Digital nose technology developed by French company Aryballe provides consistent, AI-powered analysis while different humans experience smells differently. | Courtesy of Aryballe
Artificial intelligence is already used to recognize how different scrap plastics look. Now, a Michigan compounder is testing AI to evaluate how recycled resins smell.
A newly published study set out to explore the barriers and possible solutions to growing the use of recycled plastic in food-contact-suitable applications. | StanislauV/Shutterstock
Contaminating additives and declining recycling rates for food packaging are limiting growth in production of food-grade recycled resin, according to research from a consulting firm.
ADS, a publicly traded manufacturer of plastic piping and other water management products, now has a number of plastics recycling operations under its umbrella. | Xato/Shutterstock
Advanced Drainage Systems, one of the largest plastics recycling companies in North America, has acquired its biggest supplier of recycled polypropylene.
Amcor designed a 50-milliliter PET bottle that collapses to be wider than five centimeters, helping to prevent it falling through sorting screens at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). | Courtesy of Amcor Rigid Packaging
One of the world’s largest packaging producers boosted its purchases of post-consumer resin by about 30% last year.
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Keurig has tentatively settled a class-action suit regarding the company’s recyclability claims. | John Mantell/Shutterstock
Keurig Green Mountain has reached a tentative class-action settlement with a consumer who is suing the company over its coffee pod recyclability claims.
KW’s new PP wash line has a full capacity of 100 million pounds per year. | Credit: Scott Saunders
KW Plastics in the past month started up a polypropylene wash line that will increase its processing capacity by 100 million pounds per year. Company General Manager Scott Saunders said the line will boost efficiency.
The U.S. Secretary of State has indicated U.S. support for a global plastics pollution treaty. | Gerain0812/Shutterstock
The U.S. has signaled support for a worldwide agreement to reduce marine plastic pollution. Meanwhile, the EU is drafting stricter export rules, a watchdog group is mapping plastic dump sites, and researchers shared findings on the greenhouse gas impacts of virgin plastic shipments.
Unilever reported a 6-percentage-point increase in its post-consumer resin usage in 2020, outpacing most other large brand owners. | Konektus Photo/Shutterstock
Global packaged goods companies disclosed their post-consumer resin usage for 2020, and most of the biggies reported purchasing more recycled plastic than the year before.
Post-consumer plastic values are down nearly across-the-board this month, with materials recovery facilities reporting a particularly steep drop in HDPE pricing.
Per a court settlement, TerraCycle will implement label changes and a supply chain certification program. | Sebastian Duda/Shutterstock
A legal action alleging TerraCycle is misleading consumers about its recycling programs has been settled. TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky said some of the settlement terms cover work the company was already carrying out internally, but one labeling change is new.