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Author Archives: Colin Staub

About Colin Staub

Colin-StaubColin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Closed Loop venture capital fund raises $50 million

Published: December 14, 2021
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Autodesk sign on building with blue sky above.

The Closed Loop Ventures Group fund is supported by corporations including Microsoft and foundations such as the Autodesk Foundation. | Tada Images/Shutterstock

Investment firm Closed Loop Partners this week announced millions of dollars are ready to be invested in startup companies working in various sectors related to materials management.

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Greenpeace and Walmart continue renewed legal battle

Published: December 7, 2021
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Walmart store exterior.

The Greenpeace lawsuit focuses on Walmart’s use of the How2Recycle label on certain of the company’s private label plastic packaging. | QualityHD/Shutterstock

A lawsuit alleging Walmart deceives customers about recyclability of its packaging has been reopened. Attorneys for Greenpeace expect their complaint, which was previously dismissed by a federal judge, will be allowed to move forward in its amended form.

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Paper end users reflect on 2021 OCC price runup

Published: November 30, 2021
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Stacks of baled paper for recycling.

Recovered fiber users recently reported on the financial impact of material prices over the past quarter. | Siwakorn1933/Shutterstock

One major paper company reported a 179% increase in OCC prices year over year during the third quarter. Although the OCC market has cooled slightly since then, paper companies are projecting similarly elevated prices for the year to come.

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Paper exports stable despite Chinese market exit

Published: November 30, 2021
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Cargo ship docked at a shipping terminal.

U.S. fiber exports totaled 4.38 million short tons during the third quarter, up from 4.30 million in 2020. | Avigator Fortuner/Shutterstock

The third quarter of the year brought a resilient recovered fiber export market, even as the largest overseas buyer virtually disappeared. Meanwhile, scrap plastic exports continued a precipitous decline.

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EPA publishes finalized National Recycling Strategy

Published: November 16, 2021
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Carlton Waterhouse of the U.S. EPA.

Carlton Waterhouse, deputy administrator of the U.S. EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management, speaks during a Nov. 15 event.

In conjunction with America Recycles Day, the U.S. EPA on Nov. 15 released a roadmap for improving municipal recycling across the country. Officials say materials recovery is an important component of materials management, but it is not the entire story.

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US PET bottle recycling rate continues to sink

Published: November 16, 2021
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PET bottles for recycling.

Data shows that in 2020 PET bottles notched a 26.6% collection rate in the U.S., down from 27.9% in 2019. | Torychemistry/Shutterstock

Demand for recycled PET increased 10% in 2020, but it was accompanied by a decrease in PET bottle collection, according to an annual report from the National Association for PET Container Resources.

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Amid shipping crisis, recycling loads often ‘first to get cut’

Published: October 26, 2021
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Cargo stacked at port in Indonesia.

Global shipping constraints are impacting recovered commodities traders in unique ways. | Creativa Images / Shutterstock

Strife in the global shipping sector continues to impact North American recycling, with companies experiencing higher rates as well as decreased shipping availability and reliability.

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Report examines how to boost recycling markets in Texas

Published: October 5, 2021
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Bales of plastics in a recycling facility.

A new report shows the bulk of recyclables collected in Texas are processed at 31 MRFs. | RYosha / Shutterstock

A comprehensive look at the Lone Star State’s recycling system identified several strategies governments can use to bolster recycling market development in their jurisdictions, including recycled-content mandates and public procurement policies.

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