Plastics recycling stakeholders will gather online this week for insight and networking. | DC Studio/Shutterstock
Hundreds of plastics recycling and sustainability professionals are taking part in this week’s virtual Plastics Recycling Conference, which is offering discussions on policy, markets and more at a time of sector uncertainty.
A 100,000-square-foot facility in Spain will have the capacity to process more than 50 million pounds of e-plastics per year. | sonsart/Shutterstock
Spanish plastics recycling operation Fosimpe will enter the mixed-plastics processing sector in the coming weeks, driven not only by the global regulatory environment but by greater public interest in domestic material processing.
The U.S. EPA is considering changing the calculation methodology for determining the nation’s recycling rate. | Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock
If a process breaks down scrap plastics into chemicals that are later used to make new plastic, should the federal government consider that “recycling?” What if the end product is a fuel that is combusted?
Chemical recycling processes are specifically excluded from the definition of “recycling” under the recently introduced Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. | Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock
Legislation that makes sweeping changes to the U.S. plastics recycling system generated quick opposition from industry groups, with plastics industry representatives focused on the bill’s treatment of certain materials recovery processes.
California regulators had fined the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), accusing the stewardship group of failing to improve carpet recycling performance over several years. | optimarc/Shutterstock
A stewardship group will pay over $1 million in penalties for failing to meet California’s carpet recycling requirements, according to state officials.
Unilever uses about 118,000 metric tons of plastic packaging in North America each year, half of which is post-consumer resin. | Peter Bueno/Shutterstock
Unilever North America will invest $15 million in the Closed Loop Partners Leadership Fund, a private equity platform that helps grow companies in the recycling value chain.
Legislation to be reintroduced will include provisions for a national bottle bill and a ban on certain single-use plastic items. | S-F/Shutterstock
Two members of Congress will revive the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which includes a national container deposit system and other sweeping changes. Representatives from the plastics industry have countered the push.
Petoskey Plastics’ McKinney, Texas facility will help the company meet increased demand for its blown film products. | Courtesy of Petoskey Plastics.
Recycled-content film company Petoskey Plastics will expand with a plant in the Dallas area, its fourth U.S. facility.
As part of the pilot project, Magnomer’s magnetizable inks were printed on shrink labels in collaboration with American Fuji Seal. | Courtesy of Magnomer
A startup that supplies an ink allowing shrink sleeve labels to be separated from PET flakes with a magnet has successfully completed early testing of the innovation.
Trex recycles over 450 million pounds of PE film each year at its plants in Virginia and Nevada. | artgray/Shutterstock
Trex launched an incentives program for partners that supply the composite lumber manufacturer with scrap polyethylene film.