In a statement, the company called the closure of the plastic film processing plant temporary, amid challenging macroeconomic conditions. | Courtesy of Natura PCR
Hauler WM has shuttered its Natura PCR plastic film processing operations in Texas only months after starting up a new $150 million plant, amid lackluster market conditions.
Dissolution recycling processes leave a polymer structure intact, and belong in the physical recycling category along with mechanical recycling, Plastics Recyclers Europe said. | Rene Notenbomer/Shutterstock
Industry association Plastics Recyclers Europe is looking to raise the profile of dissolution recycling, an often-overlooked process that doesn’t quite fit into common recycling categories. Continue Reading
The RecycleOn Oregon center opened this month in Ashland, the first of 140 planned for the state, in line with the state’s EPR law mandates. | Courtesy RecycleOn
Hard-to-recycle materials may soon find a new use in Oregon thanks to a first-of-its-kind recycling center now open there.
PackUK has begun issuing the first EPR invoices to packaging producers, outlining payment rules, penalties and next steps toward modulated recyclability fees. |
Tartezy / Shutterstock
The administrator for the UK’s extended producer responsibility program for packaging has issued its first invoices to packaging producers, marking the start of a major shift in how household packaging waste is funded.
At PPRC in Chicago, industry experts warned that complex rules and demands will take years to refine as Oregon sets an early model. | Bob Pool / Shutterstock
At the Paper and Plastics Recycling Conference in Chicago, industry leaders said extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging are changing how the US handles residential recycling, but warned that uneven state rules will slow the transition.
The national average price for bales of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars remained steady in October, now averaging 4.50 cents/lb, compared to 4.66 cents this time last month. Regional contracts are still yielding in the 3-7 cent range. One year ago this grade was trading at an average 17.59 cents/lb.
While most US recycled plastic scrap markets remain weak, several have likely found a pricing floor, prompting some stabilization. | Garry Killian / Shutterstock
While most US recycled plastic scrap markets remain weak, several have likely found a pricing floor, prompting some stabilization. Overall demand remains soft, especially as buyers seasonally reduce inventory volumes within the fourth quarter. Continue Reading
Production of film and flexible packaging is growing while recycling rates remain low. | K M Hargreaves / Shutterstock
While film and flexible packaging represent about 34% of the total US plastic packaging industry by weight, abysmal recycling rates are requiring adjustments across the entire system. Continue Reading
While Washington aims to reduce plastic bag waste, the mandate for thicker bags is in question, resulting in more plastic volume overall. | Olga Miltsova / Shutterstock
The Washington State Department of Commerce released a report on the effectiveness of the state’s retail carryout bag policy prohibiting thin, 0.5 mil thickness single-use plastic bags. Continue Reading