Baled OCC for recycling.

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A recycled paper mill closing its doors drew reader interest last month, as did legislative activity around the country, EPR implementation in California, new numbers on fiber disposal and a MRF operator acquisition.

The list below shows our top stories published in January in terms of unique page views.

1 | Recycled paper mill closes its doors in Vermont

Putney Paper, a Northeast U.S. mill that took in post-consumer recovered fiber and converted it into recycled tissue, napkins and towels, closed its doors last week, with company leadership citing rising energy costs contributing to the closure.

2 | EPR, bans and repeals: Bills introduced in 2024 legislatures
The 2024 legislative season is already picking up speed, with more than 60 bills filed on recycling across the nation.

3 | California picks EPR producer group and releases draft rules

California is moving ahead on implementation of its extended producer responsibility law. The state agency recently released a draft of the regulations and selected a producer responsibility organization. 

4 | Research finds recoverable fiber lost to US landfills

New research quantifies in greater detail the amount of fiber entering U.S. landfills each year. A lead author of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study said the findings highlight a huge opportunity for additional material recovery.

5 | Closed Loop acquires Midwest Fiber Recycling

Circular Services, the operating group of Closed Loop Partners, acquired Midwest Fiber Recycling for an undisclosed amount.