California legislators, environmentalists and industry groups are working on a plastics pollution and recycling bill that they hope will persuade ballot measure backers to withdraw their initiative before the deadline at the end of this month. | rarrarorro/Shutterstock
Canada will no longer allow the manufacture of stir sticks as of December 2022, part of a wider plastics prohibition. | Wan Fahmy Redzuan/Shutterstock
Canada has banned a wide range of single-use plastics, effective by the end of the year for most items, and is looking to implement new labeling laws as well.
Changes to Iowa’s bottle redemption program are awaiting the Governor’s signature. | Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Iowa lawmakers have approved container deposit legislation that triples the bottle handling fee but allows grocery stores and other retail entities to opt out of the collection system, a fact that could significantly reduce redemption access.
A bill passed in New York establishes goals for carpet recycling and post-consumer content, requires the creation of a collection network and more. | Steven Belanger/Shutterstock
New York is close to becoming the second state to require producers to fund carpet collection and recycling. Meanwhile, California regulators approved carpet fees that vary based on recycled content.
Speaking during the “Tensions in Recyclability Labeling” session at the Plastics Recycling Conference were (from left to right) Erik Grabowsky of Arlington County, Va., Steve Alexander of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, Heidi Sanborn of the National Stewardship Action Council and Karen Hagerman of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. | Brian Adams Photography/Resource Recycling, Inc.
Consumers are confused and frustrated by recycling label systems in the U.S., and it will take a group effort to fix the problem, panelists told Plastics Recycling Conference attendees.
The introduction of the EPR bill came after lawmakers stripped a prior EPR program out of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal. | Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock
An extended producer responsibility bill that has the support of environmental activists was recently introduced in New York, while a Colorado EPR bill moved to the Senate floor.
To meet California’s 15% PCR rate by 2022, U.S. reclaimers need an aggregate additional output of 800,000 tons of food-grade post-consumer PET and PE. | monticello/Shutterstock
A report from Independent Commodity Intelligence Services found that there’s not enough post-consumer resin in the U.S. market to meet California’s mandates, and there are more state mandates coming on-line soon.
EPR bills, proposed in a number of states, aim to improve curbside collection and more. | Jared Paben
Last year, Maine and Oregon each passed major pieces of recycling legislation that incorporated elements of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, a strategy in which producers are mandated to fund packaging recovery in those states. Continue Reading
Colorado’s Capitol building in Denver. | Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
Colorado and Hawaii are both working to pass extended producer responsibility bills this legislative session that are tailored to fit each state’s needs. Continue Reading
The New York State Capitol in Albany. | Real Window Creative/Shutterstock
In recent days, a proposal for extended producer responsibility was sidelined in New York, and Iowa lawmakers sat deadlocked over legislation to update the bottle bill.