NERC states preference for mechanical recycling

Waste Today Magazine • June 9, 2025

The Brattleboro, Vermont-based Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) has adopted a policy position on chemical recycling that was developed by a subcommittee of its Chemical Recycling Committee.


NERC, whose members are drawn from 11 northeastern states, says the purpose of the policy statement is to articulate guiding principles for environmentally responsible chemical recycling of plastics, which it notes also is referred to as molecular or advanced recycling.


NERC's Chemical Recycling Committee was established to better understand these processes and their environmental impacts to make informed policy decisions.


In line with its mission of moving toward a more circular and sustainable economy, NERC says mechanical recycling currently is the preferred method of plastic waste processing, as it creates fewer environmental impacts than other currently available chemical recycling processes.


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