Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Oregon will establish a producer responsibility program for packaging, printing and writing paper, and food serviceware. | Jacquie Klose / Shutterstock
Oregon will overhaul components of its recycling system and will make packaging producers partially responsible for funding recycling of their products. It’s the second U.S. state to approve such a law.
Pratt has announced plans for a 450,000-square-foot paper mill and a 700,000-square-foot adjacent corrugating plant. | Mark Agnor / Shutterstock
Pratt Industries and Kentucky state officials on July 29 announced the company will build its sixth 100% recycled paper mill in the U.S. The project will break ground next year and is slated to start up in fall 2023.
A study from GAIA found that, in five selected cities, only 24% of PET, HDPE and PP was getting recycled. | Meg Wallace Photography / Shutterstock
A study published by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives pins low recycling rates in U.S. cities squarely on hard-to-recycle plastics that are collected through curbside programs.
Traditional coatings on coffee cups add contamination to the recycling process, but Smart Planet Technologies has developed a solution. | Andy Shell / Shutterstock
Leaders at Smart Planet Technologies, which produces a coating that minimizes contamination during the fiber milling process, say they have seen adoption in several global regions. But several factors have limited U.S. growth.
The lawsuit alleges TerraCycle is enabling brand owners to mislead the public on the recyclability of their products. | photo_gonzo / Shutterstock
A nonprofit environmental organization is suing TerraCycle and several major brands, saying the companies are misleading consumers about the recyclability of their products through mail-in collection programs. TerraCycle’s CEO discussed the company’s labeling in an interview.
O-I has begun collection programs in communities it operates. | smoothsails / Shutterstock
O-I, a major user of recycled glass, recently launched an initiative that will support recycling options where curbside service is unavailable. The program also boosts the impact of recycling collection through matching charitable donations.
Worldwide, nearly 269 million short tons of recovered fiber were generated in 2019. | nickpeps / Shutterstock
A global report charting recovered fiber trends throughout 2019 found that packaging made up 86% of the end products made from the material. The study also examined fiber generation by region, international trade flows and more.
Indonesia’s 2% contamination rule for recovered fiber imports is likely to take effect in September. | Triawanda Tirta Aditya / Shutterstock
Recovered fiber will be allowed a maximum of 2% contamination when shipped into Indonesia, which is currently the ninth-largest market for U.S. exports of the material.
Maine’s new law requires packaging producers to fund the recycling of their products. | Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
The governor of Maine has signed legislation establishing extended producer responsibility for packaging materials in the state. It’s the first bill of its kind to become law in the U.S.
The Crossroads plans call for a 350,000-tons-per-year containerboard mill that uses 100% old corrugated containers (OCC) and mixed paper. | Pakorn Jarujittipun / Shutterstock
Crossroads Paper recently drew capital from an investment firm as it continues to develop a $320 million containerboard mill that would serve as a big buyer of recycled fiber in the western U.S.