Andrea Bassetti, recycled plastics analytics lead at market intelligence firm ICIS, lays out factors driving recycled resin markets at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference. | Photo Credit: Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.
Analysts from market intelligence firms emphasized the lack of solid footing and stiff competition from virgin resin and imports as key challenges for the plastics recycling market, during sessions at the recent Plastics Recycling Conference. Continue Reading
Although color bales rose on the month, the key construction sector continued to struggle and waste import bans in Indonesia and Thailand took effect. | Lipik Stock Media/Shutterstock
March prices for HDPE natural bales rose by 10% on the month to a more than three-year high, further widening the price spread with color bales amid bearish end-use sectors and new waste import bans in Southeast Asia. Continue Reading
When Canadian polyethylene producer Nova decided to focus on mechanical recycling, less than two years after announcing it was looking at developing a major chemical recycling plant, it joined a growing list of sidelined projects. | Photo Courtesy of Nova Chemicals
The past few years have seen no shortage of ambitious announcements relating to chemical recycling, from small startups to major oil and chemical companies, as recycled content requirements increase and polymer producers struggle to harness future market direction. Continue Reading
The hauler has been pre-buying post-consumer bales from across the Midwest for several months for the complex, which features a Polymer Center and the Blue Polymers resin production plant. | Photo courtesy Republic Services
Republic Services officially opened its Indianapolis plastics recycling complex this week, marking the hauler’s entry into the recycled plastic resin market and continuing its expansion from supplying bales to processing and converting the plastics reclaimed within. Continue Reading
Polypropylene bale pricing has risen to levels not seen since August 2022, largely attributed to increasing demand for use in food-contact packaging. | Retan/Shutterstock
Post-consumer PP bale pricing has continued to rise in March, reflecting trends in recycled content adoption and potentially encouraging MRFs to sort for the polymer. Continue Reading
3R’s U.S. facility plans to offer a domestic processing option for portions of the e-scrap stream that are increasingly difficult to export. | Photo courtesy Basel Action Network
3R Technology California is getting ready to open up shop at its first U.S. location in the Southern California city of Riverbank. The company processes e-plastics into clean, separated flake to help keep e-plastics in the U.S. Continue Reading
Traceability tools can act as a scorecard, providing proof that recycling works and helping counter an often one-sided narrative in consumer media outlets. | 9dream Studio/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Learn more about traceability technology and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading
Partners Novolex and Nova Chemicals are proactively working to increase feedstock supply for the new Indiana facility, which can process 140 million pounds a year of LLDPE film. | Antoinette Smith/Resource Recycling
Editor’s note: Learn more about accelerating film recycling and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading
The company’s flagship plant in Ironton, Ohio, is experiencing fewer and less serious issues, amid rapidly growing interest in the chemically recycled resin. | XXL Photo/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Learn more about food-grade recycled PP and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland.
Three companies announced funding and other progress toward building chemical recycling capacity. | Menzl Guenter/Shutterstock
Several companies recently announced progress toward chemical recycling capacity, including a developing method to recycle PET that could require much less energy. Continue Reading