Associate Editor Jared Paben has worked for Resource Recycling since December 2014. Most of his earlier career was spent as a reporter for the daily newspaper in Bellingham, Wash., but he also has experience working for the Oregon volunteerism commission and for Oregon nonprofits serving low-income populations. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Pinnpack, formerly owned by CarbonLite, will significantly increase its processing capacity with help from the loan. | Millenius/Shutterstock
The state of California provided a $3.5 million loan to an RPET thermoform manufacturer to help it triple its production capacity and decrease employee headcount, according to state records. Continue Reading
Jared Paben outside of ORPET, a PET bottle recycling plant in St. Helens, Ore., in May 2023.
After nine years at Resource Recycling, publisher of Plastics Recycling Update, I have decided to leave to seize life’s next adventure. Continue Reading
Port Klang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where U.S. e-scrap companies send a lot of their e-plastics. Several insiders recently shared their thoughts on how the industry will approach e-plastics export violations. | Nicola Pulham/Shutterstock
Chris Kaasmann sees a parallel between the electronics recycling industry’s requirement to start managing electronics plastics differently and the need for the planet to switch to renewable energy. Both need to happen, but in neither case can you simply flip a switch to realize universal change.
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A recently published roadmap aims to improve the recycling of plastics used in infrastructure applications and other durable goods. | Hans Engbers/Shutterstock
The American Chemistry Council developed a roadmap for improving the recovery of plastics from durable goods in the automotive, building and construction, electronics, infrastructure and medical sectors. Continue Reading
A European Food Safety Authority panel reviewed over two dozen applications to recycle post-consumer PET into food and drink packaging during the past six months. | CalypsoArt/Shutterstock
A food safety scientific panel has approved the use of post-consumer PET recycling technologies from Bandera, Erema, Gneuss, NGR, Polymetrix, Starlinger and others. Continue Reading
A bale of natural HDPE. | Jared Paben/Plastics Recycling Update
Envision Plastics has completed its project to boost its capacity to produce EcoPrime, the reclaimer’s food-grade, post-consumer resin. Continue Reading
During the first nine months of 2023, exports of scrap plastic from the U.S. to Mexico dropped 9% year over year. | Quiggyt4/Shutterstock
The U.S. continued to export less scrap plastic to the rest of the world, according to an analysis of trade data covering the first nine months of 2023. Continue Reading
The methanolysis unit at Eastman’s Kingsport, Tenn. campus. | Courtesy of Eastman Chemical
Eastman Chemical says about 25,000 metric tons of scrap polyester have been preprocessed and are ready for recycling in the company’s new chemical recycling unit, which is slated to come on-line in coming weeks. Continue Reading
Researchers suggest “practical interventions” to promote knowledge sharing about plastics recycling. | Things/Shutterstock
Nonprofit group The Circulate Initiative has published the results of first-of-its-kind research exploring recycled plastic pricing in India and three Southeast Asian countries. Continue Reading
A grinder at rPlanet Earth in the Los Angeles area. The PET reclaimer recently received a grant from the PET Recycling Coalition. | Courtesy of rPlanet Earth
The PET Recycling Coalition has given grants to four companies, including a plastics reclaimer, to help them better recover and recycle post-consumer PET. Continue Reading