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Amazon and Oceana spar over retailer’s plastic footprint

Published: January 3, 2023
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Amazon Prime plastic bubble shipping mailer.

Environmental group Oceana estimates Amazon produced 709 million pounds of plastic packaging in 2021. | oasisamuel/Shutterstock

Amazon recently disclosed data on its plastic packaging footprint and sustainability efforts. But where the online giant sees progress, an environmental group sees cherry-picked numbers.

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Brands advance sustainability – but use more plastic overall

Published: January 3, 2023
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McDonald's drink cups and straws discarded on concrete.

WWF found that 34% of members’ plastic footprint was recycled, 9% incinerated, 43% landfilled and 15% mismanaged. | Kraft74/Shutterstock

In 2021, major brands increased their use of PCR and cut back on “problematic plastics,” but the amount of plastic they put on the market grew by over 5%, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

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Senate hearing digs into plastic pollution

Published: December 16, 2022
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Senate hearing room.

The Dec. 15 hearing by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works brought four panelists together to answer questions from legislators. | Katherine Welles/Shutterstock

During a two-hour hearing, U.S. senators questioned industry experts about chemicals in plastics, marine plastic pollution and extended producer responsibility. 

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European panel approves PET recycling technologies

Published: January 3, 2023
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EFSA approved packaging from Greiner Packaging.

Greiner Packaging was one of several companies to get the go-ahead from the European Food Safety Authority to recycle post-consumer PET into 100% recycled-content food and drink packaging. | Courtesy of Greiner

A scientific review panel has given the green light to several different technologies to recycle post-consumer PET and polyolefins into 100% recycled-content food and drink packaging.

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FTC to hear from plastic industry on Green Guides update

Published: December 16, 2022
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Federal Trade Commission building with sign above door.

The commission voted 4-0 to publish a notice in the Federal Register to begin a 60-day public comment period. That notice is expected to be published in mid-January of 2023.  | DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock

Companies making deceptive sustainability claims distort the market for environmentally friendly products and “hurt honest companies who are bearing the costs of green business practices,” the chair of the FTC said this week.

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Our top plastics recycling stories from 2022

Published: December 21, 2022
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Plastics processing in Republic's Las Vegas recycling facility.

News of Republic Services’ moves to vertically integrate in plastics was of interest to readers in 2022. | Courtesy of Republic Services

Examining the trends that pushed and pulled on the industry over the past year can help provide insight into the 12 months yet to come.

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US PET bottle recovery rate increases 1.5 percentage points

Published: December 14, 2022
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PET bottles for recycling.

The increase marks the end of a years-long slide in the country’s PET bottle recovery rate, which had been falling since 2017. | New Africa/Shutterstock

The U.S. PET bottle recovery rate made a notable jump last year, reaching 28.6%, according to an industry report published today. 

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