The report discusses investments that would need to occur in terms of scrap plastic collection and sorting, existing impediments to scaling up chemical recycling and more. | David Gyung/Shutterstock
If $40 billion were invested in chemical recycling technologies and certain constraints were resolved, chemical recycling processes could satisfy 4-8% of total polymer demand by 2030, according to a new analysis.
Federal researchers found study also found that only about 5% of discarded plastic in the U.S. was recycled in 2019, while 86% was left in landfills and 9% was burned to generate electricity. | Huguette Roe/Shutterstock
A study from the U.S. Department of Energy estimated the amount of plastic discarded in the U.S. in 2019 was 44 million metric tons, higher than other estimates.
The state of New York will direct millions of dollars toward plastics recycling research at the University at Buffalo. | Credit: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
New York state officials awarded the University at Buffalo $4.5 million to create a research center for improving plastic recycling.
Packaging companies recently announced they will purchase recycled resin produced through ExxonMobil’s chemical recycling technology. | Katherine Welles/Shutterstock
Multiple companies announced they will be increasing their use of chemically recycled plastics in pursuit of their recycled-content goals, and a consumer goods group said it supports chemical recycling.
GreenLabs Recycling recently hit 100,000 pounds of plastic recycled since it began collecting material in 2019. | Courtesy of GreenLabs Recycling
More than 20 million plastic pipette tip boxes are shipped to the greater Boston area each year, and the vast majority are not recycled. GreenLabs Recycling is working to change that.
Overall, worldwide recycling rates for both single-polymer and multi-material plastic flexible packaging is negligible. | pedphoto36p/Shutterstock
Single-use flexible plastic packaging has been the fastest-growing packaging type. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation says the opposite should be happening.
A report from the Ocean Conservancy pushes for recycled-content minimum legislation. | RecycleMan/Shutterstock
A report from the Ocean Conservancy calls for minimum-recycled-content standards to be increased over time, backed by robust enforcement and stiff penalties for non-compliance.
A study found that modernizing bottle bills in five Northeast states could create up to $160 million in savings to local governments and add up to $1.4 billion to the region’s economy annually. | Pazargic Liviu/Shutterstock
By updating older deposit return systems, states can create jobs, increase municipal savings and boost recycling rates, according to research from nonprofit Reloop North America.
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A report from Google suggests that reaching a circular economy will require rethinking design, reducing resource consumption, recycling and other interventions. | Nevodka/Shutterstock
A report from one of the world’s biggest tech companies finds that both chemical and mechanical recycling will be needed to close the plastics loop by 2040. The company also discusses taxes on virgin plastics.
Greg Johnson, Evergreen’s general manager of resin and recycling, presents at the Plastics Recycling Conference last week. | Brian Adams Photography
When private equity fund The Sterling Group acquired Evergreen, staff at the PET reclaimer were nervous, Greg Johnson included.