A U.K. telecom works to provide needy people with used phones, and Indian authorities intercept thousands of illegally imported used copy machines. United Kingdom: A telecommunications provider is spearheading a program to either recycle used mobile phones or get them into the hands of low-income people, according to Sustainable Brands. A program from the Three UK telecom will collect phones...

A nonprofit group buys California-based Isidore Electronics Recycling, and two lawmakers think 2017 may be the year a "right to repair" bill passes in Minnesota. Processor acquisition: A  major Los Angeles nonprofit organization that helps the formerly incarcerated find jobs purchased Isidore Electronics Recycling. The Los Angeles Times reports that Homeboy Industries used donations to finance the purchase of Isidore,...

Eco Shred of Lafayette, Ind.; Gilmore Services of Pensacola, Fla.; Mobile Document Destruction of Kankakee, Ill.; Northwest Shredders of Woodward, Okla.; Paper Recycling & Shredding Specialists of Pomona, Calif.; Richards & Richards of Nashville, Tenn.; Shred King of Holbrook, Mass. and South Bay Document Destruction of Gardena, Calif. have either achieved or renewed their NAID certifications for physical destruction of...

As Plastics Recycling 2017 approaches, we're offering a series of conversations with industry leaders who will be taking to the stage in New Orleans. This week, the leader of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition sheds light on the ways recycling can tie into larger trends in the packaging realm. Nina Goodrich is the executive director of GreenBlue, a nonprofit group that...

Residents of a settlement in Zambia collect and sell scrap plastics in place of a formal hauling service, and ag plastics recycling efforts grow in Australia. Zambia: Residents of a settlement on the outskirts of Kitwe collect discarded plastic, as their community has no functional garbage and recycling collection service. A short video by Deutsche Welle shows how residents pick...

More foam polystyrene collection centers are opening in the U.S., and a clothing company introduces a new line made from recycled ocean plastics. Sustainable fashion: A new fashion line from H&M includes recycled polyester made from beach plastics. In a press release, H&M describes the Conscious Exclusive collection, noting that it's made from recycled PET yarn from Bionic. Expanding foam...

A U.K. coffee chain begins collecting post-consumer coffee cups at its 2,000 locations, and an Eastern European country has a long way to go to meet the continent's diversion goals. Scotland: Officials in North Lanarkshire say they will "get tough" with locals who improperly recycle their household materials. The Daily Record reports the local government's environmental services department will start...

A Canadian city drives its curbside contamination rates down, and a U.S. city increases recycling tonnages by 20 percent. Contamination reductions: Nanaimo, British Columbia has been successful in reducing contamination from as high as 14 percent down to 10 percent, according to Nanaimo News Now. The target is 3 percent, and hanging over the city's head is the possibility of steep...

An op-ed on sending CRT glass to lead smelters and the bankruptcy of New Life Electronics Recycling grabbed our readers' attention in January. The list below shows our top stories last month in terms of unique page views. 1 | View on CRTs: Lead smelters want your recovered glass The CEO of a prominent CRT company seeks to put to...

Long lines fail to deter residents from participating in a collection event, and one community sets up curbside e-scrap collections. E-scrap rarity: Curbside e-scrap collection is available for Yorkville, Ill. residents, as the city has expanded its contract with its waste and recycling services provider. According to WSPY FM 107.1, the service will be available at no extra cost to...