The world's largest retailer has identified packaging recyclability as a key component of Project Gigaton, its recently announced effort to reduce greenhouse gases in its supply chain. “Packaging we pulled out on its own because it's a really big area in terms of consumer goods, fast-moving retail selling products, and our role in that, so we kind of made that...

Apple envisions a future in which it sources all minerals in its products from recovered electronics, according to the company's recently released environmental responsibility report. The report, released last week, describes the company's efforts to move toward a closed loop system. It also provides a highlight of its current goals and progress. Pushing toward that goal will come one material at...

BlueOak announced that in the next few weeks it will begin operating a smelter aimed exclusively at e-scrap. BlueOak Arkansas will accept all of the circuit boards processed and shredded by Cohen Electronics, an Ohio-based e-scrap processor. BlueOak has a unique position in the industry, because its smelter will begin accepting end-of-life electronics without commingling with other materials, according to BlueOak...

A startup is using microwave technology in an innovative conversion process that allows for small units that can be sold to large plastics generators and other stakeholders. California-based Resynergi is developing the technology into a modular product, breaking away from the traditional plastics-to-fuel model of operating a large conversion plant. The company is looking to sell its microwave system to a range...

Plastic recycling in Minnesota decreased 13 percent in 2015, according to the latest annual report that covers a transition year as the state works to improve its recycling and waste management data reporting. Evolving data collection systems are a theme for the 2015 Select Committee on Recycling and the Environment (SCORE) report, compiled annually for nearly three decades since the...

A free service collecting LDPE films commonly used on farms recently kicked off in central Minnesota, the latest expansion for a growing ag-oriented project. Revolution Plastics is the collection arm of Little Rock, Ark.-based Delta Plastics. It launched in June 2016 and has been steadily developing its base of farm customers. Over 3,000 sites are now a part of the...

China may be gearing up to further crack down on waste materials coming into the country, which could impact scrap imports. Sources last week pointed to solid waste language included in a wider enforcement proposal that has been approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The president heads a committee called the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, which met...

Minnesota is on track to improve the accuracy of its annual recycling and waste management data reporting, so its recent annual report covers a "transition year" for information on waste management activities. Evolving data collection systems are a theme for the 2015 Select Committee on Recycling and the Environment (SCORE) report, compiled annually for nearly three decades since the Minnesota...

As the e-Stewards electronics recycling standard goes through a series of updates, auditors must complete trainings on the new requirements. Beginning Sept. 15, all audits that verify e-Stewards compliance must utilize the criteria included in Version 3.0, which was released last month. A year later, Version 2.0 certification will officially become obsolete. "This means that e-Stewards certification bodies, their auditors,...

User-repair champion iFixit has released four new teardown guides in recent weeks, showing consumers the inner workings of a new set of devices. The teardown manuals assign a repairability score on a 1 to 10 scale. The Nintendo Switch, iPad 5, Samsung S8 and Samsung S8 Plus received scores ranging from 2 to 8. The Nintendo product received the highest...