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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].

Film extruder moving into recycled plastic molding

Published: April 26, 2022
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Detail of map showing Berwick, Pa. and surrounding area.

The owner and president of US Premium Molders said Berwick was chosen for its easy access to the major interstates and proximity to the metropolitan markets. | SevenMaps/Shutterstock

US Premium Plastics is expanding into the injection molding business and recently signed a lease in Berwick, Pa.

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US plastic recycling numbers continue to fall

Published: April 26, 2022
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PET bottles collected for recycling.

Broken down by scrap type, a study found that bottles, non-bottle rigid plastics and other plastics all saw declines individually in 2020. | TeuNg StyLe/Shutterstock

The U.S. is processing more of its scrap plastic domestically, but the overall weight of plastic recycled in 2020 dropped just under 6% from 2019, according to an annual industry report.

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ExxonMobil, others roll out chemical recycling updates

Published: April 26, 2022
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Exxon Mobil corporate sign and landscaping.

Packaging companies recently announced they will purchase recycled resin produced through ExxonMobil’s chemical recycling technology. | Katherine Welles/Shutterstock

Multiple companies announced they will be increasing their use of chemically recycled plastics in pursuit of their recycled-content goals, and a consumer goods group said it supports chemical recycling.

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Diversity, equity and inclusion vital to future operations

Published: April 26, 2022
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Interviewing candidates waiting room.

A presenter at NERC’s Spring Conference encouraged recruitment managers to implement specific practices to reduce bias in hiring decisions.  | fizkes/Shutterstock

Diversity, equity and inclusion are no longer add-ons, but a necessary part of any serious company, panelists at the Northeast Recycling Council’s Spring 2022 Conference said.

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California’s PCR crunch ‘just the beginning’

Published: April 20, 2022
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Empty PET bottles for recycling.

To meet California’s 15% PCR rate by 2022, U.S. reclaimers need an aggregate additional output of 800,000 tons of food-grade post-consumer PET and PE.  | monticello/Shutterstock

A report from Independent Commodity Intelligence Services found that there’s not enough post-consumer resin in the U.S. market to meet California’s mandates, and there are more state mandates coming on-line soon. 

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Canada Plastics Pact names ‘problematic plastics’

Published: April 20, 2022
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Garbage bags with foam food-service packaging.

On the list are plastics with undetectable carbon black, PVC, PVDC, EPS, PS, PETG in rigid plastic and oxo-degradable plastics. | wk1003mike/Shutterstock

The Canada Plastics Pact released nine design rules to move toward a circular economy, a document that included a list of “problematic plastics” to avoid.  Continue Reading

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Supply chain jam creates long delays for recycling equipment

Published: April 13, 2022
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Aerial view of plastics processor KW's facility in Troy, Ala.

Snarls in global supply chains are impacting recycling equipment providers and plastics processors, including KW Plastics, in a number of ways. | Courtesy of KW Plastics

Equipment manufacturers and their customers are feeling the pressure of extended lead times and supply chain backups, forcing them to adapt as demand soars and supply dwindles.

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Recycling startup tackles laboratory plastics

Published: April 13, 2022
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GreenLabs Recycling collection boxes.

GreenLabs Recycling recently hit 100,000 pounds of plastic recycled since it began collecting material in 2019. | Courtesy of GreenLabs Recycling

More than 20 million plastic pipette tip boxes are shipped to the greater Boston area each year, and the vast majority are not recycled. GreenLabs Recycling is working to change that.

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