Because the U.S. is not a party to the Basel Convention, exports to the 180-plus countries that are parties to the convention will be more complicated, or may even be prohibited by local laws. | AnkaFed/Shutterstock
The U.S. government has made public an agreement with Canada to continue scrap plastic shipments despite global regulations tightening next year. Environmental advocates are troubled by the deal.
Through the new grants, The Recycling Partnership estimates curbside PP recycling will become available to an additional 4 million people nationwide. | RYosha/Shutterstock
Four materials recovery facilities in the eastern half of the U.S. will begin sorting polypropylene with financial assistance from major brands, retailers and other industry members brought together through The Recycling Partnership.
Currently, PepsiCo uses 30% RPET across the EU. | pixinoo/Shutterstock
PepsiCo will use only post-consumer PET in its plastic beverage packaging for certain brands sold in nine European countries by 2022, the company announced this month.
The bill authorizes millions in grant funds and also creates a prize to support projects related to preventing marine debris. | Mario De Moya F/Shutterstock
Both chambers of Congress have now passed marine debris prevention legislation, which includes millions of dollars in support to states for recycling and other materials management initiatives.
Canada is a major buyer of U.S. scrap plastic, underscoring the significance of the recent agreement. | JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
New trade restrictions will make it more difficult to ship scrap plastic from the U.S. to most countries next year. But exports to Canada are unlikely to be affected by the policy.
Polywood uses HDPE, primarily milk jugs and detergent bottles, to produce various types of outdoor furniture. | vermontalm/Shutterstock
Polywood, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture made from recycled HDPE, will invest nearly $43 million to increase its Syracuse, Ind. production capacity.
Last year, 1.77 billion pounds of PET bottles were collected and sold to reclaimers. | Picsfive/Shutterstock
The U.S. PET bottle recycling rate declined by a percentage point to 27.9% in 2019, though the amount of RPET used to make new bottles increased.
Atlanta-based Nexus Fuels signed an agreement to supply pyrolysis liquid derived from scrap plastics to Shell. | Courtesy of Shell.
The world’s largest PET producer will put massive sums of money into boosting RPET production capacity, and petrochemical companies recently described new chemical recycling collaborations.
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The legislation ensures pyrolysis plants and other chemical recycling facilities are regulated as manufacturers, rather than solid waste operations. | Cascade Creatives/Shutterstock
Pennsylvania’s governor signed legislation that eases the regulatory environment for facilities that use certain technologies to process scrap plastics.
News that Sonoco is closing a Yakima, Wash. facility that uses recovered PET drew attention last month. | Iurii N/Shutterstock
Articles about the U.S. plastics recycling rate, as well as the country’s contributions to ocean litter, drew our readers’ attention last month.