Michael Pluimer of Crossroad Engineering Services gathers data on the performance of recycled-HDPE corrugated pipe in southeastern Pennsylvania. | Courtesy of Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS).
A group’s green light to use recycled HDPE in road drainage pipes opens a potentially massive market for recovered plastic. Officials recently explained the work that drove the decision.
Prices for curbside natural high-density polyethylene have climbed even higher over the past month.
A close-up view shows the wide variety of materials in the mixed-plastic bales. | Jared Paben/Resource Recycling, Inc.
A demonstration project found that by routing mixed bales and MRF residue to a central sorting location, more than 17,000 tons of additional plastics could be captured in the Pacific Northwest each year.
Post-consumer plastic makes up about 0.5% of Indorama’s resin offerings. | Joyce Blessthink/Shutterstock
Virgin resin producers Borealis and Indorama have made ambitious recycled plastic commitments, but post-consumer plastic still makes up a tiny fraction of what they sell.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Plastics Innovation Challenge will promote production of plastic products that are recyclable by design. | Jer123/Shutterstock
A U.S. Department of Energy initiative seeks to boost plastics recycling, setting a handful of goals to hit by 2030 and highlighting funding opportunities to advance technology.
Plastic-sorting robots are just the latest upgrade for Recology’s San Francisco MRF. | Courtesy of Recology.
A West Coast operator installed four artificial intelligence units at its high-tech San Francisco materials recovery facility (MRF). A company manager explained how the machinery is working in conjunction with optical sorters to boost recovery and reduce contamination in PET and HDPE.
Clear Path Recycling installed a new wash trommel to remove contamination, including sleeve labels, from PET bottles. | Courtesy of Clear Path Recycling.
A $1 million-plus equipment investment is helping North Carolina-based Clear Path Recycling boost PET throughput while using less water and energy.
In 2017, the U.S. recycled 3 million tons of plastic, down 5.1% from 2015, according to the EPA.
The U.S. plastics recycling rate fell to its lowest level in half a decade, recently released figures show.
The recently introduced RECOVER Act provides funds to support recycling infrastructure, programs and education. | Yi Chen Chiang/Shutterstock
Legislation before Congress provides up to $500 million in matching grants to state and local governments to support recycling.
PreZero Polymers’ Jurupa Valley, Calif. campus, which is set to open early next year, will process post-consumer film. | Image courtesy of PreZero US
A joint venture is set to launch two U.S. processing plants for hard-to-recycle plastics in 2020, bringing new outlets for lower-grade materials. Investments in the projects will total at least $90 million. Continue Reading