On Monday, RePlanet shut down completely and terminated its entire workforce throughout California. | Arne Beruldsen/Shutterstock
RePlanet, once the largest operator of facilities redeeming containers covered by the California Redemption Value (CRV) program, has shuttered. The move will significantly reduce consumer recycling access.
A market analyst projects that PET collection rates in the U.S. would need to double to provide enough supply for consumer goods companies to meet their goals. | Myibean/Shutterstock
Market analysts say PET collection rates are insufficient to reach the amount of material brand owners will need to hit their recycled-content objectives.
Legislation introduced last week establishes a framework to enable recycling-related investments. | LWPhotography/Shutterstock
Recycling issues have hit the national stage with unprecedented fervor in recent weeks. Citing recycling market challenges and growing plastic pollution, lawmakers are advancing legislation and pressuring government agencies to take action.
Ongoing economic uncertainty has contributed to the freight market shift. | Vitpho/Shutterstock
Multiple factors have led to lower demand for trucking, bringing shipping cost relief to many in the recycling industry.
Global chemical company Eastman has unveiled a recycling process that breaks down polymers into gases for use in chemical manufacturing. It’s now looking for suppliers.
An integrated plastics reclaimer counters claims about the non-recyclability of black plastics, and a UK company develops a more-efficient plastics-to-oil process using water.
After paper recycling companies extract fiber from cartons, they’re often left with a plastic-aluminum mix that’s sent to disposal. An Italian company has begun recycling that mix into pellets.
A project to develop depolymerization catalysts advances with support from a worldwide plastics company, and a bottled water company installs a PET recycling line.
An extruder is used to pulverize contaminated plastics into a powder for extrusion into printer filament, and LDPE film deinking demonstrations are scheduled for November.
A compounder moves further into the recycled-content space, a recycling machine is literally taken into space and a magazine piece explores black plastic recycling challenges.