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Diverse coalition pushes for national deposit system

Published: March 13, 2024
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PET bottles for recycling.

Alpek Polyester and BlueTriton Brands joined a lobbying effort to advocate for a national bottle bill. | New Africa/Shutterstock

Resin giants recently joined environmental groups in the nation’s Capitol to advocate for a national bottle bill, a coordinated push organized by the National Stewardship Action Council. Continue Reading

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Committee explores federal role in packaging EPR

Published: March 13, 2024
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The Senate Committee of Environment & Public Works held a hearing on extended producer responsibility for consumer packaging with speakers from the World Wildlife Fund, S. C. Johnson & Son and AMERIPEN. | DeawSS/Shutterstock

Industry representatives from across the plastic chain – as well as an environmental NGO – all told a federal committee that they think federal extended producer responsibility for packaging is worth considering.  Continue Reading

How sorting upgrades made a contaminant a product

Published: March 6, 2024
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Rumpke’s new Columbus, Ohio MRF is key to a partnership with Eastman Chemical that will create an end market for opaque PET materials, among other hard-to-recycle products. | Courtesy of Rumpke

A partnership between midwest recycling processor Rumpke and resin giant Eastman Chemical will create an end market for opaque and otherwise hard-to-recycle PET materials, driven by state-of-the-art sortation capabilities at Rumpke’s Columbus, Ohio MRF.

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Chemical recycling not ‘recycling’ in Maine

Published: March 6, 2024
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The bill passed the state Senate 21-13 on Feb. 6 entirely on party lines, the House 76-56 on Feb. 15, and was chaptered into law on March 5. | Yurii-Prohonnyi/Shutterstock

Although there are no chemical recycling facilities currently operating in the Pine Tree State, any starting up in the future will be considered “chemical plastic processing” operations subject to solid waste facility permitting, and their process will not be considered “recycling,” lawmakers recently voted.

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Major PE film end user predicts ‘strong demand’ in 2024

Published: February 28, 2024
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Baled plastic film for recycling.

Trex reported $1.1 billion in consolidated sales in 2023 and year-over-year residential sales increased by $35 million in 2023. | Vojtaz/Shutterstock

Trex, one of the largest polyethylene film recycling companies in the U.S., recorded higher sales in 2023, particularly towards the end of the year. Company leaders anticipate the sales growth will continue into 2024, translating to strong end market demand for recovered film. Continue Reading

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