Colin Staub was a reporter and associate editor at Resource Recycling until August 2025.
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.
Canada is a major buyer of U.S. scrap plastic, underscoring the significance of the recent agreement. | JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
New trade restrictions will make it more difficult to ship scrap plastic from the U.S. to most countries next year. But exports to Canada are unlikely to be affected by the policy.
Polywood uses HDPE, primarily milk jugs and detergent bottles, to produce various types of outdoor furniture. | vermontalm/Shutterstock
Polywood, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture made from recycled HDPE, will invest nearly $43 million to increase its Syracuse, Ind. production capacity.
Braskem works with both mechanical and chemical recycling processors to produce its PCR. | StanislauV/Shutterstock
Polyolefins giant Braskem has set its sights on expanding post-consumer resin production as part of the company’s new sustainability commitments.
Recently released data shows the U.S. plastics recycling rate held steady at 8.5% in 2018. | nelladel/Shutterstock
The U.S. recycling and composting rate declined significantly in 2018, but certain materials fared better than others, according to figures from the federal government. The drop was partially due to a change in how the rate was calculated.
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.