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Author Archives: Marissa Heffernan

About Marissa Heffernan

Marissa HeffernanMarissa 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].

What’s the right role for chemical recycling?

Published: November 29, 2022
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Mixed plastics baled for recycling.

As of 2021 there were more than 40 companies working to develop or manage chemical recycling projects in the United States. | paul prescott/Shutterstock

Mechanical recycling should take priority over chemical recycling, but there will need to be several technical solutions to the world’s plastic problem, argued panelists on a recent Product Stewardship Institute webinar. 

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What are current policy priorities at national and state levels?

Published: November 8, 2022
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Sign above the door for the Federal Trade Commission building in Washington, D.C.

As part of its effort to harmonize legislation and industry practices, APR has urged the Federal Trade Commission to update its so-called “Green Guides.” | DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock

A federal bottle bill, more extended producer responsibility bills and pressure on single-use plastics are all in the future of plastics legislation, industry policy experts predicted. 

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Study explores California’s LDPE recycling capacity, access

Published: November 15, 2022
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Polyethylene film collected for recycling.

The aims of the study were to document consumer access to recycling for LDPE film and flexible packaging within California, including store and municipal drop-off and MRF collection, and determine film quantity and quality. | artgray/Shutterstock

Recent research found that the average Californian has to drive for 6.2 minutes to reach their nearest PE film recycling location, and that store drop-off programs collect over 8,700 tons of the material each year. 

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Circular Solutions selects finalists

Published: November 15, 2022
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Flexible packaging samples.

The five finalists are Netherlands-based Blue Plastics, Austrian GAW Technologies and U.K. companies Impact Recycling, Mura Technology and Nextek. | Tiffy Studio/Shutterstock

Circular Solutions for Flexibles announced the five finalists in the running for its $3 million Alliance Prize for film recycling.

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Eastman to provide PepsiCo with recycled PET

Published: November 8, 2022
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Eastman Chemical Company website on screen with logo under magnifying glass.

As it looks to build its third chemical recycling facility in the U.S., Eastman is forging partnerships with PepsiCo and P&G to receive its processed PET. | Postmodern Studio/Shutterstock

Chemical recycler Eastman will be supplying PepsiCo with processed PET under a new offtake agreement. 

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Ascend buys majority stake in Circular Polymers

Published: November 8, 2022
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Signing business documents at a desk.

Ascend recently launched a sustainable polyamides line called ReDefyne and needed a stronger supply chain. | Gajus/Shutterstock

Ascend Performance Materials purchased a majority stake in California-based Circular Polymers for an undisclosed amount, giving Ascend a more consistent supply of PCR.

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Building a solution: Plastic-to-concrete additive plant opens

Published: November 1, 2022
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Founded in Costa Rica in 2018, CRDC now operates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Africa, Mexico, the U.K., New Zealand and Hong Kong. | The Image Party/Shutterstock

CRDC Global is turning hard-to-recycle plastic into a concrete additive in Pennsylvania and plans to expand across the country as quickly as it can.  Continue Reading

Industry responds to Greenpeace attack

Published: October 25, 2022
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Bales of plastics for recycling.

The latest Greenpeace report challenges the viability of U.S. plastics recycling. | MuhammadAzman/Shutterstock

A new report from Greenpeace USA asserts no plastics in the U.S. meet the definition of recyclable. The head of one plastics group countered the analysis “could actually cause greater environmental harm.”

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Denton Plastics targets PP with wash line, policy

Published: October 25, 2022
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Nicole Janssen of Denton Plastics

Nicole Janssen, president of Denton Plastics, recently spoke about her company’s efforts to boost PP recycling in the Pacific Northwest. | Jared Paben/Resource Recycling, Inc.

West Coast recycler Denton Plastics is moving the needle on regional polypropylene recycling and policy in Portland, Ore. 

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