Several recycling stakeholders spoke about engaging with lawmakers to advance legislation in a Monday morning workshop titled “How to Educate Your Policymaker.” | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.
Nearly 2,700 industry leaders are gathering for the largest-ever Plastics Recycling Conference, taking place outside Washington, D.C.
Money from the Film and Flexibles Recycling Coalition will go toward helping AMP install its Vortex system, which sorts film away from other material streams. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics
AMP Robotics has received a grant to help it kick-start recovery of polyolefin films at a secondary sortation facility in Georgia.
The estimate was derived using data from the U.S. EPA and industry associations APR and NAPCOR. | Photka/Shutterstock
A report from the U.S. Plastics Pact found a national recycling rate of 13.3% for plastic packaging and an overall potentially recyclable, reusable or compostable rate of 36% for Pact members.
Digimarc Recycle works by using digital watermarks and a cloud-based dataset of product attributes such as brand, SKU, product variant, packaging composition and others, to improve optical sorting technologies. | Courtesy of Digimarc
Expanding on earlier trials, Digimarc plans to test its Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0 in France on a larger scale. Continue Reading
Industry leaders oppose the European Commission’s proposed phase-out of plastics exports, arguing such a move would restrict trade. | European Parliament Multimedia Centre
A branch of the European Union wants to end all exports of recovered plastics within the next four years, a move that would undoubtedly disrupt trade with the U.S. One company leader suggested the impacts could hinge on what the EU decides to consider “waste.”
The application process for a second round of the Reuse Catalyst program will open in late 2023 or early 2024. | Natalia Deriabina/Shutterstock
In an effort to increase reuse and refill infrastructure in the U.S., the U.S. Plastics Pact announced its first class of Reuse Catalyst grantees. Continue Reading
The Recycling Partnership’s first round of grants is intended to help PET recyclers boost their recovery in the short term and build capacity for the long term. | DonPablo/Shutterstock
Resin company DAK Americas, recycled-content thermoforms producer Direct Pack and MRF operator Recycle Source have become the first three recipients of grants from the PET Recycling Coalition.
Half of all plastic packaging could be profitably recycled if improvements are made to its design and to recovery systems, according to a report. Continue Reading
WWF found that 34% of members’ plastic footprint was recycled, 9% incinerated, 43% landfilled and 15% mismanaged. | Kraft74/Shutterstock
In 2021, major brands increased their use of PCR and cut back on “problematic plastics,” but the amount of plastic they put on the market grew by over 5%, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The Dec. 15 hearing by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works brought four panelists together to answer questions from legislators. | Katherine Welles/Shutterstock
During a two-hour hearing, U.S. senators questioned industry experts about chemicals in plastics, marine plastic pollution and extended producer responsibility.