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FDA greenlights a dozen resin recycling processes

Published: September 14, 2022
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Plastic food trays holding fresh strawberries.

TOP LUN Plastics Corporation received an LNO that covers the recycling of PET containers into single-layer clamshells. | Rattanapon Ninlapoom/Shutterstock

Ten companies with technologies to recycle post-consumer PET, HDPE and PP into food and drink packaging have received the federal government’s thumbs-up this year.

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California passes bevy of recycling bills in final days

Published: September 8, 2022
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Calif. state captiol building in Sacramento.

California legislators sent a number of recycling-related bills to the governor at the end of this session. | Leonid Adnronov/Shutterstock

When California’s legislative session ended Aug. 31, a number of recycling-related bills passed just before the deadline. Here’s a roundup of bills currently waiting to be signed into law and that have already been signed. 

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Thermoform-to-thermoform bill draws mixed reactions

Published: September 8, 2022
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Thermoform containers holding eggs.

Thermoforms like those shown here often contain post-consumer material from bottles, but a California bill would require post-consumer thermoforms to be used in production of new thermoforms. | Anakumka/Shutterstock

Current debate over a California bill requiring PET thermoforms to contain RPET derived from thermoforms boils down to one question: What will materials recovery facilities do? 

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Why Phoenix is bullish on RPET despite latest pricing

Published: September 8, 2022
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PET flake with PET bottle.

Estimated to cost between $30 million and $40 million, Phoenix’s project includes constructing a 70,000-square-foot building on the site of its original Bowling Green, Ohio campus. | Korn9/Shutterstock

Phoenix Technologies International kicked off a major PET recycling expansion project right as scrap PET prices tanked. But company leaders aren’t nervous because they are confident in the long-term demand for RPET. 

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When assessing chemical recycling, ‘follow the money’

Published: August 31, 2022
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Eric Hartz speaks on stage at the 2022 Resource Recycling Conference.

Eric Hartz (center) spoke on a panel with Kate Bailey (right) at the 2022 Resource Recycling Conference. The session was moderated by Sarah Edwards (left). | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.

Recent years have seen a steady stream of announcements from chemical recycling operators touting technological breakthroughs. But two industry insiders recently issued a stern reminder to the market: Don’t forget about economics.

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Niagara Bottling victorious in PET recycling lawsuit

Published: August 24, 2022
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Niagara Bottling sign at company bottling plant.

A judge determined the key issue was the availability of recycling programs, not whether bottles are made into new items. | Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

If a bottled water label and cap are effectively unrecyclable, and if statistics show a majority of PET bottles are ultimately wasted, can the containers still be labeled as “100% recyclable”? A federal judge recently said yes.

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End users react to turbulent recycled plastic prices

Published: August 24, 2022
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Stacked bales of PET for recycling.

Recovered plastic end users Unifi and Greystone Logistics reported on increased profits recently. | Warut Chinsai/Shutterstock

Greystone Logistics is installing shredding and pelletizing equipment so it can purchase more lower-cost scrap polyethylene, as opposed to recycled resin. And Unifi is opportunistically buying PET bottle bales while it works to pass feedstock cost increases on to buyers of its recycled polyester.

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