America Recycles Day Speaks to the Monumental Achievements of the Petroleum and Lubricants Industry 

Every year, on November 15, people across the United States celebrate America Recycles Day. It is a time to reflect on the importance of recycling in our society, acknowledge the work that remains, and find ways to take action, both big and small. Looking back over the course of the last year, it is important to recognize on this day the significant achievements of the petroleum and lubricant industry in recycling their packaging. 

Prior to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws being introduced in several states, the industry came together to form the National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition (NLCRC). As an industry, they “focused on establishing solutions for recovery and recycling of packaging.” This early collaboration laid the groundwork for a unified approach to managing hard-to-recycle materials. 

Then when EPR became a reality, the industry could have sat back, like many others with hard to recycle products, and accepted the programs established under each law. This would have meant paying into EPR programs where petroleum and lubricant packaging was deemed non-recyclable and sent to landfill. 

Instead, the industry took it upon itself to create its own Producer Responsibility Organization, or PRO, which is now LPMA. The heart of LPMA’s operations is to make sure the industry’s materials are safely collected and recycled, and the material is returned for use in new lubricant containers. This innovative approach to recycling has yet to be replicated by other industries dealing with hard-to-recycle material. 

In the past year, LPMA has registered new participants across the country, expanded outreach to producers and stakeholders, became a state-approved compliance organization in Colorado, and began the work to set up collection operations in Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, and California. 

On this America Recycles Day, we commend the industry for the foresight and dedication to taking on the challenge of creating their own circular approach to managing their materials. Their leadership is helping reshape how EPR can work for specialized, high-value, and hard-to-recycle materials. And by next November 15, we look forward to further growth and ever-increasing recycling rates for the industry’s materials.