Scrap plastic traders are facing challenges from increased freight rates and cancellations of bookings by shipping lines as Basel regulations are implemented. | Mariusz Bugno/Shutterstock
Industry experts say overseas buyers are struggling to source scrap plastic after new restrictions on the global trade of recovered plastic began taking effect.
Prices for recovered plastics increased across the board during the past month, with natural high-density polyethylene bales notching another record.
A leader with AMP Robotics says artificial intelligence has changed how robotics can be incorporated into recycling facilities. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics.
A recycling facility operator and a robotics company say artificial intelligence is providing materials recovery firms with much-needed data to analyze changes in the recycling stream. That’s in addition to sortation improvements.
Approvals were given to two technologies to recycle post-consumer PET bottles into new food and drink packaging. | alenka2194/Shutterstock
A European authority gave the thumbs up to using Starlinger and EREMA technologies to recycle post-consumer PET for use in food and drink packaging.
Most food waste consists of meats, vegetables, fruit and bakery products, according to a recent Denkstatt report.
The need to reduce food waste has escalated as an issue during COVID-19. In response to current realities, consumers have raced to grocery stores to stockpile food, often buying in surplus. Now, we’re seeing food’s perishability firsthand.
Once PreZero’s California plant hits full scale, the facility will be producing 24 million pounds per year of film pellets.
A company planning multiple U.S. processing plants taking in hard-to-recycle plastics has begun operating its first location in Southern California.
Details on chemical recycling ventures from virgin plastics producers, including SABIC, drew attention last year. | Casimiro PT/Shutterstock
The past 12 months certainly gave plastics recycling stakeholders plenty to chew on – and the action extended beyond just the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 and pricing pressure led companies to seek other supply lines for PET feedstock. | Pixel B/Shutterstock
A confluence of RPET market disruptions in 2020 included low prime plastic pricing and supply challenges that led end users to seek feedstock from other sources. Still, experts maintain a surge of RPET demand is fast approaching.
