Marissa Heffernan worked at Resource Recycling from January 2022 through June 2025, first as staff reporter and then as associate editor. Marissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. After developing a special focus on recycling policy, they were also the editor of the monthly newsletter Policy Now.
SB 1013 brought more container types into the California Redemption Value system but also removed an option for retailers to choose to pay a $100 daily fee instead of accepting returned containers. | Andrii Koval/Shutterstock
Formal rulemaking for changes to California’s deposit system is about to begin, and draft rules shed more light on new requirements for beverage dealers and retailers. Continue Reading
After a 2022 program overhaul allowed most retailers to opt out of deposit system container collection, a report from Cleaner Iowa found that there are 29 counties without a redemption center. | Veja/Shutterstock
Overhauls to Iowa’s bottle bill in 2022 that allowed retailers to opt out of collection are reducing access, as industry players warned when the bill passed. But redemption centers are stepping up to help solve the problem – including by launching a new bag drop program. Continue Reading
Delegates made opening remarks at the first day of the fourth United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting in Canada. | Photo Courtesy of Earth Negotiations Bulletin
The first day of the fourth meeting to draft a global plastic pollution treaty started off with speed as delegates acknowledged the time crunch to get treaty text prepared. Continue Reading
Select Tim Hortons locations in Ottawa and Gatineau will test the fiber lids for up to six weeks to see if they can replace plastic lids. CNW Group/Tim Hortons
Some Canadian Tim Hortons customers will test fiber hot beverage lids in the coming weeks, an attempt by the coffee giant to replace plastic lids with something that will fit into the recycling stream. Continue Reading
The fourth United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting will be held in Ottawa, Canada, April 21-30. | Nexus 7/Shutterstock
The penultimate meeting to draft a global plastic pollution treaty will kick off next week in Ottawa, Canada, and stakeholders say there’s a lot riding on this fourth meeting. Continue Reading
LyondellBasell produced and marketed 123,000 metric tons of recycled and renewable-based polymers in 2023. Its goal is to produce and market 2 million metric tons by 2023. | JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
LyondellBasell worked to expand its line of recycled polymers and reduced the amount of plastic pellets lost into the environment slightly in 2023, its latest sustainability report noted. Continue Reading
An initial extended producer responsibility for packaging plan in Oregon covers the years 2025 through 2027. | Yanqiang Dai/Shutterstock
The shape of Oregon’s extended producer responsibility for packaging plan is becoming clearer after the Circular Action Alliance released its initial program plan to the state. Continue Reading
In its 2023 Sustainability Report, Berry Global noted that it increased its post-consumer recycled resin purchases to 3.6% of all resin purchases, compared to 3.4% in 2022. | Artemis Diana/Shutterstock
Global packaging producer Berry Global used slightly more post-consumer resin in its products in 2023 and increased the amount of post-industrial resin and bioplastic it uses, reaching for 2025 and 2030 goalposts. Continue Reading
Panelist Rebecca Hu said during the session that AI is moving beyond robotics and the technology is on track to provide data and create partnerships that could improve the whole value chain. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
Artificial intelligence is a key element of increasing plastic recycling, panelists at the 2024 Plastics Recycling Conference in Grapevine, Texas, said last month. Continue Reading
The new facility will have the capacity to recycle approximately 110,000 metric tons annually. | Mr_Mrs_Marcha/Shutterstock
Eastman is planning to build its second chemical recycling facility in Longview, Texas, and the U.S. Department of Energy will grant the project up to $375 million, the company recently announced. Continue Reading