Marissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. She can be contacted at [email protected].
The strategy is organized into six objectives that address plastic at all stages of its lifecycle. | g0d4ather/Shutterstock
The U.S. EPA released its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, and recycling industry stakeholders responded with support and a call to make sure industry experts are involved with implementation.
HydroBlox creates permeable blocks and slabs of 100% PCR that act as drainage and channel water away from roads, parking lots, yards and other areas. | Photo Courtesy The Recycling Partnership
Bolstering end markets for hard-to-recycle materials is a slow process, but The Recycling Partnership’s Film and Flexibles Recycling Coalition recently released a case study highlighting a success story in HydroBlox.
Delegates at the fifth U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting Busan, South Korea, consult informally between sessions. | Kiara Worth/The Earth Negotiations Bulletin
The fifth and final United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting started in a whirlwind in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 25.
The largest brand owners in the world together used an average of 14% post-consumer resin in their packaging last year, a 2 percentage point increase over 2022. | Photka/Shutterstock
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2023 report indicated a year-over-year decrease in both virgin and overall plastic use from signatory companies. That came from companies incorporating more post-consumer resin, combined with lower overall consumer demand due to economic challenges.
California researchers found that mandates, production limits for virgin resin, $50 billion in plastic waste management investment and a fee or tax on plastic packaging could reduce mismanaged plastic by 91% globally. | Ulrich Mueller/Shutterstock
Using insights from an AI-generated tool, a team of University of California researchers estimated that implementing four policies globally could reduce mismanaged plastic by 91%. Continue Reading
The latest draft, called a “non-paper,” was released by Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, convened by the United Nations. | Bascar/Shutterstock
A new draft of the U.N.’s global treaty on plastics has sparked disappointment from environmental groups after leaving some of the most contentious issues unaddressed. Continue Reading
The first report from The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition set a goal of increasing the U.S. PP recycling rate in the next two years. | Afanasiev Andrii/Shutterstock
The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition has given out $15 million in 60 grants, improving PP recycling access for 48 million people in 26 states, according to its first annual report. Continue Reading
WM, Goodwill and textile recycler Reju are working to create a regional system for collecting, sorting, reusing and recycling textiles. | Chatham172/Shutterstock
Goodwill is continuing to develop its potential as a hub for not only reusing textiles but also recycling them with a new multi-year pilot program. Continue Reading
California’s extended producer responsibility for packaging law, SB 54, just completed another round of public comment. | Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock
Industry players said the latest draft of California’s extended producer responsibility for packaging permanent regulations is an improvement, but there is always more work to be done when it comes to complex policy implementation. Continue Reading
Wine and distilled spirits in bottles, boxes, bladders, pouches or similar containers were added to the California redemption system in 2022, and the state is working through rulemaking and implementation. | Monticello/Shutterstock
Industry representatives shared concerns about PCR requirements, wine bottle labeling rules and how to handle plastic bladder bags inside beverage boxes during an Oct. 29 informal rulemaking workshop on California’s SB 1013. Continue Reading