Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Scrap plastic traders are facing challenges from increased freight rates and cancellations of bookings by shipping lines as Basel regulations are implemented. | Mariusz Bugno/Shutterstock
Industry experts say overseas buyers are struggling to source scrap plastic after new restrictions on the global trade of recovered plastic began taking effect.
A leader with AMP Robotics says artificial intelligence has changed how robotics can be incorporated into recycling facilities. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics.
A recycling facility operator and a robotics company say artificial intelligence is providing materials recovery firms with much-needed data to analyze changes in the recycling stream. That’s in addition to sortation improvements.
Once PreZero’s California plant hits full scale, the facility will be producing 24 million pounds per year of film pellets.
A company planning multiple U.S. processing plants taking in hard-to-recycle plastics has begun operating its first location in Southern California.
COVID-19 and pricing pressure led companies to seek other supply lines for PET feedstock. | Pixel B/Shutterstock
A confluence of RPET market disruptions in 2020 included low prime plastic pricing and supply challenges that led end users to seek feedstock from other sources. Still, experts maintain a surge of RPET demand is fast approaching.
Packaging EPR programs are currently in place in parts of Europe, Canada and elsewhere, but to date, this system hasn’t reached the U.S. | Skylines/Shutterstock
Extended producer responsibility for a wide range of recyclables is gaining steam around the country. Haulers and facility operators say it’s critical that these proposals are crafted well – both to preserve what already works and allow for much-needed changes.
Logitech estimates it will have shipped more than 50 million devices that include recycled plastic by the end of 2021. | Marco Curaba/Shutterstock
Logitech has used more post-consumer plastic in its keyboards, mice, webcams and other products over the past three years.
Because the U.S. is not a party to the Basel Convention, exports to the 180-plus countries that are parties to the convention will be more complicated, or may even be prohibited by local laws. | AnkaFed/Shutterstock
The U.S. government has made public an agreement with Canada to continue scrap plastic shipments despite global regulations tightening next year. Environmental advocates are troubled by the deal.
Through the new grants, The Recycling Partnership estimates curbside PP recycling will become available to an additional 4 million people nationwide. | RYosha/Shutterstock
Four materials recovery facilities in the eastern half of the U.S. will begin sorting polypropylene with financial assistance from major brands, retailers and other industry members brought together through The Recycling Partnership.
Currently, PepsiCo uses 30% RPET across the EU. | pixinoo/Shutterstock
PepsiCo will use only post-consumer PET in its plastic beverage packaging for certain brands sold in nine European countries by 2022, the company announced this month.
The bill authorizes millions in grant funds and also creates a prize to support projects related to preventing marine debris. | Mario De Moya F/Shutterstock
Both chambers of Congress have now passed marine debris prevention legislation, which includes millions of dollars in support to states for recycling and other materials management initiatives.