Back to Top

Category: Top stories

Project quantifies potential of secondary sortation

Published: December 11, 2019
Updated:

by

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.

Continue Reading

Nestlé wants to build markets by creating demand

Published: January 22, 2020
Updated:

by

Nestlé pledged to buy up to 2 million metric tons of food-grade recycled plastics over the next five years. | Formatoriginal/Shutterstock

Nestlé says it will buy a huge quantity of food-grade recycled resin over the next five years. A company leader explained why the brand owner is committing to use recycled plastic despite its higher cost.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Financial filing shows PET reclaimer’s income losses

Published: January 15, 2020
Updated:

by

Phoenix Technologies was one of a handful of U.S. reclaimers to be acquired by virgin plastics companies in 2019. | Leonid Sorokin/Shutterstock

Since virgin plastics company Far Eastern New Century acquired Phoenix Technologies last June, the U.S. PET reclaimer has lost substantial amounts of money.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Avangard to supply Dow with PCR pellets

Published: January 15, 2020
Updated:

by

Dow is aiming to have a significant supply of post-consumer resin products. | StanislauV/Shutterstock

Dow signed a deal to buy recycled polyethylene pellets from Avangard Innovative, allowing the petrochemical giant to provide recycled-content plastic to North American customers for the first time.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged , |

How a new domestic end market for HDPE emerged

Published: December 11, 2019
Updated:

by

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).

This article has been corrected.

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.

Continue Reading

Brand owner trials film-on-the-side curbside recycling

Published: January 8, 2020
Updated:

by
Curbside film recycling in N.J.

Through the Bradley Beach, N.J. partnership, SC Johnson is providing financial support to assist with infrastructure costs. | Courtesy of SC Johnson

SC Johnson recently launched a pilot curbside film collection program in a small New Jersey community. Rather than mix film into existing single-stream recycling, the program has residents use a dedicated container.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged , |

Report explores keys to boosting plastics recovery

Published: January 8, 2020
Updated:

by

The research firm McKinsey & Co. identified a number of challenges and opportunities to increasing plastics recovery in the U.S. | Uroš Medved/Shutterstock

As opposed to reducing and reusing, recycling has the greatest potential to cut down on plastic waste, according to McKinsey & Co. But processing solutions don’t lie solely with mechanical recycling. 

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Our top ten stories from 2019

Published: December 24, 2019
Updated:

by
Shipping vessel from above

Shifting export markets captured our audience’s attention throughout 2019. | AlexKol Photography/Shutterstock

The past year has without question been one of the most turbulent in the history of the plastic recycling sector. Export markets have shifted, chemical recycling concepts have gained prominence and processors targeting a variety of resin types have moved boldly. That’s given our editorial staff lots to chew on – and offered readers plenty to click.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories |