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].
New developments in film and resin technology advance efficiency and circularity goals. | Alex Traksel/Shutterstock
Several companies have released new products that are pushing plastics recycling forward, including PCR-specific additives and 83% recycled content films. Here’s a roundup of innovation news. Continue Reading
Legislators have approved EPR for printed paper and packaging in California. | Kit Leong/Shutterstock
This story has been updated.
California’s printed paper and packaging extended producer responsibility bill passed the state Senate unanimously June 30 and was signed into law, just before the deadline to pull a plastic-tax measure from November’s state ballot.
A lawsuit takes aim at product marketing claims made by Reynolds Consumer Products around recycling and recyclability. | rawf8/Shutterstock
Connecticut’s attorney general sued Reynolds Consumer Products over the marketing of its Hefty trash bags as recyclable, bringing truth-in-labeling lawsuits to another state.
Connecticut students collected nearly 4 tons of bottle caps for recycling through a collaborative effort. | Courtesy of SoundWaters
Connecticut middle school students, with help from processor UltraPoly and other entities, recently collected 2.5 million plastic caps and recycled them into end products as part of a lesson on microplastics.
PTT Global Chemical America is eying central Ohio for a new PET and PE recycling plant. | Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock
The U.S. subsidiary of Thailand-based plastic manufacturer PTT Global Chemical is moving toward a recycled plastic manufacturing facility in central Ohio.
A Fresno, California MRF leveraged grant funding to install robotic sortation equipment to recover more PP. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics
With a little help from The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, a Fresno-based MRF has entered the world of robotics.
California legislators, environmentalists and industry groups are working on a plastics pollution and recycling bill that they hope will persuade ballot measure backers to withdraw their initiative before the deadline at the end of this month. | rarrarorro/Shutterstock
Canada will no longer allow the manufacture of stir sticks as of December 2022, part of a wider plastics prohibition. | Wan Fahmy Redzuan/Shutterstock
Canada has banned a wide range of single-use plastics, effective by the end of the year for most items, and is looking to implement new labeling laws as well.
A European analysis shows 9 million metric tons of discarded plastic was collected for sorting, out of 30 million produced in 2021. | Muhammad Azman/Shutterstock
European recyclers are struggling to get enough material, even as exports of plastics decline and values rise.
A task force in Oregon has set recommendations for recyclability labeling for consumer packaged goods. | Olivier Le Moal/Shutterstock
After nine meetings over five months, the Oregon Truth-in-Labeling Task Force has submitted its final report and recommendations to the state legislature.