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
All grades of commonly sorted curbside plastic experienced substantial price increases this month.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars moved up by 17% this month. The per-pound price is now averaging 39.22 cents, compared with 33.42 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 49.00 cents per pound. PET was trading at 12.03 cents one year ago.
Natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from curbside collection programs is up 13%, now at an average 53.72 cents per pound. This compares with 47.47 cents last month. The price was 83.72 cents this time last year.
The national average price of color HDPE is up 12%, now trading at 28.94 cents per pound, compared with 25.75 cents last month. This grade averaged 31.94 cents one year ago.
Polypropylene (PP) is also selling for more money this month. The price is averaging 34.56 cents per pound, up 17% from last month’s average of 29.44 cents per pound. PP was 29.69 cents one year ago.
A couple of film grades are also experiencing rising values this month. The national average price of Grade A film is up 3%, at 21.13 cents per pound. This grade was trading at 15.63 cents one year ago.
Grade B film is now 7.44 cents, compared with 5.63 one year ago.
Grade C film is still averaging 0.81 cents per pound.
These prices are as reported on the Secondary Materials Pricing (SMP) Index. This pricing represents what is being paid for post-consumer recyclable materials in a sorted, baled format, picked up at most major recycling centers.
For a free trial to SMP’s Online Post-Consumer Pricing Index, visit the Recycling Markets website. You can also contact Christina Boulanger-Bosley at [email protected] or 330-956-8911.
Colorado’s Capitol building in Denver. | Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
Colorado and Hawaii are both working to pass extended producer responsibility bills this legislative session that are tailored to fit each state’s needs. Continue Reading
Brightmark will not move forward with a facility in Georgia, though the company’s facility in Ashley, Ind. continues toward completion. | RozenskiP/Shutterstock
Brightmark and an industrial authority have canceled plans for a massive plastics-to-fuel recycling plant in Georgia, according to media reports.
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.
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.
Overall, worldwide recycling rates for both single-polymer and multi-material plastic flexible packaging is negligible. | pedphoto36p/Shutterstock
Single-use flexible plastic packaging has been the fastest-growing packaging type. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation says the opposite should be happening.