More companies reported selling plastic bottles in California in 2019 compared to the prior year, but so far, slightly fewer said they used recycled plastic. | tezzstock/Shutterstock
Beverage container producers have reported their recycled plastic use in California for 2019. Out of 64 manufacturers, 13 companies said they used recycled plastic.
Eight out of the 10 states with container redemption systems have enacted temporary measures limiting deposit returns in some way. | Karolis Kavolelis/Shutterstock
Stay-at-home orders are hitting container deposit systems hard, leading to significant declines in the volumes of high-quality PET and other recyclables moving to material processors.
Indorama noted the company’s investments in recycling are influenced by the fact numerous brand owners are committing to incorporate more recycled plastic in their products. | barbacane/Shutterstock
Resin giant Indorama Ventures will more than triple its global RPET production capacity in the next few years, according to the company’s most recent annual report.
Over the past month, the price of baled PET containers has dropped by 12%, and natural HDPE continues to slide down from the record-high levels seen in January.
MRF executives have noted staffing and procedural changes to deal with the coronavirus.
As the coronavirus continues to spread, recycling facilities are increasing distance between employees, sanitizing common areas and, in at least one case, halting the practice of punching in and out on a time clock.
Laura Sullivan, a “Frontline” correspondent, investigates plastic waste dumping in Indonesia as part of the “Plastic Wars” episode.
Tomra Sorting developed Sharp Eye because the percentage of thermoforms in PET bottle bales has been increasing. | Courtesy of Tomra.
PET thermoforms bring special baggage to the recycling process: Optical sorters often fail to differentiate them from bottles, and thermoform flakes are more prone to breaking into fines.
Human contact is the largest factor in the spread of COVID-19, making operational changes key in combatting the pandemic. | May the light be with you/Shutterstock
Occupational safety experts recently laid out the steps that are the most effective for preventing the spread of COVID-19 within waste and recycling operations.
S&P Global Platts decided to launch daily spot price assessments for PET bales starting April 1. | Gunter Menzel
Commodities research company S&P Global Platts has started reporting post-consumer PET bale prices in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed House Bill 2722, which requires manufacturers to use post-consumer content in plastic bottles. | Photo credit: Governor Inslee’s Office
Washington’s governor vetoed a bill mandating recycled content in beverage containers, citing concerns about the state’s fiscal future given the economic impacts of the coronavirus.