Collaborating for Impact: NLCRC’s Working Groups in Action
By sharing collective insights and best practices among its members, the National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition (NLCRC) seeks to expedite the shift from disposal to recycling of industry packaging, ensuring readiness for existing and future extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations.
NLCRC Organization
The coalition started 2024 with a refreshed focus on its strategic priorities. Those priorities are based on a member-wide reassessment of its purpose, vision and three-year objectives. They are focused across the packaging value chain and have shaped the development of three workstreams: EPR support, packaging design, and advocacy working groups. These groups support the core three-year objectives of the NLCRC.
Lubricant Packaging Management Association
After nearly two years of assessment, analysis and extensive engagement with numerous stakeholders across the petroleum packaging and related value chain, the NLCRC helped form the Lubricant Packaging Management Association (LPMA). The LPMA is a national non-profit EPR compliance agency founded by five lubricant brand owners to provide EPR compliance options for its members and support the development of circular material management solutions for their petroleum-based and related products and packaging. The NLCRC and the LPMA are separate entities that collaborate to optimize EPR compliance and maximize the impact of collection and recycling performance.
NLCRC Working Groups
The EPR Support working group will primarily focus on post-consumption collection, logistics and recycling phases along the packaging value chain, seeking to optimize the system and efficiency in support of EPR compliance. The group will:
- Clarify information or knowledge gaps created or exacerbated by EPR laws,
- Identify solutions to help lower any industrial risks driven by EPR laws, and
- Work together with the other workstreams within the NLCRC to develop solutions to adapt to the changing legislative context.
The Packaging Design working group will primarily focus on supply (or sourcing), manufacturing (including design) and distribution phases. The group will develop collaborative technology enhancements and innovations to packaging that reduce or mitigate industry risks. Other activities could include foundational research work, the development of industry guidance or the provision of recommendations for packaging design enhancements.
The Advocacy working group will continue to assess the impact and application of EPR laws across the industry’s value chain, and this year will begin to advocate for approaches the industry can take to meet EPR requirements through innovation and collective action (as the NLCRC or in collaboration with other associations). This group will drive advocacy in coordination with the research and best practices developed through the NLCRC’s technical working groups.
These three working groups will align efforts with the NLCRC Communications working group, which will continue to facilitate market engagement and communicate research, advocacy positions and other technical outputs.
Through these collective efforts, the NLCRC aims to streamline post-consumption processes such as collection, logistics and recycling, closing the knowledge gaps that are introduced by EPR legislation along the way. With these working groups, members of the NLCRC are at the forefront of identifying and implementing strategic solutions to mitigate risks and adapt to legislative changes.
The National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition or “NLCRC” is an industry-led coalition funded by a committed consortium of value chain stakeholders focused on establishing solutions for the recovery and recycling of packaging for petroleum-based and related products utilized in the transportation and industrial applications Industry.
Members include Berry Global, Castrol (part of bp Group), Chevron, CKS Packaging Inc., ExxonMobil, Graham Packaging, Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association, Lucas Oil, Nexus Circular, Pennzoil – Quaker State Company, Petroleum Packaging Council, Plastipak Packaging, RPM eco, Safety-Kleen, and Valvoline.
This article was contributed by the NLCRC. To learn more about the NLCRC and the benefits of membership and collaboration, visit its website, connect on LinkedIn or email at hello@nationallcrc.com.