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Plastics recycling bill introduced in Congress

Published: June 17, 2020
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The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

The newly introduced Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Act directs various federal agencies and offices to take steps to support plastics recycling. | Corlia vWyk/Shutterstock

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have put forth legislation focused on reducing plastic waste and bolstering plastics recycling.

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Group blasts brand owners over plastic pollution

Published: June 17, 2020
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Heinz ketchup and mustard packaging.

In terms of a variety of recycling-related metrics, As You Sow said Kraft Heinz was among the worst-ranked large-revenue companies. | Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Environmental advocacy group As You Sow says the largest consumer-facing companies are falling short in the area of plastic pollution reduction. It calls for them to support recycling, among other steps.

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AZEK discloses plastics recycling details

Published: June 17, 2020
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Outdoor scene with AZEK's TimberTech decking.

During the 2019 fiscal year, AZEK used over 200 million pounds of recycled plastic and wood in the company’s TimberTech boards. | Image via TimberTech online gallery.

A large manufacturer that uses recovered PE and PVC to make building products has released information about its finances and recycling operations.

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Shipping giant stops taking exports to Hong Kong

Published: June 10, 2020
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MSC cargo ship at port.

Shipping company MSC stopped accepting scrap cargo headed to China and Hong Kong as of June 1. | Fomin Roman/Shutterstock

A major shipping line will no longer accept recovered plastic and other scrap material shipments bound for Hong Kong, which remains a large market for U.S. exports.

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Five big brands averaged 8% recycled content

Published: June 10, 2020
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A plastic Starbucks cup on a table in store.

Of the 190,00 metric tons of plastic Starbucks used from Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018, 6% was recycled content. | ansoz/Shutterstock

Post-consumer resin makes up a small percentage of all plastic used by Coca-Cola, Starbucks and others, according to a new report that will be used to track company progress on increasing recycled plastic use.

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Study explores the use of PCR in packaging

Published: June 10, 2020
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Plastic bottle manufacturing.

Cascadia Consulting Group, Full Circle Environmental and More Recycling conducted research on behalf of state officials in strategies to boost the use of post-consumer plastic in packaging. | MOLPIX/Shutterstock

A report for the state of Washington explores impediments to the use of post-consumer resin in packaging, and it identifies a number of potential solutions.

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Bottle deposit programs continue to reopen

Published: June 10, 2020
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Empty bottles to be recycled.

In Connecticut, retail redemption volumes were down 95% during the suspension period. | Thiago Figueredo/Shutterstock

Container deposit programs are starting back up following their COVID-19 downtime. Equipment supplier Tomra offered a look at how the process is playing out in Connecticut.

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Sector’s current focus: policy, demand and COVID-19

Published: June 3, 2020
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Baled PET bottles for recycling.

Day one of the virtual APR meeting featured discussions on market trends and more. | Vitaliy Kyrychuk/Shutterstock

Although they can’t meet in person, plastics recycling stakeholders this week are still coming together for the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) members meeting, being held online for the first time.

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