Nestle Waters North America will invest $6 million into the Closed Loop Fund, adding to the pool of money used to finance recycling infrastructure projects nationwide. In a Monday announcement, Nelson Switzer, chief sustainability officer at Nestle Waters North America, described the potential the company sees in advancing the recycling industry. Besides the environmental benefits, Nestle Waters North America pointed...

China’s three-month-old import action has stalled shipments of some recovered plastics from the U.S. and led to substantial import fee increases. As the realities of the National Sword customs crackdown continue to set in, observers are examining the long-term effects it could have on U.S. materials recovery, particularly as China’s government says it plans to further restrict scrap imports. “Right...

Curbside organics collection could be a key component of Washington, D.C.'s strategy to reach an 80 percent diversion rate. A feasibility study has laid out implementation details. There is plenty of demand for curbside organics collection in Washington, consultant Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) found in the April study, but the infrastructure has not kept up with that demand. Rather than...

China's three-month-old import action has stalled shipments of some recovered materials from the U.S. and led to substantial import fee increases for shipments that do clear customs. As the realities of the National Sword customs crackdown set in, observers are examining the long-term effects it could have on U.S. materials recovery, particularly as China's government says it plans to further...

This story has been updated. Major changes to the Illinois electronics recycling program have been proposed, including a requirement that manufacturers fund the recycling of all covered devices that enter the system. Introduced in February, Senate Bill 1417 received multiple substantial amendments last week and now completely overhauls the extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for electronics. Under the system established by the...

In the latest chapter of its ongoing expanded polystyrene saga, New York City will again ban foam food-service packaging. City officials have determined it "cannot be recycled in a manner that is economically feasible or environmentally effective." The city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) released its new findings May 12, and the ban is scheduled to take effect in November. In...

For the second year in a row, U.S. paper recovery marked a record high in 2016. Use of recycled paper is also marking a new milestone in Canada. U.S. recovery hit 67.2 percent last year, an increase over 2015's 66.8 percent, according to figures from the U.S. Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA). The figures represent the tonnage of paper recovered divided...

A North Carolina government office that provides substantial recycling industry support would be eliminated as part of a budget bill approved by the state Senate last week. The Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS), a 27-year-old office within the state Department of Environmental Quality, plays a number of roles in North Carolina recycling efforts. Last year, it funded 34...

Avangard Innovative is continuing its efforts to optimize recycling streams with the assistance of new technology, and the results are playing into bale price negotiations. For several months, the Houston-based recycling and waste optimization company has been rolling out its Sustayn hardware-software system, which provides information on all aspects of a company’s recycling stream. The impetus behind the system comes...

With the frequency of container deposit-related legislation, advocates often look to other states for examples of what to expect when a new law is proposed, and there’s no shortage of states to refer to. This year alone, container deposit programs have been introduced in Illinois and Virginia, and expansions have been proposed in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont. “It...