Back to Top

WM leans on automation in MRF upgrade

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by

The recent upgrade of WM’s Germantown MRF in Wisconsin added 20% more capacity to one of the company’s largest facilities in the heart of a rapidly growing manufacturing corridor. | Courtesy of WM

With a nearly $39 million upgrade completed at one of its biggest MRFs, WM officials are looking to further refine automation capabilities as well as add volumes in the Midwest. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

Companies miss or modify recycling-related goals

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by
Row of Pepsi bottles on a supermarket shelf.

PepsiCo recently announced it will fall short of its 2025 goal to make 100% of its plastic packaging recoverable or reusable.| Pixinoo/Shutterstock

In recent weeks and months, disclosures by consumer goods giant PepsiCo and resin producer Shell have indicated the companies will either miss targets or adjust timelines to meet plastics recycling-related goals. Meanwhile, Nestle has received media scrutiny for changing how it describes its goals, even as it continues to make progress toward those targets. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged |

Alaskans innovate to address marine plastic pollution

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by

Grizzly Wood is made of 100% plastic waste, which limits color options but holds up well to the state’s harsh climate. | Courtesy of Alaska Plastic Recovery

A small company in Alaska is lending the state’s resourcefulness and ingenuity to creating composite lumber and addressing coastal plastics pollution.  Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , , |

Lawsuit claims plastic bottles are not recycled

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by
PET water bottle necks.

The Plastic Pollution Coalition alleged in a lawsuit that plastic is not designed to be recycled. | Tezzstock/Shutterstock

A group called the Plastic Pollution Coalition filed a false-advertising lawsuit against Danone Waters of America over its marketing of evian bottled water as “sustainable,” “natural” and “healthy.”  Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , |

Mohawk’s RPET consumption flat in 2023

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by

Despite introducing a new line of carpet containing recycled PET, Mohawk indicated little change in recycled plastic consumption from the previous year’s report, amid a challenging economic environment. | Courtesy of Mohawk Group

Global flooring manufacturer Mohawk Industries offered few specifics in its 2023 impact report regarding consumption of recycled plastics, and little appeared to have changed from the previous year’s report.  Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

Eureka upgrades to tackle increase in small plastics

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by

The Eureka Recycling MRF in Minneapolis will install several Machinex optical sorters in response to an increase in smaller plastic containers that have challenged the MRF’s ability to maintain quality. | Courtesy of Eureka Recycling

Minneapolis nonprofit MRF operator Eureka Recycling is seeing larger volumes of smaller plastics coming through its doors, creating challenges to maintain the same level of material quality. These changes spurred the company to plan substantial facility upgrades, a co-president said this week. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged |

AMP lays out vision of next-generation, AI-driven MRFs

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by
Mixed plastics for sorting and recycling.

AMP’s systems combine color cameras and AI to improve sorting accuracy in MRFs, but the company founder said there are more ways to harness that power. | Marina Onokhina

Putting AI and robotics into a MRF is one thing. Designing a MRF with AI and robotics makes for an entirely different experience, according to AMP founder and CEO Matanya Horowitz. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

Industry reacts to federal plastic pollution strategy

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by

The Biden administration’s “Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles and Priorities” strategy includes actions intended to reduce pollution from the production of plastics. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock

The Biden administration released a federal strategy aimed at reducing plastic pollution, drawing mixed responses from industry players.  Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged |

Massive plastics recycling project draws federal backing

Published: July 24, 2024
Updated:

by

International Recycling Group has secured a guarantee for up to $182.6 million in loans from the DOE, and is looking to proceed with its long-planned project, which incorporates plastic resin production and plastic waste as feedstock for furnaces used in steel manufacture. | TKCREDIT/Shutterstock

A Pennsylvania project from International Recycling Group has gained momentum, with a commitment for a multimillion-dollar loan from the U.S. Department of Energy. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , , |