Roche Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington.
Municipal programs in the Pacific Northwest continue to feel the impacts of China’s import restrictions, and multiple local programs are halting acceptance of plastics and other materials in response.
Roche Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington.
Municipal programs in the Pacific Northwest continue to feel the impacts of China’s import restrictions, and multiple local programs are halting acceptance of plastics and other materials in response.
Anti-incineration activists are criticizing an industry program that diverts traditionally non-recycled plastics away from landfill and into energy-recovery facilities. In response, project backer Dow Chemical Co. has defended the program’s utility.
Nina Bellucci Butler speaks at the Resource Recycling Conference.
U.S. and Canadian end users could consume more of the recovered plastics generated domestically if prices and specifications meet their needs. But a handful of converging market trends are standing in the way of significant growth.
Indonesia considers following its fee on plastic bags with one on plastic beverage containers, and South African pickers could be hurt by a transition to extended producer responsibility for packaging.
A Connecticut bill sits in uncharted territory when it comes to regulating plastic bags: The legislation ensures they’re recyclable and include recycled content, but it does not ban them.
A government auditor in British Columbia has released a report on the Canadian province’s EPR (extended producer responsibility) program for printed paper and plastic packaging. Overall, the auditor is pleased with the program but does identify areas for improvement.
Global carpet tile maker Interface plans to expand carpet collections in the U.S. so it can dramatically boost the amount of nylon it recycles. Continue Reading
Last year, America’s most populous state notched a 44 percent recycling rate, down from 47 percent in 2015 and 50 percent in 2014, according to government figures.
In bulky rigid plastics recycling, the materials recovery facility is at the center of the equation. But downstream developments have also been key to monetizing a material that was long seen as a contaminant.
Residents of a settlement in Zambia collect and sell scrap plastics in place of a formal hauling service, and ag plastics recycling efforts grow in Australia.