Cascadia Consulting Group, Full Circle Environmental and More Recycling conducted research on behalf of state officials in strategies to boost the use of post-consumer plastic in packaging. | MOLPIX/Shutterstock
A report for the state of Washington explores impediments to the use of post-consumer resin in packaging, and it identifies a number of potential solutions.
Researchers collected and sorted through more than 38,000 pounds of mixed recyclables from 173 sample loads. | Rubens Alarcon/Shutterstock
Researchers have quantified contamination in the business recycling stream in the Portland, Ore. metropolitan area, providing data that can be used to make operational or outreach decisions.
Researchers identified recycling as a critical piece of the solution to reducing ocean pollutants.| BBbirdZ/Shutterstock
A policy paper from leading ocean plastic experts lays out a strategy for reducing plastic and other pollutants in the world’s waterways. Researcher Jenna Jambeck and others offered details on how materials recovery fits into the plan.
The government is looking to support liquefaction technologies to convert plastics Nos. 1-7 and other materials into high-energy-content liquid products. | Kedardome/Shutterstock
The U.S. government is looking to provide up to $4 million to advance development of technologies to convert recovered plastics into feedstock for fuels.
California cities of 50,000 residents or more are seeing inbound contamination rates between 8% and 46%, with an average of 20%. | Oksana Shturo/Shutterstock
Plastic film has long been identified as a major contaminant in municipal materials recovery programs. Research from the West Coast shows just how challenging it has been to educate residents around proper bag behavior.
Troy University researchers are investigating methods for recycling medical plastics into new products. | Rob Byron/Shutterstock
The coronavirus has put a focus on the plastics used in the manufacture of gloves, masks and other types of personal protective equipment. KW Plastics will assist Troy University scientists who are studying the recycling of that material.
A pelletizing and melt delivery equipment company opened a lab in North Carolina, and a U.S. thermoforms company begins using sheets from resin made partly through a PET depolymerization process.
Department of Energy grants are available to advance energy-efficient recycling processes. | cwales/Shutterstock
The U.S. Department of Energy will provide up to $25 million for the development of efficiently recycled polymers and improved recycling processes.
The Recycling Partnership’s “2020 State of Curbside” report delves into updated data on recycling in the U.S. | stephen rudolph/Shutterstock
To quickly grasp the struggles facing American curbside recycling programs, one can follow the money – or lack thereof. In July 2017, a ton of recyclables was worth over $90. In October 2019, it was worth $30. That’s according to new research from The Recycling Partnership.
A steering committee is reviewing five scenarios to potentially reshape the future of recycling in Oregon. | kipgodi/Shutterstock
Industry leaders in one West Coast state are pondering a variety of different frameworks to help recycling programs and processors find greater resilience in the wake of National Sword. Producers may ultimately be asked to play a big role in the solution.