Waste Management handled about 10% fewer tons of scrap plastic in 2022 than it did in 2021. | Rblfmr/Shutterstock
Waste Management handled 465,000 tons of scrap plastic bales in 2022, down from the previous year because recycling plant upgrades required temporary shutdowns. Continue Reading
Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at the Ocean Conservancy, speaks during the “Plastic Tensions Within Extended Producer Responsibility” session at the 2023 Resource Recycling Conference in Orlando, Fla. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
Resource Recycling Conference attendees may have been expecting a boxing ring when stakeholders got on stage to talk about plastic and extended producer responsibility, but instead they got a message of hope, progress and civil disagreement on film, chemical recycling and labeling. Continue Reading
Although depressed plastics prices have caused some companies to revise their earnings projections, many in the sector are optimistic about an upcoming rebound. | Golden Dayz/Shutterstock
This story has been updated.
Recycled plastics prices are at their lowest levels in some time, putting significant strain on material processors. Meanwhile, some resin buyers are abandoning PCR to purchase virgin plastic instead. Continue Reading
Of the nine states for which data is available, only two showed meaningful increases in their container redemption rates. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock
Most states with deposit return systems saw static or reduced bottle redemption rates in 2022, according to a deposit advocacy organization. Continue Reading
Greystone Logistics processes about 60 million pounds per year of recovered material into new pallets. | Courtesy of Greystone Logistics
Lower recovered HDPE prices have helped increase the profitability of a recycled plastic pallet manufacturer. Continue Reading
Xaloy will use money from the JobsOhio program to construct its upcoming Innovation Center. | SevenMaps/Shutterstock
Plastics recycling equipment company Xaloy will build an R&D facility in Ohio, with a goal of developing technologies to support the use of recycled resins. Continue Reading
A financial presentation from Unifi reported “strong adoption” of RPET chip and flake in the Americas in the fourth quarter of the 2023 fiscal year. | Don Pablo/Shutterstock
For Unifi, greater sales of recycled PET flakes and chips in the Americas provided one bright spot amid an otherwise gloomy business environment last year. Continue Reading
Plastics recycler MBA Polymers UK is adding a fourth facility in the face of higher customer demand. | Courtesy of MBA Polymers UK
A fourth facility for MBA Polymers UK will give the plastics recycler a 35% capacity boost once it comes on-line in September. Continue Reading
Researchers at The Circulate Initiative identified several common challenges that cities face when dealing with plastic waste. | Mohamed Abdulraheem/Shutterstock
Research recently undertaken by several groups dug into how individual cities in ocean plastic hot spots are approaching materials management. Continue Reading