Attendees ‘break a bale,’ learning about how textiles are sorted for recycling and reuse during a session at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference. | Big Wave Photography/Resource Recycling
About 2,400 industry professionals participated in the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference just outside of Washington, D.C., talking business in the exhibit hall and listening to sessions on textile recovery and broader plastics procurement and policy. Continue Reading
Although color bales rose on the month, the key construction sector continued to struggle and waste import bans in Indonesia and Thailand took effect. | Lipik Stock Media/Shutterstock
March prices for HDPE natural bales rose by 10% on the month to a more than three-year high, further widening the price spread with color bales amid bearish end-use sectors and new waste import bans in Southeast Asia. Continue Reading
When Canadian polyethylene producer Nova decided to focus on mechanical recycling, less than two years after announcing it was looking at developing a major chemical recycling plant, it joined a growing list of sidelined projects. | Photo Courtesy of Nova Chemicals
The past few years have seen no shortage of ambitious announcements relating to chemical recycling, from small startups to major oil and chemical companies, as recycled content requirements increase and polymer producers struggle to harness future market direction. Continue Reading
Brightmark, formerly known as RES Polyflow, is looking to sell its Indiana pyrolysis plant after financial challenges. | Frank Fiedler/Shutterstock
Chemical recycling firm Brightmark failed to make a payment on debt at its Indiana pyrolysis facility this month, spurring bankruptcy proceedings for the subsidiaries that operate the plant. Continue Reading
The hauler has been pre-buying post-consumer bales from across the Midwest for several months for the complex, which features a Polymer Center and the Blue Polymers resin production plant. | Photo courtesy Republic Services
Republic Services officially opened its Indianapolis plastics recycling complex this week, marking the hauler’s entry into the recycled plastic resin market and continuing its expansion from supplying bales to processing and converting the plastics reclaimed within. Continue Reading
Polypropylene bale pricing has risen to levels not seen since August 2022, largely attributed to increasing demand for use in food-contact packaging. | Retan/Shutterstock
Post-consumer PP bale pricing has continued to rise in March, reflecting trends in recycled content adoption and potentially encouraging MRFs to sort for the polymer. Continue Reading
Major curbside plastic grades saw across-the-board price increases in March, including an 85% jump for color HDPE and a 42% jump for PP, according to the latest national average commodity values. Continue Reading
Traceability tools can act as a scorecard, providing proof that recycling works and helping counter an often one-sided narrative in consumer media outlets. | 9dream Studio/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Learn more about traceability technology and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading
New metal tariffs on imports from all countries into the U.S. spurred quick retaliation from the European Union and Canada. | nattanan726/Shutterstock
The U.S. tariff whirlwind continues this month: Many imports from Canada and Mexico, including those of recycled materials, had their tariffs suspended two days after they took effect last week, while previously announced tariffs on aluminum and steel from all countries are set to take effect Wednesday. Continue Reading
In 2024, the U.S. imported 393 million pounds of scrap plastic, primarily PET and mixed plastics, from Canada. | Vacancylizm/Shutterstock
Update: Most of the new tariffs on imports from both Mexico and Canada were paused until April 2, following executive orders President Donald Trump signed on March 6.
The Recycled Materials Association warned of potential “severe” disruption to the materials recovery sector after tariffs targeting the U.S.’s largest trading partners took effect March 4, bringing higher costs to import nearly all goods, including recycled commodities. Continue Reading