Several hundred members of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, along with many invitees, met last week in Houston to dive deep into the options and barriers to increased plastics recycling.
Several hundred members of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, along with many invitees, met last week in Houston to dive deep into the options and barriers to increased plastics recycling.
Many exporters of recovered plastics have increased the volume they send to Southeast Asia this year in an effort to fill the void left by China.
PLA, a polymer that’s growing in popularity, is often marketed to brand owners for its biodegradability in commercial composting systems. Now, a plastics technology company has developed a chemical process for recycling the polymer.
Global petrochemicals company Total has partnered with a startup that dissolves and recovers EPS for recycling. Officials from both companies recently provided more details about the deal.
Canadians recycled slightly more plastic in 2016 than they did the previous year. That’s according to a report released shortly before a Canadian plastics group unveiled its recyclability and recycling goals.
Months after China ramped up restrictions on scrap plastic imports, countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam are initiating similar, if less extensive, policies as officials try to get a handle on massive increases in shipments and improper use of permits.
An Ontario group recently looked at market factors shaping the domestic plastics recycling industry in 2017, and it offered predictions about where things are headed.
Soaring volumes of scrap plastic and paper shipped to Vietnam have caused growing concern among local officials, who have logged numerous instances of customs violations in recent months.
Major Vietnam shipping terminals will temporarily stop accepting imports of scrap plastic, citing an overload of the material that has caused backups and delays. The move is a significant development for the global recycled plastics industry, because Vietnam has accepted much more material since China cut off imports.
Clean PET flake may be allowed into China instead of being considered a waste prohibited from import, according to several sources with knowledge of the situation.