David Biderman, far right, addresses the audience at the 2022 Plastics Recycling Conference | Brian Adams Photo
Interest in minimum-recycled-content mandates and extended producer responsibility bills is at an all-time high, but the reality of passing legislation is more complicated, according to industry experts.
The United Nations Environment Assembly on March 2 voted to start a process that would create a global plastics pollution treaty, bringing a final treaty forward for a vote in 2024. | Doug McLean/Shutterstock
A recent U.N. agreement to create a treaty on plastic pollution has brought recycling, waste and producer responsibility issues into the mainstream discussion.
Trex reported total sales revenues of $1.2 billion last year, up 36% from the year before. | Vojtaz/Shutterstock
Trex, which recycles over 350 million pounds of PE film scrap a year, dramatically boosted its sales and profits in 2021.
EFS-plastics will open a second facility to expand recycling capacity while keeping the company’s carbon footprint as low as possible. | Courtesy of EFS-plastics
Driven by demand for polypropylene and polyethylene, plastics recycler EFS-plastics is opening a processing site in Lethbridge, Alberta.
As part of the settlement, Keurig cannot label, market, advertise or otherwise represent the cups as recyclable without a qualifying statement that the materials are not recycled in many communities. | zimmytws/Shutterstock
Keurig Green Mountain reached a class-action settlement with a consumer who sued over coffee pod recyclability claims, agreeing to pay $10 million and add language indicating the plastic cups are “not recycled in many communities.”
Plastics being handled at Republic Services’ existing materials recovery facility (MRF) in North Las Vegas, Nev. The company’s Polymer Center will be sited seven miles from the MRF. | Courtesy of Republic Services
North America’s second-largest hauler and recycling processor is constructing a facility in Las Vegas that will produce recycled PET flake and provide a deeper sort of recovered olefins.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued its first Global Plastics Outlook report. | 360b/Shutterstock
A global body estimates production of recycled plastics has quadrupled over the past two-plus decades, but recycled resins still make up only 6% of total plastic production.
European company Fortum developed a post-consumer plastic chair to showcase how recycled plastic compounds can be used for more technical and challenging products. | Courtesy of Fortum
Several companies have announced progress toward recycled-content goals and new products made from recycled plastics. Here’s a roundup of recent developments.
Using an FDA-approved additive, ReCon^2 has developed a method for verifying recycled content claims. | Courtesy of ReCon^2
Rising prices for post-consumer resin also bring a greater incentive for shady suppliers to cheat. A U.K. nonprofit is commercializing a technology that will detect lies about recycled plastic use.
Volatile pricing in resin markets has presented challenges for Advanced Drainage Systems over the past year. | Chris Tennant/Shutterstock
Using recycled plastic is good business for Advanced Drainage Systems, but recent reports and interviews make clear that it’s not always painless.