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].
Lynn Hoffman of Eureka Recycling was a speaker on a recent webinar discussing the merits and shortcomings of the myriad processes grouped under the umbrella of “chemical recycling.” | Resource Recycling files
Chemical recycling has potential but requires careful regulation, more transparency, and an eye to the overall effect on the planet, members of the environmental and recycling communities said in a recent webinar. Continue Reading
The groups behind the database have already compiled a dataset that includes about 1,000 plastic reduction laws in the U.S. | DC Studio/Shutterstock
In order to tamp down on plastic pollution, several environmental groups have worked together to launch a global database for tracking plastic-related laws. It even covers the upcoming United Nations plastics agreement. Continue Reading
Digimarc’s digital watermark system allows consumers to scan containers to find information on where to recycle them. | Showcake/Shutterstock
After several years of testing, the “Holy Grail 2.0” project announced it will move forward with a countrywide pilot of Digimarc’s digital recycling technology in France in 2024. Continue Reading
Companies such as Prairie Robotics and AMCS Group are leveraging AI to craft more robust analytics, all the way down to the individual household level. | 9dream Studio/Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence is now well established in MRFs as a tool for sorting material and dramatically reducing contamination. Now, multiple companies are taking AI to an earlier stage of the recycling process by mounting cameras on collection trucks. Continue Reading
According to a recent report from the Argonne National Laboratory, LDPE and HDPE made with 5% pyrolysis oil emit a lower volume of greenhouse gases than their virgin counterparts. | Vikentiy Elizarov/Shutterstock
A life cycle analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory suggested that chemically recycling plastics entails lower greenhouse gas emissions than virgin production. Continue Reading
Topics at a recent discussion of EPR programs included collection, efficiency and harmony across jurisdictions. | mi_viri/Shutterstock
Producer responsibility organizations can help drive efficiency and harmonization in extended producer responsibility programs, stakeholders suggested at a recent conference. Continue Reading
Now that its medical waste recycling pilot has yielded “favorable results,” Casella Waste Systems is looking to broaden the project to include more healthcare facilities. | Courtesy of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
As part of a pilot project to explore the recyclability of medical waste, Casella Waste Systems and medical company BD recycled 40,000 pounds of material, including syringes and needles. Continue Reading
Among several other sustainability moves, Kraft Heinz is shooting for 100% recycled packaging by 2025. | Postmodern Studio/Shutterstock
About 87% of Kraft Heinz’s packaging was recyclable, reusable or compostable in 2022, according to the company’s latest sustainability report. Continue Reading
Richmond officials found in 2020 that the warehouses exhibited fire hazards and lacked sprinkler systems. | Courtesy of city of Richmond
The multi-day blaze at a site storing processed recycled plastics has raised concerns about asbestos, toxic substances and why there was so much plastic kept there in the first place.
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As the California legislature passes a handful of bills covering a number of hot-button issues, stakeholders in the state are optimistic about the road to a circular economy. | Jonathan Lenz/Shutterstock
Another busy legislative season is winding down in California. Several recycling-related bills made it to the governor’s desk this year, dealing with the right to repair, extended producer responsibility and the state’s deposit return system. Others didn’t make it to the finish line. Continue Reading