A research project explored the use of potentially contaminated recycled content materials behind barriers in food packaging. The conclusion: We're not quite there yet, but some important next steps have been determined. In many markets, materials made with recycled content must be approved before they can be used for food-contact applications. The recent Europe-based Banus initiative studied the use of using paper and...

A European Union panel approved a pair of proposals that bring recovered material into plastic food and beverage packaging. But that panel, which is called the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF), refused to sign off on one recycling process, saying too little information was submitted for it to make a determination on the safety. The...

A research project has boosted the quality of recycled PET when used in foam, potentially opening the door to new applications for the recovered plastic. Nexam Chemical recently announced the completion of the two-year rPET project. The aim of the project was to upgrade rPET through heat-activated crosslinking for lightweight applications. The main product is an rPET foam with improved...

The Reflex project successfully demonstrated flexible film packaging could be recycled into items such as boxes and crates or drainage pipes. That was one of the successes of the two-year research effort, according to the project coordinator. Led by U.K.-based Axion Consulting, the Reflex (Recycling of Flexible Packaging) project delved into potential solutions to encourage recycling of the notoriously difficult-to-recycle...

A French chemical company has announced industrial-scale production of a recycled polyamide 6.6 resin made from airbag fabrics. Lyon, France-headquartered chemical company Solvay calls the effort its "Move 4earth" project. The advanced recycling process it uses separates the silicone and PA 6.6 in airbags and recovers the plastic. The resulting recycled resin is being sold under the name "Technyl 4earth."...

When Sims Recycling Solutions begins talking with an IT asset disposition client, Sims staff will ask what the customer did before with its end-of-life electronics. The responses vary from "don't ask" to "let's not talk about the past" to "it's complicated." But a favorite for Sean Magann, vice president of sales and marketing for Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS), is "it's...

Supporters and opponents of plastic film policy have differing views on whether the Golden State's voter-supported initiative will have ripple effects nationwide. California is the first state to pass a statewide ban on thin plastic bags given out at checkout, although every county in Hawaii has banned them. "I think if this were left up to voters in other states...

The United States recycled more plastic in its municipal solid waste stream in 2014, continuing a long-standing trend. But the increase was relatively modest. The country recycled about 9.5 percent of all plastics in its municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2014, according to U.S. EPA data released on Nov. 15. That equated to the recycling of 3.17 million tons. The...

The United States' recycling rate notched up slightly in 2014, according to statistics released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The recycling rate came in at 34.6 percent in 2014, up from 34.3 percent in 2013. While total generation of MSW increased, so did the recycling and composting of material, according to the EPA's analysis on 2014. MSW generation increased...

The nation's largest waste and recycling company has replaced longtime leader David Steiner, but the incoming top executive said the company remains committed to materials recovery. The board of directors for the Houston-headquartered garbage and recycling giant elected Jim Fish Jr. as the new president and CEO effective Nov. 10. Fish, chief financial officer for the past four years, replaced...