News that Vietnam will no longer allow imports of U.S. mixed paper drew attention last month. | Domicile Media/Shutterstock
Articles about fiber markets, the U.S. recycling rate, waste reduction and brand owner commitments drew our readers’ clicks last month.
The list below shows our top stories published in November in terms of unique page views.
1 | Another Asian country bans imports of mixed paper
Vietnam, a relatively small market for U.S. mixed paper, will no longer allow imports of the material beginning in 2022. The restriction does not appear to affect OCC, which the U.S. ships to Vietnam in far greater quantities.
2 | COVID-19 demand shift opens door for recycled fiber
Nine Dragons is shifting toward recycled packaging at a U.S. mill, citing an “unprecedented” decline in demand for printing and writing paper. The company is just one of several paper producers responding to changing markets with mill conversions.
3 | EPA: Waste generation far outpaced recycling in 2018
The U.S. recycling and composting rate took a significant dive in 2018, falling from 35% to 32%, according to new figures from the federal government. The drop was partially due to a change in how the rate was calculated.
4 | In My Opinion: Focus on waste reduction, not recycling
In the runup to America Recycles Day, a campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity warns against using materials recovery as an excuse for infinite consumption.
5 | Major packaging users hit 6.2% average recycled content
Some of the largest packaged goods and retail firms increased their use of recycled plastic in 2019, but they have work to do to hit 2025 targets, according to an Ellen MacArthur Foundation update.
