Following Donald Trump's win in the 2024 presidential election, the plastics and chemicals industries are processing what may lie ahead in an environment that is likely to have drastic reductions in regulation and an emphasis on fossil fuels.

High-profile data breaches have highlighted the perils of ITAD, and until multiple companies are "put in the penalty box," it will keep happening, industry experts said during a panel at the 2024 E-Scrap Conference. 

Arizona-based ITAD firm DMD Systems Recovery has acquired Basket Materials in a bid to provide services to California's growing tech market and local data centers.

The broad theme of sustainability was a central focus at Pack Expo International in Chicago this week, encompassing package recyclability, PCR content and legislation. 

As companies work toward meeting regulatory requirements for sustainable packaging, they will significantly increase usage of post-consumer resin, compostable materials and certified recycled paperboard, an industry analyst said during at Pack Expo International this week in Chicago.

When retail stores encouraged consumers to bring their own bags or opt out of using one, nearly 5% fewer single-use plastic bags were used, according to a report from the industry-led Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag.

Chemical majors LyondellBasell and Chevron Phillips Chemical have invested an undisclosed amount in recycling technology company Alterra to help commercialize chemical recycling technology for plastics.

The key to implementing effective recycling legislation is to adopt a collaborative, regionally tailored approach, according to a policy expert at the fall member meeting of the Association of Plastic Recyclers. 

Circular Action Alliance, which has emerged as the primary U.S. packaging producer responsibility organization, aims to increase PCR utilization with strategies including verification of responsible end markets, according to the organization's technical advisor.

Although the new Trex composite lumber plant in Arkansas will not start production until 2027, the company's recycling facility will begin processing post-consumer plastic film in early 2025, the CEO said during a quarterly earnings call.