News about the latest approvals to use recycling technologies to create recycled plastic for use in food packaging captured attention last month. | Dolores M. Harvey/Shutterstock
Readers last month were drawn to articles about consumer product brand owners, food-contact RPET approvals, a flexible packaging recovery project and plastics exports.
The list below shows our top stories published in June in terms of unique page views.
1 | Group blasts brand owners over plastic pollution
Environmental advocacy group As You Sow says the largest consumer-facing companies are falling short in the area of plastic pollution reduction. It calls for them to support recycling, among other steps.
2 | PET recycling technologies get EU nod
The European Food Safety Authority gave four companies approval to recycle PET into food packaging using Erema and Starlinger technologies. Meanwhile, an application from Veolia was rejected.
3 | The takeaways from over a year of flexible film sortation
A multi-stakeholder project was able to hit some goals separating flexible plastic packaging from other recyclables at a MRF. But backers also reported significant hurdles moving material downstream cost-effectively.
4 | Five big brands averaged 8% recycled content
Post-consumer resin makes up a small percentage of all plastic used by Coca-Cola, Starbucks and others, according to a new report that will be used to track company progress on increasing recycled plastic use.
5 | Shipping giant stops taking exports to Hong Kong
A major shipping line will no longer accept recovered plastic and other scrap material shipments bound for Hong Kong, which remains a large market for U.S. exports.
