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 are also the editor of the monthly newsletter Policy Now. Heffernan can be contacted at [email protected].
Amcor’s 2022 sustainability report also noted that 74% of Amcor’s total production by weight is now designed to be recycled and it has made a 33% reduction in material sent to disposal over the past three years. | 360b/Shutterstock
After several years of gains in recycled content usage, Amcor is setting a new recycled content goal of 30% by 2030, tripling its previous target.
Although the majority of companies continued to decrease virgin plastic use, collective use of plastic packaging increased by 4.3% from 2020 to 2021. | Zety Akhzar/Shutterstock
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s latest report showed that major packaging companies doubled their collective PCR percentage from 2018 to 2021. However, pandemic-related commerce trends also helped accelerate virgin plastic consumption.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Based outside of Houston, Avangard recycles PE films used in the commercial sector. | Mega Pixel/Shutterstock
Reclaimer and equipment technology company Avangard Innovative plans to open a recycling facility in Indiana, slated to come on-line in 2024. Continue Reading
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