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Trump admin reverses grant freeze

Published: January 29, 2025
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A government-wide pause on federal assistance could affect recycling projects across the country. | Rix Pix Photography/Shutterstock

After a day of confusion and legal challenges across the country, the Trump administration cancelled a memo freezing federal grants, loans and other assistance, according to reporting from various news outlets.

A federal judge on Tuesday had temporarily halted the change shortly before it was set to go into effect.

The pause had been intended to ensure that federal spending aligns with the Trump administration’s priorities and would include previously greenlit projects, according to a White House memo released Monday and related documents. Hundreds of millions of dollars for new recycling facilities and other industry initiatives were at risk of being put on hold.

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Fast fashion company begins chemically recycling textiles

Published: January 29, 2025
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Shein’s interest in chemical recycling comes as the company works toward a goal to increase annual recycled polyester use from 7.9% to 31% in its apparel by 2030. | Graffitimi/Shutterstock

Editor’s note: Learn more about textile recycling and many other topics at the upcoming Textile Recovery Summit, part of the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. 

Global clothing e-commerce retailer Shein has developed a chemical recycling process alongside a Chinese research university and is planning to start up a facility in June, producing 6.6 million pounds per year of chemically recycled polyester for use in its apparel. Continue Reading

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PCR procurement shifts as needed volumes grow

Published: January 29, 2025
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As brand owners increasingly require larger volumes of higher-quality recycled plastic, the procurement landscape is gradually shifting to a more formalized structure, while less traditional sourcing also continues to emerge. | Meaw Stocker/Shutterstock

Editor’s note: Learn more about procurement trends and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland.  Continue Reading

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Three states turn to apps for recycling education

Published: January 23, 2025
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Person's hands holding and using a mobile phone.

Research from RRS found that in 2021, only 9% of U.S. recycling programs used a search app or tool for outreach, but apps appear to be gaining in popularity. | zhu-difeng/Shutterstock

Smartphones are a ubiquitous tool for many Americans, and several states have recently started using apps, including Recycle Coach, to disseminate recycling information. 

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EPA examines gaps in recycling data, funding

Published: January 23, 2025
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Mixed plastics for sorting and recycling.

The U.S. EPA surveyed agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 11 U.S. territories in its latest report, the Recycling Needs Survey and Assessment. | Marina Onokhina/Shutterstock

A pair of reports from the U.S. EPA shines a light on just how fragmented data collection in the recycling industry is and the investment that would be needed to shore it up.

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Takeaways from EPA nominee Zeldin’s confirmation hearing

Published: January 23, 2025
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Lee Zeldin is President Trump’s nominee to lead the federal agency that is closest to the recycling industry. | Photo courtesy C-SPAN

During a three-hour confirmation hearing, President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. EPA administrator said he is still learning about chemical recycling, praised the marine debris-focused Save Our Seas Act as a model of bipartisan plastic pollution legislation and said PFAS regulation will be a “big issue” for him.

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Researchers develop new recycling processes

Published: January 15, 2025
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Two university teams developed processes using electromagnetic waves and engineered wastewater bacteria to address plastic pollution. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock

University researchers have come up with two new methods to break down plastic waste – one for reuse and the other to rid wastewater of microplastics. Continue Reading

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Industry-managed film drop-off guide launches

Published: January 15, 2025
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Plastic film collected for recycling.

The guide directs users to various retail and other collection sites around the U.S. that accept film for drop-off recycling. | Mabeline72/Shutterstock

Editor’s note: Learn more about film recycling trends and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading

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Collection, recovery facility worker deaths increased

Published: January 8, 2025
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Safety vests and hard hats hanging on a wall.

While overall workplace fatalities decreased in the U.S. in 2023, the waste and recycling industry was a troubling outlier. | Wave Break Media/Shutterstock

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

Nine workers died in U.S. materials recovery facilities in 2023 and the death rate for refuse and recyclable material collectors jumped more than 80%, according to the latest annual numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continue Reading

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