Hearing the latest from global brands and their sustainability goals
As well as, inform and share with others our own sustainability goals and mission
All in all, this will be an event chock-full of learning, as well as teaching op
portunities, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it!
We would also love to highlight the fact that our brand new rPET sheet production line is now being built! We kicked off the year elated for this new addition to Lyrba USA, and while it may not be ready just yet, this puts us one step closer in, not only expanding our offerings, but in accomplishing our mission as recyclers for a more sustainable tomorrow!
Now, while the Plastics Recycling Conference, as well as our brand new rPET sheet line have got us very excited, we would be awful recyclers by not mentioning a very important event happening this month: Global Recycling Day. So, in the spirit of the holi
day, let’s talk a little about the history of plastic recycling and how we got here!
It all started with the American chemist Leo Baekeland and his invention of Bakelite- a fully synthetic plastic. Followed by the Canadian inventors Harry Wasylik and Larry Hansen in 1950 with polyethylene.
These innovations would later come into play in 1959 when Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin made the prototype for the modern plastic bag.
Now, while adopted and loved by the masses, plastic bags began stirring up a public distaste because of their potential environmental risks, so, in response to the outrage, in 1972, the first plastic recycling mill opened its doors in Pennsylvania!
Following this, because of the pressure placed on recyclers to make plastic more recyclable, came the adoption and popularity of HDPE and PET plastics, which dramatically helped in further facilitating the process of recycling.
Finally, in 1988, the triangle symbol used to identify plastic resin was adopted, which ultimately helped popularize recycling in American culture. This led to the traction and steady growth of plastics recycling, which has taken us to where we stand today!
To put it into few words, while many technological advancements have taken place in
order to make plastic recycling a reality, its history and our journey to create a more sustainable planet has just begun! So, this Global Recycling Day, let’s not only remember what has happened, but cheer on what’s to come!
That wraps up our plans for the upcoming month! With a big conference, the building of our new rPET sheet line and Global Recycling Day coming up, we are working hard to receive this spring with our best foot forward. So here’s to another successful and sustainable month!