Hot tickets , and hollow promises

The document warns investors against chemical recycling due to high energy intensity and technical failures, while recommending separate collection (specifically reverse vending machines) and reuse-and-refill systems as high-growth, low-risk opportunities driven by regulatory shifts and consumer demand.

• Chemical recycling is identified as a high-risk investment due to its high energy and carbon intensity, lack of independent life-cycle assessments, and failure to filter out toxic contaminants like bisphenol A, cadmium, and benzene.
• The document highlights the financial instability of chemical recycling, citing the 2020 share-price drop of Loop Industries as a warning of the technology's lack of viability.
• Separate collection, particularly through deposit-return systems (DRS), is presented as a high-growth opportunity. The global reverse vending machine market is projected to grow from 84,100 machines in 2019 to 705,257 by 2029.
• The company TOMRA is singled out as a market leader in reverse vending machines with an expected four-year CAGR of over 20% from 2021 onward.
• Reuse and refill systems are described as a significant long-term equity opportunity, with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimating a $10 billion opportunity if 20% of single-use plastics are replaced with refillables.
• Regulatory trends are shifting toward more comprehensive and binding policies, such as the EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive and China's 2018 National Sword Policy, which increase the pressure for domestic waste management.
• Expanding petrochemical production for plastics creates a high risk of stranded assets for fossil-fuel companies, as plastic production could consume 19% of the remaining carbon budget.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Hot tickets , and hollow promises. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HotTickets_Summary.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Hot tickets , and hollow promises. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HotTickets_Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Hot tickets , and hollow promises |date=September 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HotTickets_Summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021hot, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Hot tickets , and hollow promises}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/HotTickets_Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }