Study authors evaluated three categories of chemical recycling technology and found that the “purification” category yielded the highest PCR return. | Vitte Yevhen/Shutterstock
As with many emerging technologies, chemical recycling goes by a variety of names, including “advanced” and “molecular” recycling. A study from Closed Loop Partners dug into the differences. Continue Reading
Leaders at CompuCycle say the recently installed e-plastics line will help the company sell to the domestic market. | Courtesy of CompuCycle
Houston-based electronics recycling company CompuCycle is putting the finishing touches on an e-plastics sorting line, the latest domestic investment in processing capacity for plastics from electronics.
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The research team hopes that a better accounting of PP moving through materials recovery facilities will help build a circular economy for the material. | Pixel B/Shutterstock
Closed Loop Partners, NextGen Consortium and AI developer Greyparrot plan to study the composition of polypropylene in recycling streams using artificial intelligence. Continue Reading
After hitting some of their lowest prices in years, scrap PET and HDPE bale values have increased this month. Continue Reading
Stakeholders and involved parties will continue to debate the precise language of the agreement. | Nexus 7/Shutterstock
The first working draft of the United Nations’ global plastics agreement lays out the broad strokes of what is intended to be a legally binding way to manage plastic pollution on land and in the oceans. Continue Reading
Waste Management handled about 10% fewer tons of scrap plastic in 2022 than it did in 2021. | Rblfmr/Shutterstock
Waste Management handled 465,000 tons of scrap plastic bales in 2022, down from the previous year because recycling plant upgrades required temporary shutdowns. Continue Reading
Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at the Ocean Conservancy, speaks during the “Plastic Tensions Within Extended Producer Responsibility” session at the 2023 Resource Recycling Conference in Orlando, Fla. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
Resource Recycling Conference attendees may have been expecting a boxing ring when stakeholders got on stage to talk about plastic and extended producer responsibility, but instead they got a message of hope, progress and civil disagreement on film, chemical recycling and labeling. Continue Reading
Although depressed plastics prices have caused some companies to revise their earnings projections, many in the sector are optimistic about an upcoming rebound. | Golden Dayz/Shutterstock
This story has been updated.
Recycled plastics prices are at their lowest levels in some time, putting significant strain on material processors. Meanwhile, some resin buyers are abandoning PCR to purchase virgin plastic instead. Continue Reading
Of the nine states for which data is available, only two showed meaningful increases in their container redemption rates. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock
Most states with deposit return systems saw static or reduced bottle redemption rates in 2022, according to a deposit advocacy organization. Continue Reading
Greystone Logistics processes about 60 million pounds per year of recovered material into new pallets. | Courtesy of Greystone Logistics
Lower recovered HDPE prices have helped increase the profitability of a recycled plastic pallet manufacturer. Continue Reading