Envision Plastics has had success integrating marine plastics into the supply chain. But if more brand owners don’t step up to purchase the material, the whole effort may have to scale back, an executive at the reclaimer said.
Envision Plastics has had success integrating marine plastics into the supply chain. But if more brand owners don’t step up to purchase the material, the whole effort may have to scale back, an executive at the reclaimer said.
Waste Management’s latest sustainability report delves into factors impacting the plastics recycling industry as a whole, including fluctuating markets, sustainable materials management, technological advances and more.
The weight of plastic bottles collected for recycling continued to decrease in the U.S. in 2017, contributing to the third straight year of a declining recycling rate.
Markets for post-consumer PET and HDPE have shown stability, while the price of color HDPE has recently increased.
Pyrolysis company Agilyx signed a joint-venture deal with AmSty, a major producer of polystyrene and styrene monomer. Separately, Agilyx entered an agreement to provide feedstock for jet fuel production.
As part of the Trump administration’s trade war with China, a number of tariffs have been levied on the import of Chinese goods. A handful of recycling companies and one trade group have sought exemptions.
Prices for recovered PET containers have remained relatively steady. Meanwhile, values for both natural and color HDPE have climbed.
PET prices have dropped slightly, but another key curbside plastic, natural HDPE, continues to coast along at high levels.
A year after an online scrap plastics trading marketplace launched, an executive at the startup offered insight into where material is moving in the aftermath of China’s ban.
Bales of PET continue to rise in value, while natural HDPE prices fall slightly but remain at a relatively high level.