Marine pollution was a focus of a number of industry and environmental groups offering thoughts on the U.S. EPA’s plastics strategy. | Mario De Moya F/Shutterstock
Ahead of a July 31 deadline, the EPA has received nearly 100 comments on its draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, many of them calling for federal-level programs. Continue Reading
The Container Recycling Institute and Reloop released a study showing that deposit return systems do not have a negative effect on beverage sales. | Zety Akhzar/Shutterstock
A study looking at two decades of beverage sale trends around the world found that there was no decrease in sales when deposit return systems went into effect or were expanded. Continue Reading
Infusions of cash are going toward recovery in North America and infrastructure in South America. | Pichetw/Shutterstock
Two organizations focused on making the plastics supply chain more circular recently shared some investment news. Continue Reading
Steve Alexander of APR (left) and Monica Medina of the U.S. State Department at the 2023 Plastics Recycling Conference. | Big Wave Productions and Resource Recycling, Inc.
The Biden administration envisions a global plastics agreement that requires each country to take steps to boost demand for recycled resin, including through use of public procurement policies and packaging standardization. Continue Reading
From left: Keefe Harrison, Jennifer Russell and Matt Seaholm. | Big Wave Productions/Plastics Recycling Update
How to make plastics sustainable and improve recycling infrastructure was the focus of a recent panel discussion, with stakeholders pointing to transparency, public trust and standardization. Continue Reading
Europe’s PET imports doubled from 2021 to 2022. | Aykut Erdogdu/Shutterstock
Could minimum recycled content mandates for PET bottles simply drive an increase in RPET imports? A recycling industry group in Europe is concerned that’s happening there. Continue Reading
Many parties involved with the agreement see promise in the negotiations, but serious disagreements remain. | Gerain0812/Shutterstock
The second meeting to create a global plastics agreement ended with delegates agreeing to have a draft prepared in six months’ time, despite delays at the outset of negotiations. Continue Reading
The amended extended producer responsibility bill enjoys support from Members of New York’s legislature, but faces opposition from several brands and industry groups. | Real Window Creative/Shutterstock
Some New York legislators are pushing to see extended producer responsibility for packaging pass this year. With days left in the session, they’ve reintroduced what they see as a compromise bill.
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In the days before the next round of U.N. negotiations, the resin sector is calling for plastics’ importance to be recognized while environmental groups are pushing for bans and more. | Bumble Dee/Shutterstock
Ahead of the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution in Paris, organizations are laying out their wish lists and forming partnerships. Continue Reading
The recently launched certification standard, SCS-103A, sets thresholds, ranging from 5% to 50%, for recycled content in various categories of products. | DC Studio/Shutterstock
Environmental and sustainability certifier SCS Global Services launched a recycled-content certification for the electrical and electronic equipment industries that verifies the total percentage of recycled materials in products. Continue Reading