No U.S. state currently has an EPR law in place for packaging. | Yurii Prohonnyi/Shutterstock
Maine legislators are gearing up to introduce a bill that would mandate producers to fund the recycling of packaging they put on the market. The plan calls for different requirements based on whether a packaging type is “readily recyclable.”
California legislators are expected to take up recycling-related legislation again in 2020. | Jeffrey B. Banke/Shutterstock
With the 2020 Plastics Recycling Conference and Trade Show a little more than a month away, we’re offering another conversation with an expert set to take to the conference stage in Nashville.
The task force will include elected officials at the federal, state and local level, as well as recycling industry representatives. | Orhan Cam/Shutterstock
Four members of Congress this week unveiled a workgroup to boost plastics recycling through technology investments and more. It’s the latest of several recent moves at the national level to address plastics recovery.
The recently introduced RECOVER Act provides funds to support recycling infrastructure, programs and education. | Yi Chen Chiang/Shutterstock
Legislation before Congress provides up to $500 million in matching grants to state and local governments to support recycling.
Recology CEO Michael Sangiacomo told an audience at the 2019 Resource Recycling Conference and Trade Show his company would help bankroll a California initiative taking aim at plastic waste. | Brian Adams Photography
The CEO of West Coast hauler Recology teamed up with environmentalists to this week submit a proposed California ballot initiative taking aim at single-use plastics. Continue Reading
SC Johnson and Plastic Bank have launched a three-year partnership aimed at preventing ocean plastics and fighting poverty. | Kochneva Tetyana/Shutterstock
A number of ocean plastics-related announcements have been made as the Our Ocean Conference kicks off today in Oslo, Norway.
Among the bills Gov. Newsom signed is one that prohibits hotels from providing plastic single-use shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles. | Susanne Pommer/Shutterstock
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation forcing beverage companies to use increasingly higher percentages of recycled plastic in coming years, but he signed other bills of consequence.
Beverage bottles will be subject to phased-in recycled plastic mandates, if AB 792 is signed by the governor. | Myibean/Shutterstock
A recycled plastic requirement for beverage container producers cleared the California legislature last week. But comprehensive legislation reducing single-use packaging failed to advance. Continue Reading
Juri Freeman of Resource Recycling Systems (left) moderated a plastics-focused panel consisting of (from left to right) Michael Sangiacomo of Recology, Zeina El-Azzi of Brightmark Energy, Kate Bailey of Eco-Cycle and Tim Ponrathnam of Berry Global. | Resource Recycling Conference/Brian Adams Photography
Should some types of single-use plastic be banned? Or is infrastructure improvement a better answer to current plastic waste concerns? A varied group of industry leaders tackled those questions last week.