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Corporate giants face internal pressure on plastic

Published: May 25, 2022
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Phillips66 plant seen from above.

Phillips 66 shareholders voted to support a resolution asking the energy company to detail its market risks of continuing to invest in virgin plastics. | Courtesy of Phillips 66

This story has been updated.

A slight majority of shareholders at Chevron Phillips’ parent company recently voted to support a resolution on shifting toward more recycled plastic use, while 37.4% of ExxonMobil shareholders voted in favor of a similar resolution. Amazon shareholders vote on a similar resolution this week.

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Industry reacts to passage of Colorado packaging EPR bill

Published: May 18, 2022
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Various household packaging and recyclable materials.

Colorado is the third state in the U.S. to pass a packaging extended producer responsibility bill, and the first in the 2022 legislative session. | Arturs Budkevics/Shutterstock

While many industry leaders praised the recent passage of a Colorado bill establishing extended producer responsibility for printed paper and packaging, others are calling for Gov. Jared Polis to veto it.

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Composite decking companies expand, boosting PCR demand

Published: May 18, 2022
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Cedar Poly facility exterior.

Cedar Poly in Tipson, Iowa was just acquired by UFP Industries. | Cedar Poly website

Recycled-plastic decking manufacturers are responding to strong markets for their products by expanding production capacity, including UFP buying reclaimer Cedar Poly and Fiberon breaking ground on a facility in Tennessee.

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McKinsey weighs in on chemical recycling potential

Published: May 18, 2022
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Research charts on table with pen.

The report discusses investments that would need to occur in terms of scrap plastic collection and sorting, existing impediments to scaling up chemical recycling and more. | David Gyung/Shutterstock

If $40 billion were invested in chemical recycling technologies and certain constraints were resolved, chemical recycling processes could satisfy 4-8% of total polymer demand by 2030, according to a new analysis.

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Plastics recycling report draws mainstream notice

Published: May 11, 2022
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HDPE plastic bottles arranged on yellow background.

Plastics recycling is drawing mainstream media attention in the wake of recent data showing low and declining recycling rates in the U.S. | lary_bird/Shutterstock

A recent report on plastic recycling rates from The Last Beach Clean Up and Beyond Plastics has attracted the attention of several large news outlets and the mainstream public, but industry leaders said the data is misleading and counter-productive.

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EPR and packaging-reduction bill introduced in New York

Published: May 11, 2022
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NY state capitol building.

The introduction of the EPR bill came after lawmakers stripped a prior EPR program out of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal. | Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock

An extended producer responsibility bill that has the support of environmental activists was recently introduced in New York, while a Colorado EPR bill moved to the Senate floor.

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Robotics provider begins operating its own facilities

Published: May 11, 2022
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Closeup of residual bale from a MRF.

Secondary-sortation sites run by AMP Robotics are targeting a wide variety of materials that come from MRFs and other sources. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics

AMP Robotics is now breaking and sorting materials recovery facility residual bales at secondary-sortation operations in Colorado, Georgia and Ohio.

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