Photo courtesy of IISD/ENB Kiara Worth

Plastics policy development – at both the global and state levels – drew readers last month, along with a major packaging firm’s acknowledgement it will miss its target deadline for recycling goals.

The list below shows our top stories published in May in terms of unique page views.

1 | INC-4 starts revisions, runs into tension on production

The fourth meeting to draft a global plastic pollution treaty ended just after 3 a.m. on April 30 with general agreement on the need for global rules and mandates on product design, composition, performance and extended producer responsibility.

2 | Unilever has ‘fallen short’ of recyclability goals

Unilever recently acknowledged it will miss its 2025 target date for key plastics recycling goals and revised its pledge to reflect that reality – but the company’s head of packaging also said the failure contributed to its support for stronger regulations like extended producer responsibility.

3 | Minnesota EPR program advances in budget bill

Minnesota is officially the fifth U.S. state to pass extended producer responsibility for packaging after adding the program language into the 2024 Environment and Natural Resources Budget, which the governor signed.

4 | Recycled plastic prices continue to climb higher

Natural and color HDPE prices rose higher this month, continuing an upward trend that began last fall.

5 | Chemical recycling firm plans $950 million facility

Brightmark is developing a pyrolysis plant in Georgia capable of processing 800 million pounds of mixed plastics per year, the company announced last week.