IBM has a goal to recover more PET from highly contaminated streams. | Credit: Wall Street Journal video.
Three different chemistry-based processes for recovering plastics have recently grabbed attention, illustrating the wide range of stakeholders working to find solutions beyond mechanical recycling.
Argentina-based Arqlite’s first gravel products were sold to customers earlier this year. | Courtesy of Arqlite.
Consulting firm B-Green was helping consumer brand owners reduce waste to landfill, but the companies’ packaging lacked a diversion solution. So B-Green went to work developing a recycling technology and end product.
The U.K. government is helping to fund recycled PP and PE deodorizing research, and an ultrafine PET melt filter is developed.
Packaging company Mondi led a project that created a pouch made of 20% post-consumer plastic. | Courtesy of Mondi.
For years, packaging producers have been marketing recyclable multi-layer flexible packages. Now, they’re finding success using recycled plastic in their products.
Proposed legislation to reduce plastic pollution caught readers’ attention. | LLoughran/Shutterstock
A variety of legislation, markets and technology stories drew readers’ attention last month.
The deal brings two huge plastics reclaimers under the same corporate structure. | kaninw/Shutterstock
The parent company of Green Line Polymers acquired the parent company of Champion Polymer Recycling in a purchase valued at over $1 billion.
London, Ontario has a goal of 60% waste diversion by the end of 2022. | Wei Seah/Shutterstock
London, Ontario approved a grant for a Hefty EnergyBag program, making it the first Canadian city to embrace the program for collecting hard-to-recycle plastics.
On Monday, RePlanet shut down completely and terminated its entire workforce throughout California. | Arne Beruldsen/Shutterstock
RePlanet, once the largest operator of facilities redeeming containers covered by the California Redemption Value (CRV) program, has shuttered. The move will significantly reduce consumer recycling access.
A market analyst projects that PET collection rates in the U.S. would need to double to provide enough supply for consumer goods companies to meet their goals. | Myibean/Shutterstock
Market analysts say PET collection rates are insufficient to reach the amount of material brand owners will need to hit their recycled-content objectives.
Legislation introduced last week establishes a framework to enable recycling-related investments. | LWPhotography/Shutterstock
Recycling issues have hit the national stage with unprecedented fervor in recent weeks. Citing recycling market challenges and growing plastic pollution, lawmakers are advancing legislation and pressuring government agencies to take action.