Keurig Green Mountain, which helped popularize single-serve coffee and tea pods, is attempting to beef up its recycling efforts. Keurig, which has faced considerable criticism in recent years over its unrecyclable K-Cup products, says it will begin rolling out recyclable polypropylene pods this year. The company has also become a sponsor of The Recycling Partnership. It will also begin using...

A leading producer of individual coffee cups says it will change how the product is made in order to aid recycling. Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer at Keurig, said at the SustPack 2016 conference in Chicago last week the company will introduce a recyclable polypropylene pod later this year. The move was formally announced by Keurig on April 15. The...

A worker was killed in a MRF accident in Nebraska shortly after the publication of an article highlighting the often-dangerous working conditions in the recycling industry. Industry injuries report: Fairwarning.org highlighted worker deaths and injuries in the recycling industy, detailing a number of incidents around the country where employees of recycling operations were put in extremely dangerous conditions. Fatal accident:...

A lawsuit from TV manufacturer Vizio that questioned the constitutionality of Connecticut's electronics recycling law and program has been dismissed in its entirety. Victor A. Bolden, a United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut, announced the decision in a 52-page ruling on March 31, court records show.Robert Klee, the commissioner of the Connecticut DEEP and the defendant in...

A country in Southeast Asia investigates pollution from an e-scrap recycling plant, and LG Electronics unveils a repair-friendly smartphone in the Middle East. Laos: An e-scrap recycling company in Laos is under investigation for releasing contaminated water into the neighborhood near its facility, eco-business.com reports. The company, Hokeng Metal Processing Co., previously had cargo seized under suspicion it was illegally...

E-scrap recycling companies are enjoying a price rise in the gold market, and Washington state collection volumes continue to drop. Gold values: E-scrap processors have been receiving golden news recently. The price of gold rose 16.5 percent in the first quarter of 2016, bringing smiles to electronics processors (gold is a key determinant of the price paid for scrap printed...

Dow Chemical Co. has signed on as a funder for The Recycling Partnership to help boost recycling of plastic packaging.  Dow becomes the 23rd member of the private-sector-funded nonprofit group, which works to improve the curbside recycling infrastructure across the U.S. “We appreciate that Dow is actively engaging in real world efforts to improve the sustainability and recyclability of plastic...

A leader at composite lumber manufacturer Trex touts the benefits of recycling stretch films, and a district in Minnesota starts a program to recover more agricultural plastics. Stretch film recycling: LLDPE stretch films are an excellent place for companies to start if they're looking to break into the plastics recycling field, according to Dave Heglas, senior director of material resources...

Several quick-service restaurant brands recently announced packaging sustainability goals. Under new commitments made public this month, Chipotle, Yum Brands and Dunkin' Brands will all aim to increase materials diversion. Chipotle is seeking to achieve a 50 percent reduction in packaging and food waste by 2020. Yum Brands, which operates KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, will also develop a diversion...

While recycling may have been on the defensive in recent months, a survey indicates that the vast majority of Americans are still motivated to divert materials. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Carton Council, found 90 percent of respondents believe recycling is at least somewhat important. Meanwhile, 61 percent said "people should try to make it a priority" and...