By Jim Johnson
SENIOR STAFF REPORTER
Published: September 17, 2014 10:22 am ET
Updated: September 17, 2014 10:27 am ET
PET has its bale specifications for recycling. And so does high density polyethylene. But now comes polypropylene's time.
The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers is out with its model bale specifications for PP containers, developed by the trade group as the recycling market for that material has grown in recent years.
Steve Alexander, executive director of APR, in a statement calls creation of the specifications “a big step forward in plastics recycling.”
“The effort to expand the recycling of containers beyond PET and HDPE has evolved to the point where polypropylene PCR is rapidly approaching critical mass. As the industry that recycles plastic, it is important we help the marketplace understand what constitutes the most optimal bale composition for the material,” he said in the statement.
As APR chairman and general manager of KW Plastics, Scott Saunders has seen the market for PP grow.
“This bale specification is recognition that the market has matured to the level where a specification is needed,” he said in a statement.
The new specifications, APR said, are designed to help materials recovery facility operators reduce contamination of bales of recycled PP. | 
