News from APRA
ERA Launches Advanced Materials Challenge
Emissions Reduction Alberta has launched a Call for Proposals to inviting project proposals to be considered for ERA funding in a competitive process. Proposals will be accepted and evaluated in two stages: the Expression of Interest (“EOI”) stage and the Full Project...
Welcome Back!
APRA is excited to announce that Tammy Schwass will be re-joining us as our Executive Director. Tammy has over 16 years of experience as a professional communicator, with her main area of focus supporting clients in the environmental sector. She has previously been...
APRA Members Only – Advocacy Responses
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group) is developing a new National Standard of Canada (NSC), CSA R117 Plastics recycling: Definitions, measuring, and reporting. This standard will provide a common definitional framework and guidance for the planning,...
Registration for ACPD 2024 is now OPEN!
Registration for ACPD 2024 is now open! The Alberta Plastics Recycling Association is proud to present the 2nd annual Alberta Circular Plastics Day! WHEN: MARCH 14th, 2024 (8am-4pm with a networking gala to follow) WHERE: Productivity and Innovation Centre at NAIT in...
APRA AGM Election Meeting November 22, 2023!
The Alberta Plastics Recycling Association’s Board of Directors has opened the nomination process for two-year Board terms, from 2024-2026. APRA members work across the plastics value chain to advance a circular economy for plastics in the province. The election will...
Welcome to APRA’s Interim Executive Director
APRA is happy to introduce Molly Fyten, who has been named as the Interim Executive Director while our current Executive Director, Tammy Schwass is away on a maternity leave. Molly’s home base is near Lac La Biche where she resides on a farm. Ms. Fyten has several...
Recap – Lethbridge Waste Management and Recycling Centre Tour and Networking Event
APRA would like to thank the City of Lethbridge for providing a tour of the Lethbridge Waste Management and Recycling Centre. On May 31st, some of our members were taken on a guided tour of this integrated facility which handles safe disposal, recycling and composting...
APRA Members Featured in New Podcast
Life in the Heartland has launched a new podcast episode highlighting the circular economy of plastics. Featured in the podcast are APRA's Executive Director, Tammy Schwass and long-time APRA member Dan Zembal from PolyAg Recycling. Listen here:...
APRA Member Launches New Website
The Alberta Recycling Management Authority has launched a new website. Check it out for extensive information about recycling resources in Alberta. Click here to view the website. Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) acts on behalf of the province to oversee...
APRA seeks contractor for Executive Director role…
The Alberta Plastics Recycling Association is currently seeking an interim Executive Director - Part-time contract position. This position will be for coverage of a parental leave, 16 month in duration, with a possibility of an extension. Position to commence May 1,...
APRA News Archive
2019 News Articles
The Gary W. Harris Celebration Plaza in downtown Red Deer will feature benches made by Alberta-based Full Circle Plastics with funding from the Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA) and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA). The company uses 100% post-consumer plastic that has been collected from communities across Alberta to make plastic lumber. This lumber was then used to fulfill a unique design and seating for the Plaza that will serve Red Deer citizens for many years to come. Read more…
2018 News Articles
A local Calgary business and member of the Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA) has been offering plastics recycling to customers across the City for decades. Now, Friendly Earth Environmental is working with autobody shops across the province to recycle plastic car bumpers.
Read more…
2017 News Articles
An announcement was made recently by the Government of China that it intends to block some grades of recovered paper and plastic materials as scrap resources by the end of 2017. This ban stems from China’s previous policies, the Green Fence of 2013 and the National Sword of 2016, aimed to reduce the amount of contaminated plastics and other “waste” materials including paper and scrap metal entering the country.
Read more…
2016 News Articles
On September 14, 2016, APRA’s partner and close ally in plastics recycling, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) announced the winners of the 2016 Plastics Industry Leadership Awards at its annual Plastics Industry Leadership Awards Dinner. CPIA awards recognize outstanding individuals and businesses for their commitment and dedication to the growth and sustainability of the Canadian plastics industry.
Read more…
APRA Announces Successful AGM and Incoming Executive Director
The Alberta Plastics Recycling Association celebrated its 25th Anniversary at its annual Golf Tournament and General Meeting on June 15 in Carstairs, AB. Special guests included representatives from Alberta’s DAOs, membership, board of directors and former staff.
Read more…
APRA Presents with EPS Recycling Leaders from Across Alberta
On February 23, the Alberta Plastics Recycling Association presented at a Recycling Council of Alberta workshop on Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) recycling in Cochrane. The session included other presenters with first hand experience in EPS recycling including two of the three cities in Alberta who have established EPS recycling programs, Cochrane and Aquatera in Grande Prairie.
Read more…
2015 News Articles
A group of about 50 keen observers gathered around the pyrolysis demonstration that took place at the Alberta Care conference in Whitecourt, September 9-11, 2015. Jason Tanne, the founding partner of Resynergi was demonstrating the machine’s conversion of plastics to oil.
