Candy conglomerate Mars outlined the company’s steps toward circularity and zero emissions in its 2024 sustainability report. | Courtesy of Berry Global and Mars
Candy and pet food giant Mars used 14,000 metric tons of recycled materials for its products in 2024, according to its recently released sustainability report. Continue Reading
Despite making gains in PET recycling, the Coalition acknowledges that its goals require more industry support. | Konektus Photo/Shutterstock
Since forming in 2022, the PET Recycling Coalition has worked to increase PET bottle recycling rates and access to curbside recycling for non-bottle materials, including thermoforms. Continue Reading
Federal rules attempting to regulate new recycling processes and potential contaminants continued a back-and-forth that has lasted at least five years. | John Hanson Pye/Shutterstock
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn rules first proposed by the Biden administration that addressed chemical recycling and had attracted significant industry opposition. Continue Reading
Marissa Heffernan moderates a panel at the 2024 Plastics Recycling Conference. | Big Wave Photography / Resource Recycling.
When I started working for Resource Recycling, I thought I knew quite a bit about recycling. After all, I grew up in a bottle bill state, turning in cans for candy money, and was the child checking neighbors’ recycling bins to make sure they were using it right. Continue Reading
An AI-powered recycling system at the Rochester Institute of Technology can identify non-recyclable components of clothing and can detect the fiber composition of the whole item. | Kostikova Natalia/Shutterstock
Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology are developing a high-speed automated system to disassemble and recycle clothing. Continue Reading
Although a total ban on U.S. scrap plastic took hold July 1, a sell-side source said Malaysian stakeholders are working to provide nuance so the new regulations tighten the focus to more problematic e-plastics. | Robert Harding/Shutterstock
On July 1, Malaysia implemented new regulations that include an apparent ban on U.S.-sourced imports of scrap plastic, causing confusion and consternation both domestically and in Southeast Asia. And although commodity brokers indicated that the changes were disrupting supply chains ahead of implementation, they added that relief could be seen soon. Continue Reading
Although extended producer responsibility is poised to capture substantially more material, The Recycling Partnership’s CEO says it’s important to ensure that material has an end market. | New Africa/Shutterstock
Backed by major brands, The Recycling Partnership has become well-known in the materials recovery sector over the past decade for boosting access to recycling, in particular by helping municipalities roll out recycling carts, improve outreach and reduce contamination. Continue Reading
State-level initiatives have suggested PET closures and tethered caps, but these designs may introduce complications while attempting to provide a solution. | FotoDax/Shutterstock
Mono-material design often is the goal for packaging, but due to color and sortation nuances it may not be the best approach for beverage containers, according to a packaging design expert during a recent webinar. Continue Reading
Scientists from nine universities worked together on a paper, focused on the need to reduce plastic production. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock
Scientists from universities in several countries released a paper that concluded production cuts must be part of the legally binding treaty to manage global plastic pollution if it’s to achieve its goals. Continue Reading
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste announced a shift in focus from small projects to wide-scale efforts to improve recycling on a national scale. | spwidoff/Shutterstock
Five years after its billion-dollar founding, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste is taking what it learned from one-off projects and shifting its attention to country-scale change. Continue Reading