Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Bales of plastic material for sortation at the Pacific Northwest demonstration facility. | Jared Paben/Resource Recycling, Inc.
Following a similar demonstration in the Pacific Northwest last year, industry stakeholders are launching an initiative to recover additional material from the municipal stream in New York and four other states.
Walmart grew its recycled plastic use across product packaging lines from less than 0.5% in 2018 to 9% in 2019. | Chekyravaa/Shutterstock
Some of the largest packaged goods and retail firms increased their use of recycled plastic in 2019, but they have work to do to hit 2025 targets, according to an Ellen MacArthur Foundation update.
A life-cycle analysis found that using recycled PET resin in place of virgin resin can lead to a 40% reduction in process and transportation energy. | GenViewFinder/Shutterstock
The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) says using recycled PET offers a 60% greenhouse gas reduction over virgin material, one of several recent findings the group added to its PET environmental impact resources.
CalRecycle plans to release final redemption data for the first six months of 2020 in the coming weeks. | photobeps/Shutterstock
This story has been updated with new redemption figures from California’s recycling agency.
Advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog recently noted the COVID-19 pandemic has slashed California’s beverage container recycling rate. But the state’s recycling agency called that analysis “inaccurate.”
The pact members are aiming to launch a roadmap document publicly in April 2021. | chainarong06/Shutterstock
The director of the U.S. Plastics Pact says the effort is marked by two key components: focusing on a target-based national strategy to tackle plastic waste and employing rigorous accountability through reporting to the public.
Using data from 2016, researchers found the U.S. could be the third largest generator of mismanaged plastic waste.| Rafeed Hussain/Ocean Conservancy
Despite having a robust plastics collection infrastructure, the U.S. is one of the largest contributors to ocean plastics worldwide, according to new findings from well-known plastic waste researchers.
In 2019, Waste Management processed a record amount of recyclables: 15.5 million tons, up from 15.2 million tons in 2018. | Courtesy of Waste Management.
The largest hauler in North America processed a record amount of recyclables in 2019, and it invested more than $100 million to improve its recycling infrastructure, according to its latest sustainability report.
Analysts say that new Chinese import regulations covering recycled pellets have created challenges for exporters of the material. | Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock
In the U.S., the plastics recycling market has been largely dictated by pandemic-related collection and demand realities. Overseas, a recent Chinese move to restrict recycled plastic pellet imports is posing trade challenges.
In addition to the draft strategy, the EPA plans to release a list of national recycling goals this fall. | Kristi Blokhin/Shutterstock
A draft of the U.S. EPA’s National Recycling Strategy was published last week. The plan aims to foster a “stronger, more resilient and cost-effective” recycling system.