Read more…
Polystyrene Recycling is Expanding!
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) recycling is expanding throughout the province. A number of companies as well as cities around the province have made an effort to reduce the amount of EPS bound for the landfill by purchasing an EPS densifier that enables recycling. EPS is typically 2% polystyrene and 98% gas which makes it problematic to landfill because it’s bulky, very light and when fractured, can be a source of wind-driven litter. Different densifiers work in different ways, though the primary method is to heat and/or pressurize the EPS to reduce the amount of air, and thus the amount of space it takes up. This turns the modified EPS into an ingot, a melted form that becomes smaller and easier to store and transport for recycling. Most groups ship the EPS ingots overseas to China where they are turned into consumer items such as coat hangers, picture frames and cases for computers and appliances.
Read more…
APRA and CPIA Tour of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre
On September 29th, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, City of Edmonton and Alberta Plastics Recycling Association hosted a tour of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre for industry and government guests. Read more…
The grass is green on both sides of the plastic fence posts
APRA member Grant Harrington is actively involved in the plastics business. His latest venture is working with a company called Outlook Plastic out of Nobleford, AB. The production method, called Flow Molding, extrudes melted co-mingled plastic and molds it into decking, insert beams, fence posts, parking curbs and barrier posts. They receive the plastic to be recycled from Camrose, Medicine Hat, and Cochrane, among others and transform plastic paint pails and any broken trays. The products are 100% post-consumer and post-industrial high density polyethylene (HDPE).
Read more…
Van Houtte Coffee- Styrofoam Recycling Success
Most of us don’t stop to consider the amount of waste, plastic, expanded polystyrene (EPS), organics and other materials that it takes to produce, package and transport our daily cup of coffee from the tropics to our mugs. As a leading Canadian coffee producer, Van Houtte has considered all the bi-products and decided to do something to reduce its footprint. The company’s mandate is for zero waste to landfill and they’ve been taking steps to discover what materials currently end up at the dump can be recycled.
Read more…
2014 News Articles
McArthur Fine Furniture & Interior Design is a three-generation-run family business in Airdrie, AB. General Manager Darin Pound and his brother have been growing the business since 2009 and in December 2013 took a step to improve the business further and reduce waste by purchasing an expanded polystyrene (EPS) densifier.
Read more…
NOVA Recycling Update
APRA member, NOVA Chemicals provided an update on its plastic recycling efforts in May of this year. Last winter, a hoarding tent was put into place to allow the Polyethylene 1 (PE1) Expansion Project to pour a concrete foundation over the cold winter months at the Joffre Site. When the tent was taken down this spring another of APRA’s long-time members, Merlin Plastics, picked up three tonnes of poly wrap, which was used for the tent’s walls and rooftop structure, for recycling. The material can be recycled into other usable products such as garbage can liners, plastic lumber, trash cans, plastic furniture and films.
Read more...
Building a Future for Energy Recovery
The waste management industry is abuzz with discussions on what is known as the waste-to-energy (WTE) approach or energy from waste (EFW). Proponents list WTE successes in managing waste and generating energy as part of an integrated waste management plan.
Read more…
Plastics to Diesel Conversion Plant Comes to Alberta
APRA welcomes new member Durham Energy Recovery Inc.
The Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA) would like to welcome its newest member, Durham Energy Recovery Inc. (Durham) based in Airdrie, Alberta. The company is providing a unique solution to managing plastics waste, specializing in the energy recovery process by converting plastics into diesel fuel.
Read more…
2013 News Articles
For some years China has imposed restrictions on the import of solid waste. Importers accepted materials they believed were recyclable. Materials were sorted, with the recyclables separated from the waste for recycling and profit. In this process, China found there was a significant amount of waste left over. At the beginning of 2013 they started to enforce the regulations in place previously to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste entering the country. This enforcement has been nicknamed Operation Green Fence by market participants.
Read more…
Plastics Recycling Update
The Annual Recycling Council of Alberta Conference was held October 2-4 in Calgary as a gathering point for waste management and recycling industry experts to discuss and share ideas on recycling in the province of Alberta. Grant Cameron is the Alberta Plastic Recycling Association’s (APRA) Executive Director. Grant presented at the conference on the current state of plastics recycling in the province and shared recommendations for future developments in the industry.
Read more…
2012 News Articles
There are now many effective programs nationally and provincially, but they do not and can not cover all of the remaining “homeless” packaging. More action is required.
Recycling proponents and farmers demand a much needed agricultural plastics stewardship program
The agricultural industry has increased its use of plastics and with that the need for post-use collection and treatment has continued to grow. Yet there is still no formal program in place to recycle or treat the used plastic anywhere in Canada.