The price spread between the two grades of HDPE bales stood at 85.07 cents per pound for February, according to RecyclingMarkets.net data, the highest level the index has tracked in seven years. | Jared Paben/Resource Recycling
The price spread between natural and color HDPE reached a record high in February, as natural bales pricing increased while mixed-color bales remained near historic lows. Continue Reading
Scrap PET imports rose faster than overall scrap plastic imports did last year, continuing what has been an emerging challenge for the domestic plastics recycling industry. | S Oleg/Shutterstock
Domestic RPET market participants have struggled to compete with inexpensive imported material for nearly two years. But the lack of a specific Harmonized Tariff System code obscures the scale of the issue even as PET’s share of scrap imports surpassed 50%. Continue Reading
Executives at Advanced Drainage Systems, Mohawk Industries and Azek shared expectations for 2025 housing and construction activity during recent investor calls. | Mega Pixel/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Learn more about durable goods and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading
Both buyers and sellers quoted prices as high as 17 cents per pound in mid-February, citing capacity additions and competition with virgin resin for the runup. | CalypsoArt/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. Continue Reading
CEO Mark Costa said the company’s second chemical recycling plant has already received its first funds from the Department of Energy, amid uncertainty for federal funding for Inflation Reduction Act projects. | Petrmalinak/Shutterstock
Amid uncertainty surrounding projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, the CEO of Tennessee-headquartered Eastman expressed confidence in the future of its second U.S. chemical recycling plant, which was greenlit upon a $375 million award from the Department of Energy. Continue Reading
In 2024, Mexico and Canada together received more than half of all U.S. plastic scrap exports and provided about 30% of PET resin imports, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. | Hxdyl/Shutterstock
U.S. President Donald Trump was set to implement 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, effective Feb. 4, then delayed them, creating a rapidly changing trade landscape that furthered uncertainty in the plastics recycling industry. Continue Reading
Although reclaimers and others experienced disruptions in electricity and logistics, the regional RPET market as yet has not been significantly affected. | Eley Archive/Shutterstock
As the threat from wildfires in Southern California subsides thanks to heavy rains in the region, market participants said that so far the effect on RPET market has been minimal, though workers’ lives were disrupted. Continue Reading
As brand owners increasingly require larger volumes of higher-quality recycled plastic, the procurement landscape is gradually shifting to a more formalized structure, while less traditional sourcing also continues to emerge. | Meaw Stocker/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Learn more about procurement trends and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading
Two university teams developed processes using electromagnetic waves and engineered wastewater bacteria to address plastic pollution. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock
University researchers have come up with two new methods to break down plastic waste – one for reuse and the other to rid wastewater of microplastics. Continue Reading
As 2024 wound to close, major plastic resin producers were hit with two similar recycling-related class-action lawsuits – the latest in a growing trend of pursuing legal means of recouping costs for plastic pollution. | Zolnierek/Shutterstock
ExxonMobil on Monday filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alleging that he and several environmental groups defamed the global oil and chemical company “for politics, publicity and private gain.” Continue Reading