David Cornell
Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)
Inducted 2018
David Cornell (1946 – 2022) was a plastics industry pioneer who was deeply involved in the commercialization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles while working at Eastman Chemical Corporation.
At Eastman Chemical, David led development and commercialization programs to develop and define the specific formulations and manufacturing processes for making bottle-grade PET. Eastman Chemical would rise to become the primary global producer of bottle-grade PET.
David went on to become a champion of plastics recycling as the technical director of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), developing the foundation for the continued development of the processes for collecting and recycling plastics. David served as the Technical Director of the APR for more than twenty years and continues to guide the Association. He was the leader and technical expert in creating APR’s technical focus, most notably its packaging design guidelines, cooperative testing programs, science-based position statements, and recognition programs.
David’s strong foundation became the basis for rational discussion and decision-making between package innovators, materials suppliers, plastics recyclers, and other stakeholders in the plastics and plastics recycling supply chains. The APR Design® Guide and Critical Guidance Test Protocols helped set national and global recycling standards.
https://plasticsrecycling.org/