Details on chemical recycling ventures from virgin plastics producers, including SABIC, drew attention last year. | Casimiro PT/Shutterstock
The past 12 months certainly gave plastics recycling stakeholders plenty to chew on – and the action extended beyond just the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 and pricing pressure led companies to seek other supply lines for PET feedstock. | Pixel B/Shutterstock
A confluence of RPET market disruptions in 2020 included low prime plastic pricing and supply challenges that led end users to seek feedstock from other sources. Still, experts maintain a surge of RPET demand is fast approaching.
Circulate Capital invested in Dalmia Polypro Industries, a plastic bottle recycling company based in Mumbai, India. | Courtesy of Circulate Capital.
The U.S. and Europe have had formal recycling infrastructure in place for decades. That’s not the case in India, where Circulate Capital just invested millions of dollars to boost infrastructure and reduce ocean plastics generation.
The latest bill includes $284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. | Dennis Diatel/Shutterstock
Congress sent President Trump a spending bill that includes $900 billion in coronavirus-related relief aid, with nearly one-third of the money dedicated to small business assistance.
In the deal, ExxonMobil will receive priority access to recovered plastics for its own recycling efforts. | Katherine Welles/Shutterstock
Oil and gas giant ExxonMobil will invest $8 million in a scrap plastics feedstock business launched by Agilyx, a chemical recycling company.
Packaging EPR programs are currently in place in parts of Europe, Canada and elsewhere, but to date, this system hasn’t reached the U.S. | Skylines/Shutterstock
Extended producer responsibility for a wide range of recyclables is gaining steam around the country. Haulers and facility operators say it’s critical that these proposals are crafted well – both to preserve what already works and allow for much-needed changes.
Logitech estimates it will have shipped more than 50 million devices that include recycled plastic by the end of 2021. | Marco Curaba/Shutterstock
Logitech has used more post-consumer plastic in its keyboards, mice, webcams and other products over the past three years.
A research firm found that Loop’s process breaks down scrap PET into material streams that are pure enough to be used to make new PET. | noisuk Photo/Shutterstock
To counter accusations that its technology claims are bogus, Loop Industries has released the results of an independent review confirming its PET depolymerization process works.
As the year comes to a close, the price of natural high-density polyethylene bales notched another record. Color HDPE also continues to climb.
A number of packaging innovations were recently tested and confirmed as compatible with recycling systems. | Castleski/Shutterstock
Recent testing has shown that several bottle label innovations and a barrier tube package are compatible with plastics recycling processes, according to the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).