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Author Archives: Colin Staub

About Colin Staub

Colin-StaubColin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Chinese shredder parts excluded from import tariffs

Published: May 30, 2024
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The U.S. Trade Representative’s office recently extended a tariff exemption on shredder parts that wear down until the end of May 2025. | cybrain/Shutterstock

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has extended tariff exemptions that cover certain shredder components imported from China, drawing praise from the Recycled Materials Association. Continue Reading

For ADS, low bale prices offset decrease in product sales

Published: May 21, 2024
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ADS purchases over 1.1 billion pounds of resin annually from 525 suppliers, half of it recycled, making it the largest plastic recycling company in the U.S. | Courtesy of Advanced Drainage Systems

Advanced Drainage Systems, currently the largest plastics recycling company in the U.S., saw lower sales over the past year due to lower demand in the construction and agricultural markets in mid-2023. But the company still reported record profit, largely due to lower feedstock prices. Continue Reading

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Unifi highlights high-volume end users

Published: May 21, 2024
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Pile of plastic bottles for recycling.

Nike, Target, Walmart and clothing manufacturer Polartec have been the biggest users of Unifi’s Repreve recycled polyester fabric.| Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock

More than 40 billion plastic bottles have been recycled into Unifi’s Repreve recycled polyester fabric over the past 17 years, the company announced this month, and a number of brands are leading the way in recycled fabric demand. Continue Reading

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Myplas settles eviction lawsuit as facility remains closed

Published: May 15, 2024
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By mid-2023, the Myplas facility had drawn a total investment of $24 million, but it shut down shortly after it opened. | Photo via MBOLD on YouTube

Minnesota-based film recycling company Myplas USA closed its doors just weeks after opening, and was quickly served with an eviction lawsuit. The legal action has been settled out of court, but the facility’s future remains uncertain.
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Analyst lays out cyclic pattern of recycled resin markets

Published: May 8, 2024
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Emily Friedman of ICIS described several trends driving recycled resin markets in the U.S., during the 2024 Plastics Recycling Conference in Grapevine, Texas. | Big Wave Productions/Plastics Recycling Update

A long runup in recycled natural HDPE prices came to an end last summer, when prices plummeted to levels not seen since 2019. A market analyst with ICIS recently explained how this has become a trend in the plastics recycling market – and how the cycle is beginning again. Continue Reading

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Scrap plastic exports flat despite regional shifts

Published: May 8, 2024
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Shipping and exports

U.S. exporters shipped 234.6 million pounds of scrap plastic to other countries during the first three months of the year, on par with what was exported during the same period in 2023. | Aaron Jacobs/Shutterstock

More than half of the scrap plastic that left the U.S. in the first quarter of the year stayed in North America, recent export figures indicate. Continue Reading

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Unilever has ‘fallen short’ of recyclability goals

Published: May 1, 2024
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Global consumer products company Unilever announced it will revise its sustainability goals, but also said the experience had shown that policy is needed to make real change. | DeawSS/Shutterstock

Unilever recently acknowledged it will miss its 2025 target date for key plastics recycling goals and revised its pledge to reflect that reality – but the company’s head of packaging also said the failure contributed to its support for stronger regulations like extended producer responsibility. Continue Reading

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Recyclers gather in Las Vegas to talk shop

Published: April 24, 2024
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ISRI2024 brought together paper, plastics, electronics and metals recycling companies for four days of discussion on key industry topics, leading up to ISRI announcing its new name, ReMA. | Photo courtesy ReMA

Companies from across the materials recovery spectrum gathered at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last week for the ISRI2024 conference, which culminated in the long-running trade association unveiling a new name. Continue Reading

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Processors say U.S. e-plastics market yet to develop

Published: April 24, 2024
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Sustainable Electronics Recycling International’s survey received 55 responses over two and a half weeks representing 214 facilities worldwide. | Jared Paben/Resource Recycling

A recently published survey of e-scrap companies in the U.S. and abroad offered a look at how many operators are handling plastics recovered from devices. It also provided insights on why a domestic e-plastics processing industry has yet to develop. Continue Reading

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