A federal purchasing rule handed down last week directs agencies to buy sustainable products and avoid those that contain PFAS. | Petrmalinak/Shutterstock
The federal government has announced plans to further prioritize American-made sustainable products and services in its purchasing, including recycled content. Continue Reading
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 board represents a variety of backgrounds and interests, with members coming from industry, manufacturing, environmental groups and municipalities. | Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock
Leaders from Alameda County, Waste Connections and Talco Plastics are among the group of stakeholders that will oversee California’s extended producer responsibility program for packaging and paper.
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Speakers on the “Frontline Communities” panel included (from left) Sandra Gonza, Jo Banner, Paulina Lopez and Joy Banner. | Dan Leif/Plastics Recycling Update
As companies across the sector try to navigate concerns around environmental justice, leaders of activist groups have some advice: Stop and listen to the local community first. Continue Reading
Although many states have reclassified pyrolysis as a manufacturing process, the U.S. EPA will preserve its status as a form of incineration under federal law. | g0d4ather/Shutterstock
Ample time and staff resources are needed to study and gain a technical and regulatory understanding of the air quality impacts of pyrolysis. In the meantime, the process should remain subject to more stringent regulatory requirements, the U.S. EPA decided. 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
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
Remarks from industry groups focused on such topics as uniformity of standards, using data to back policy and recognition of the ever-changing recycling landscape. | G0d4ather/Shutterstock
The Federal Trade Commission requested comments on its revisions to the Green Guides and got 850 responses, with many calling for a crackdown on deceptive claims and better definitions of key terms. Continue Reading
The U.S. EPA is seeking comments on its recently published “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution.” | SerPhoto/Shutterstock
Although it doesn’t use the word “ban,” the U.S. EPA released a plastics pollution strategy that supports steps to reduce production of single-use and difficult-to-recycle plastics. Continue Reading
Most beverage brands failed to meet CalRecycle’s requirements for PCR use or didn’t report to the regulator at all. | Noom CPK/Shutterstock
This story has been updated.
Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo and other big beverage brands achieved California’s mandate to use 15% PCR in their bottles last year, but the list of smaller brands that failed to hit the target – or even report data to the state – stretches over 500 companies long. Continue Reading