Readers last month were drawn to stories about the impacts of China’s new limitations on imports of recyclables, as well as a contract to sort and market Houston’s material.
The list below shows our top stories published in January in terms of unique page views.
1 | Where exports displaced from China are finding a home
Recyclables exported out of the U.S. are moving to Southeast Asia, where reclaimers and mills are dramatically increasing purchases as China closes its doors to recovered materials. New figures illustrate that shift.
2 | How China fallout is shaking recycling in California
About 85 percent of mixed paper and OCC exported out of California has been bound for China in recent years, and as the Asian behemoth closes its doors to some of those imports, the state’s recycling industry is feeling the hit.
3 | Fiber sector closes a tough year and braces for more
The global recovered paper market experienced “a quite challenging year” in 2017, according to an expert at paper industry research firm RISI. And those challenges are only expected to continue as Chinese import restrictions ramp up.
4 | Exporter response to China: ‘We are changing our whole strategy’
A representative from a European firm that has felt the direct impacts of China’s import restrictions on recovered plastic recently offered an inside look at the fallout from the unprecedented disruption to industry trade.
5 | An inside look at Houston’s MRF contract
Over the last year, global facility operator FCC was determined to win a bid to sort Houston’s recyclables, and in the end it sweetened its offer to ensure it would be chosen. A company leader recently explained the details behind FCC’s strategy.
