Colorado is the third state in the U.S. to pass a packaging extended producer responsibility bill, and the first in the 2022 legislative session. | Arturs Budkevics/Shutterstock
While many industry leaders praised the recent passage of a Colorado bill establishing extended producer responsibility for printed paper and packaging, others are calling for Gov. Jared Polis to veto it.
Polycarbin partners with area recyclers to process collected lab plastics, then Polycarbin brings the recycled plastic to several different contract manufacturers that mold it into lab products. | Courtesy of Polycarbin
The co-founders of Polycarbin met in medical school, on track to become plastic surgeons. That’s a point of irony now, they said, as their lab plastics recycling business continues to grow.
Cedar Poly in Tipson, Iowa was just acquired by UFP Industries. | Cedar Poly website
Recycled-plastic decking manufacturers are responding to strong markets for their products by expanding production capacity, including UFP buying reclaimer Cedar Poly and Fiberon breaking ground on a facility in Tennessee.
The report discusses investments that would need to occur in terms of scrap plastic collection and sorting, existing impediments to scaling up chemical recycling and more. | David Gyung/Shutterstock
If $40 billion were invested in chemical recycling technologies and certain constraints were resolved, chemical recycling processes could satisfy 4-8% of total polymer demand by 2030, according to a new analysis.
As of Dec. 31, TerraCycle US has over 150 brand-sponsored national recycling programs in 48 states. | photo gonzo/Shutterstock
TerraCycle US continued to rake in more money from companies paying it to operate mail-in recycling programs, but it incurred steeper losses doing the actual recycling of plastic and other materials.
The student team “The Rogue Pack” presenting at the 2022 Oregon Envirothon.
Plastics recycling is drawing mainstream media attention in the wake of recent data showing low and declining recycling rates in the U.S. | lary_bird/Shutterstock
A recent report on plastic recycling rates from The Last Beach Clean Up and Beyond Plastics has attracted the attention of several large news outlets and the mainstream public, but industry leaders said the data is misleading and counter-productive.
A bill passed in New York establishes goals for carpet recycling and post-consumer content, requires the creation of a collection network and more. | Steven Belanger/Shutterstock
New York is close to becoming the second state to require producers to fund carpet collection and recycling. Meanwhile, California regulators approved carpet fees that vary based on recycled content.
Speaking during the “Tensions in Recyclability Labeling” session at the Plastics Recycling Conference were (from left to right) Erik Grabowsky of Arlington County, Va., Steve Alexander of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, Heidi Sanborn of the National Stewardship Action Council and Karen Hagerman of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. | Brian Adams Photography/Resource Recycling, Inc.
Consumers are confused and frustrated by recycling label systems in the U.S., and it will take a group effort to fix the problem, panelists told Plastics Recycling Conference attendees.