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].
Stakeholders and involved parties will continue to debate the precise language of the agreement. | Nexus 7/Shutterstock
The first working draft of the United Nations’ global plastics agreement lays out the broad strokes of what is intended to be a legally binding way to manage plastic pollution on land and in the oceans. Continue Reading
Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at the Ocean Conservancy, speaks during the “Plastic Tensions Within Extended Producer Responsibility” session at the 2023 Resource Recycling Conference in Orlando, Fla. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
Resource Recycling Conference attendees may have been expecting a boxing ring when stakeholders got on stage to talk about plastic and extended producer responsibility, but instead they got a message of hope, progress and civil disagreement on film, chemical recycling and labeling. Continue Reading
Of the nine states for which data is available, only two showed meaningful increases in their container redemption rates. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock
Most states with deposit return systems saw static or reduced bottle redemption rates in 2022, according to a deposit advocacy organization. Continue Reading
Plastics recycler MBA Polymers UK is adding a fourth facility in the face of higher customer demand. | Courtesy of MBA Polymers UK
A fourth facility for MBA Polymers UK will give the plastics recycler a 35% capacity boost once it comes on-line in September. Continue Reading
Researchers at The Circulate Initiative identified several common challenges that cities face when dealing with plastic waste. | Mohamed Abdulraheem/Shutterstock
Research recently undertaken by several groups dug into how individual cities in ocean plastic hot spots are approaching materials management. Continue Reading
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste argues that consistent specifications for quality material will help drive investment in sorting and collection technology. | Fabrika Simf/Shutterstock
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste suggested the recycling industry in the European Union develop target specifications for processed materials to ease the transition to a circular economy. Continue Reading
Moderator Kevin Goolsby of The Recycling Partnership speaks with panelists (L-R) Sophia Hosain of Baltimore Public Works, Jessica Levine of The Recycling Partnership, Priscilla Pruna Boada of the city of Orlando, and Digna Rivera-Reyes of the city of Orlando. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.
An inclusive and equitable recycling program is a complicated but necessary undertaking. Industry experts recently offered tips on how to get there. Continue Reading
Before commercializing its fire- and mold-resistant construction board, Xeriant plans to secure financing and expand its production capabilities. | Courtesy of Xeriant
Material development company Xeriant is putting the finishing touches on its recycled composite construction panel, which it hopes will “disrupt” the building industry. Continue Reading
Researcher Reid Lifset sees a lack of good data as a major barrier to eco-modulation achieving its full potential. | Marko Rupena/Shutterstock
Reid Lifset, a longtime member of the faculty at the Yale School of the Environment, wrote the first peer-reviewed academic article on extended producer responsibility in 1993. He’s “been intrigued by it and studying it ever since.” In an interview with Resource Recycling, he talked about his latest research article on eco-modulation and his thoughts on best practices for using eco-modulation to drive eco-design in packaging.
Several significant players in the plastics industry have made recent additive-related announcements. | Kirkam/Shutterstock
ExxonMobil, Polyvel and Techmer have all made recent investments in additive technology, including new HDPE grades, additives and acquisitions. Continue Reading