Regulatory changes could prevent the U.S. from exporting mixed plastics to a number of countries. | rawf8/Shutterstock
Federal regulators are asking countries that are major buyers of U.S. recyclables to refrain from implementing new trade restrictions laid out in the Basel Convention, a treaty covering global scrap material shipments.
Prices for PET and natural HDPE have been relatively flat lately, with more movement seen in color HDPE and PP.
Trex uses millions of pounds of PE film annually. | artgray/Shutterstock
Already North America’s largest consumer of recovered film, Trex plans to use considerably more in the future, according to the company’s CEO.
Dell’s 2019 sustainability report addressed several plastics-related points. | Courtesy of Dell
A global electronics company’s sustainability report provides a glimpse into its use of recycled resins, including e-plastics, post-consumer packaging and other sources.
Olympia, Wash. | Christoper Boswell/Shutterstock
A state-ordered analysis in Washington describes steps to grow regional end markets and processing capacity. One of the top recommendations: the development of a plastics recovery facility.
This article has been corrected.
Research focused on recycling scrap PET bottles and carpet into a reinforced polymer composite received federal funding recently.
The average blended value for recyclables at U.S. MRFs was recently calculated at around $35 per ton. | hiv360/Shutterstock
With overseas import restrictions, tariff impacts and domestic market volatility, an erratic business environment has become the norm for recycling operators around North America.
2017 brought the lowest volume of film recovered and sold since 2010. | taniascamera/Shutterstock
Non-bottle mixed plastics and film recycling have experienced their first major drops in a decade, two studies indicate. But amid the challenges, domestic use of both streams increased.
Calif. legislators have heard from a cadre of industry groups recently. | ZikG/Shutterstock
As a plastic packaging reduction bill moves forward in California, an industry group is recommending a per-item fee to fund recycling efforts.