The UN's top environmental scientist tells a group assembled in Kenya that biodegradable plastics are a false solution to the marine plastics problem, and a Dutch city uses a full suite of technology to optimize its collection routes. Kenya: The United Nations' top environmental scientist said biodegradable plastics are not a solution to the world's marine plastics problem. The Guardian...

E-scrap company FCM will be recycling plastics from scrap electronics at a site in Cornwall, Ontario. The plant is 25,000 square feet in size and is capable of handling around 15,400 tons of recycled plastic annually, Cornwall's local Seaway News reports. The company will focus on recovering HIPS, ABS and other engineered resins commonly found in electronic devices. FCM's primary...

Recently released federal regulations will require e-scrap businesses and others in high-hazard industries to keep detailed logs of workplace-related injuries. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has finalized a rule that requires processing companies to report injury details to OSHA on an annual basis. The federal agency will then make the information available to the...

Legislation to update Pennsylvania's struggling e-scrap program has been introduced to the state's General Assembly. The bill comes from Rep. Chris Ross, a Republican who sponsored Pennsylvania's original e-scrap legislation that was signed into law in 2010.The latest e-scrap bill from Ross proposes adding a "supplementary program" to the state's Covered Device Recycling Act.According to analysis from Pennsylvania-based government affairs...

A container deposit system is set to be introduced in Australia's most populous state, and Pepsi develops a game to get kids in Poland excited about water bottle recycling. Australia: New South Wales has become the third Australian state to pass container deposit legislation. Starting in July 2017, the state of roughly 7.5 million people will attach a deposit of...

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Efforts aimed at organics diversion and food-waste reduction grabbed attention during International Compost Awareness Week. The awareness initiative is held annually in early May and is spearheaded by the US Composting Council and similar organizations in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Below, we outline some of the ways compost stakeholders worked to bring their message to the masses. The...

Most U.S. residents can now access a free mail-in and drop-off program from Nespresso to recycle aluminum-based coffee capsules. The program, which is a partnership between Nespresso and UPS, provides free recycling bags to consumers and allows them to ship capsules back to Nespresso or drop them off at retail partners and UPS stores. The program is available to all...

An Australian state will introduce a container deposit program next year and a city in Nebraska considers a landfill ban on paper. Bottle bill: New South Wales has become the third Australian state to pass container deposit legislation. Starting in July 2017, the state of roughly 7.5 million people will attach a 10 cent deposit on most drink containers, including...

A European trade group delves into PET thermoform recycling, and a government report in Australia calls for major steps to curb marine plastic pollution. Europe: Petcore Europe has released a paper exploring the benefits and problems associated with recycling PET thermoforms. The analysis comes after the trade association formed a working group on the topic, and it also explores ongoing...