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.
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
The target audience for the short courses is those in plastics recycling and manufacturing, as well as early-career ocean professionals. | Wonderful Nature/Shutterstock
Hawaii Pacific University is offering plastics- and recycling-related short courses over the summer that are aimed at plastics professionals. Continue Reading
As part of a recent report, the U.S. EPA provided new recycling rate estimates, which hadn’t been updated since the agency released 2018 data. | Billion Photos/Shutterstock
The U.S. EPA’s recent recycling infrastructure report was largely focused on the investments needed to improve the system but also included new recycling rate estimates for specific materials, some of the first data updates the agency has released since its last Facts and Figures report several years ago. Continue Reading
Although reclaimers and others experienced disruptions in electricity and logistics, the regional RPET market as yet has not been significantly affected. | Eley Archive/Shutterstock
As the threat from wildfires in Southern California subsides thanks to heavy rains in the region, market participants said that so far the effect on RPET market has been minimal, though workers’ lives were disrupted. Continue Reading
The Polystyrene Recycling Alliance includes members from both the PS and EPS industries, along with brands, converters and recyclers. | OlekStock/Shutterstock
In an effort to raise polystyrene recycling rates, the Plastics Industry Association has created a Polystyrene Recycling Alliance. Continue Reading
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
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.