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].
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.
The New York State Capitol in Albany. | Real Window Creative/Shutterstock
In recent days, a proposal for extended producer responsibility was sidelined in New York, and Iowa lawmakers sat deadlocked over legislation to update the bottle bill.
U.K.-based Viridor used AMUT technology in its new polymer recycling facility. | Courtesy of AMUT
Two large, new facilities in Europe will be able to process a combined total of over 200,000 tons of plastic scrap using high-tech equipment. The following are more details on the PreZero and Viridor facilities.
Using EPA data, researchers estimated how much more plastic was landfilled due to China’s National Sword policy. | Maksim Safaniuk/Shutterstock
China’s National Sword policy caused the quantity of plastic landfilled in the U.S. to jump by 23%, researchers at the University at Buffalo found.
A report from the Ocean Conservancy pushes for recycled-content minimum legislation. | RecycleMan/Shutterstock
A report from the Ocean Conservancy calls for minimum-recycled-content standards to be increased over time, backed by robust enforcement and stiff penalties for non-compliance.
Extended producer responsibility proposals have been discussed in several states in 2022. | EtiAmmos/Shutterstock
A Washington state zero waste group was engaging in “intense negotiations” on an extended producer responsibility bill this year, but the legislation stalled anyway. One advocate said she’s now looking at other states to help inspire next steps.
ACI Plastics will bring 21 jobs to South Carolina with the new $4 million processing facility. | mofaez/Shutterstock
Michigan-based reclaimer ACI Plastics is establishing operations in Pickens County, S.C., to process post-industrial and pre-consumer scrap plastics from southeast molders.
Over the next several years Indorama will invest over $8 billion in chemical recycling and bio-derived plastics. | CAHYADI SUGI/Shutterstock
Chasing its sustainability goals, global PET producer Indorama is going to spend $8 billion over the next eight years to help scale up chemically recycled and bio-based plastics.
GDB in installing additional post-consumer resin processing lines, which will give the company a total production capacity of 80 million pounds per year. | PhilipR/Shutterstock
GDB International is expanding its film recycling capabilities and plans to add more collection points nationwide, betting on increased demand for post-consumer LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE.
A study found that modernizing bottle bills in five Northeast states could create up to $160 million in savings to local governments and add up to $1.4 billion to the region’s economy annually. | Pazargic Liviu/Shutterstock
By updating older deposit return systems, states can create jobs, increase municipal savings and boost recycling rates, according to research from nonprofit Reloop North America.
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