Back to Top

Category: Top stories

Five big brands averaged 8% recycled content

Published: June 10, 2020
Updated:

by
A plastic Starbucks cup on a table in store.

Of the 190,00 metric tons of plastic Starbucks used from Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018, 6% was recycled content. | ansoz/Shutterstock

Post-consumer resin makes up a small percentage of all plastic used by Coca-Cola, Starbucks and others, according to a new report that will be used to track company progress on increasing recycled plastic use.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Study explores the use of PCR in packaging

Published: June 10, 2020
Updated:

by
Plastic bottle manufacturing.

Cascadia Consulting Group, Full Circle Environmental and More Recycling conducted research on behalf of state officials in strategies to boost the use of post-consumer plastic in packaging. | MOLPIX/Shutterstock

A report for the state of Washington explores impediments to the use of post-consumer resin in packaging, and it identifies a number of potential solutions.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Sector’s current focus: policy, demand and COVID-19

Published: June 3, 2020
Updated:

by
Baled PET bottles for recycling.

Day one of the virtual APR meeting featured discussions on market trends and more. | Vitaliy Kyrychuk/Shutterstock

Although they can’t meet in person, plastics recycling stakeholders this week are still coming together for the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) members meeting, being held online for the first time.

Continue Reading

Industry council forms with eye on ‘meaningful change’

Published: June 3, 2020
Updated:

by
Keefe Harrison, who leads The Recycling Partnership

Keefe Harrison, who leads The Recycling Partnership. | Brian Adams Photography/Resource Recycling Conference

The Recycling Partnership is bringing together three dozen individuals from across the recycling value chain for some frank discussion about how to get more types of material consistently collected and moved to end markets.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged , |

Contamination in one region’s commercial stream is 14%

Published: June 3, 2020
Updated:

by

Researchers collected and sorted through more than 38,000 pounds of mixed recyclables from 173 sample loads. | Rubens Alarcon/Shutterstock

Researchers have quantified contamination in the business recycling stream in the Portland, Ore. metropolitan area, providing data that can be used to make operational or outreach decisions.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Report surveys limited landscape of wind blade recycling

Published: May 28, 2020
Updated:

by

A recent report estimates up to 50,000 tons of blades per year will enter the end-of-life stream in the U.S. by 2023. | Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock

Groups representing electricity producers and composites manufacturers released a study exploring landfill diversion options for wind turbine blades.

Continue Reading

Domestic e-plastics processor gears up for production

Published: May 20, 2020
Updated:

by

RePolyTex is gearing up to operate its Madison, N.C. facility at full scale, manufacturing a “plastic plywood” product from shredded e-plastics. | Courtesy of RePolyTex.

A U.S. plastics recycling and manufacturing facility is preparing to begin taking in plastics recovered from electronics. The plant will use that feedstock to produce construction materials.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged , |

Plastics processors grapple with drops in pricing and demand

Published: May 28, 2020
Updated:

by

Cheap prime plastics have contributed to tightened margins for some plastics processors. | Nokwan007/Shutterstock

Rock-bottom virgin prices and manufacturing shutdowns tied to the coronavirus have put a significant squeeze on plastics recycling profits of late. Some operators, however, expect conditions to start improving soon.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged |

Authorities hit processor with felony environmental charges

Published: May 28, 2020
Updated:

by

Authorities allege Plastic World Recycling violated several environmental regulations by dumping chemical and cleaning products into a storm drain. | AVN Photo Lab/Shutterstock

A Pennsylvania plastics recycling company has been accused of dumping pollutants into a waterway near its facility.

Continue Reading

Posted in Top stories | Tagged , |

Plastic industry’s $1B waste effort begins to outline projects

Published: May 20, 2020
Updated:

by

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste announced earlier this month it would be supporting a female-led plastics recycling plant in Ghana. | Courtesy of ASASE Foundation.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is currently working to implement more than a dozen initiatives worldwide. The group’s leader recently explained key details, as well as how COVID-19 has impacted progress.

Continue Reading