A slice of paradise considers banning plastic bags and launching a deposit program, and a packaging publication explores the importance of standardized signage on recycling bins.
Recycling industrial plastics: Kimberly-Clark Professional has expanded a recycling program to include non-hazardous plastics and rubber material from manufacturing and other industrial environments. The company extended its RightCycle by Kimberly-Clark Professional program to include materials such as nitrile gloves and apparel.
Bag ban, deposit system considered: The territorial legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands will consider bills banning the use of plastic bags and implementing a bottle deposit program. The U.S. territory, which includes the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, held hearings on the bills beginning Tuesday.
Environmental impacts of bag bans: Wired.com compares the environmental impacts of three types of bags: paper, plastic and reusable. The analysis raises questions for those who offer knee-jerk support for fees and bans, exploring how different types of bags stack up when it comes to carbon generation, marine litter and environmental justice.
Recycled-content shoe: Adidas and Parley for the Oceans have launched a competition to give away 50 pairs of recycled-content sneakers. Parts of the Adidas x Parley running shoe are made with plastics recovered from the ocean.
Standardized signage: Packaging World explores the potential of standardized recycling bin labels developed by nonprofit group Recycle Across America. The standardized labels attempt to reduce consumer confusion and generate a cleaner stream of material.