Optimizing On-Site Recycling at the 2026 Plastics Recycling Conference

For the 2026 Plastics Recycling Conference (PRC), the Association of Plastics Recyclers and Resource Recycling will once again partner with iSustain Recycling to design and manage on-site recycling and material diversion throughout the event.

Building on the success of prior years, the 2026 on-site recycling program is designed to move beyond basic collection and landfill diversion. The focus is on maintaining material integrity, improving traceability, and ensuring that recyclable materials generated during the conference are delivered to appropriate recycling pathways capable of returning those materials to productive use.

From Collection to Processing

Throughout the conference, attendees will have access to clearly marked recycling stations located in the exhibit hall, registration areas, and session rooms. These stations will collect beverage containers, polypropylene water cups, flexible films, paper, and conference lanyards and badges generated during the event.

Following the conference, iSustain will collect and stage all materials for post-event processing. Rather than relying solely on commingled recycling streams, materials will be manually sorted to remove contaminants and segregated by material type. This additional step helps preserve material quality and improves the likelihood that each stream is successfully recycled.

This approach allows the on-site recycling program to focus not just on collection, but on real recycling outcomes supported by appropriate downstream partners.

Supporting Multiple Material Streams

The 2026 program brings together material providers and recycling partners representing multiple segments of the plastics and paper recycling value chain, intentionally aligned to the materials generated at the conference.

Amcor is supplying the recycle-ready polypropylene cups used throughout the event, supporting greater material consistency at the point of collection. 

ExxonMobil Signature Polymers will recycle the flexible plastics leveraging Exxtend™ technology to process difficult-to-recycle plastics and support a more circular plastics economy.

Indorama Ventures, a global leader in PET production and recycling, continues to support the program through its longstanding commitment to circularity and recycled materials. With operations spanning more than 20 recycling facilities worldwide, Indorama Ventures plays a key role in advancing PET recycling at scale.

Conference lanyards and badges collected during the event will be recycled by Svepol, which specializes in polypropylene recycling and compound development, returning recovered materials to manufacturing applications.

Paper, cardboard, and mixed paper generated throughout the conference will be processed by California Recyclers, Inc., a Southern California–based recycling company with extensive experience managing high-volume fiber streams for commercial and industrial customers.

Extending Impact Beyond the Conference

By combining on-site collection, manual post-event sorting, and downstream partnerships with specialized recyclers, the 2026 Plastics Recycling Conference on-site recycling program demonstrates how conferences and events can move beyond landfill diversion and support measurable circular outcomes.

iSustain’s role as program operator ensures that materials collected during the conference are not only diverted, but responsibly managed through defined recycling pathways—reinforcing the conference’s focus on practical, real-world solutions for plastics recycling and circularity.

As in prior years, conference attendees play an important role in the success of the program by using designated recycling stations and following posted instructions. Together, these efforts help maximize material recovery and continue to advance best practices for on-site recycling at PRC.