Major companies have launched an initiative to explore single-use plastic bag design. | daizuoxin/Shutterstock
Target, Walmart and others are working with Closed Loop Partners on a $15 million project to explore alternatives to traditional plastic bags in the retail sector.
Based on the lab-scale research, the Plastics Industry Association is now working with several companies to use a recycled-PE binder in asphalt on privately funded roadways and parking lots. | Marcel Derweduwen/Shutterstock
Research shows post-consumer PE film could improve the stiffness and resistance of polymer-modified asphalt at less cost than the co-polymers that are typically used.
PreZero’s Riverside, Calif. facility has begun running test loads of LDPE and LLDPE recovered film and producing pellets.
A company planning multiple U.S. processing plants taking in hard-to-recycle plastics has begun operating its first location in Southern California.
Montreal-based TC Transcontinental on June 16 announced its acquisition of the assets of Enviroplast. | lovelyday12/Shutterstock
A packaging producer purchased the assets of film recycling company Enviroplast and will use the equipment to supply itself with recycled pellets.
Suspended regulations led to immediate downturns in business for a number of plastic recycling firms. | patpitchaya/Shutterstock
A single-use plastic bag ban and reusable bag recycled-content mandate is back in force in California. The regulations had been temporarily lifted because of COVID-19.
Despite challenges caused by the pandemic starting in March, the first quarter of 2020 showed strong sales for some businesses that use recycled plastic. | Chaosamran_Studio/Shutterstock
Three major recycled plastic consumers recently reported their business performance during the first few months of 2020. They touched on COVID-19, recycled material costs and their outlook for the future.
California cities of 50,000 residents or more are seeing inbound contamination rates between 8% and 46%, with an average of 20%. | Oksana Shturo/Shutterstock
Plastic film has long been identified as a major contaminant in municipal materials recovery programs. Research from the West Coast shows just how challenging it has been to educate residents around proper bag behavior.
California’s governor recently suspended the state’s single-use bag ban for 60 days. | Joanna Dorota/Shutterstock
California’s single-use bag ban has been suspended for two months, with the governor citing coronavirus safety concerns. One plastics reclaimer said the move led to an immediate drop in PCR sales.
Trex uses about 500 million pounds of recovered polyethylene film and sawdust to make composite lumber each year. | Photo courtesy of Trex online product gallery.
Trex, which uses recovered polyethylene film to make composite wood products, boosted its sales and profits in 2019.
The Washington legislature passed a bill prohibiting retailers from providing single-use plastic bags and requiring reusable bags have post-consumer content. | anystock/Shutterstock
Washington state lawmakers will send the governor a bill mandating use of recycled plastic in beverage bottles. They also passed a bill banning thin plastic bags and mandating recycled content in thicker reusable bags.