Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Disposable coffee cups like these have a plastic coating that has historically left them out of the recovery and recycling process. | NatalyaBond/Shutterstock
Georgia-Pacific this week said two of its mills are bringing in mixed-paper bales that include single-use cups with a polyethylene barrier layer.
Major global food and beverage company Nestlé announced a $30 million investment in the Closed Loop Leadership Fund. | JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
After announcing a plan early this year to buy a massive volume of recycled resin in the coming years, Nestlé has begun investing in the U.S. to support that goal.
Urban Mining Co. operates a magnet recovery facility just south of Austin. | Courtesy of Urban Mining Co.
Urban Mining Co., which uses an innovative process to recycle rare earth magnets, has received financial backing as part of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Interpol found that plastic waste fires, both accidental and deliberate, have increased since Chinese import restrictions took hold. | MOHAMED ABDULRAHEEM/Shutterstock
Improper management of scrap plastics in Southeast Asia and elsewhere has increased sharply in the wake of China’s National Sword policy, according to international law enforcement body Interpol.
Senate Bill 54 would have tasked state regulators with developing and adopting rules requiring all single-use packaging and “priority single-use products” sold in California to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. | SerPhoto/Shutterstock
For the second straight year, a California proposal that had broad recyclability goals did not make it through the legislature.
Greater fiber tonnages are coming in through the residential stream, which typically includes higher numbers of small boxes. | Cari Rubin Photography/Shutterstock
OCC generation has shifted away from the commercial realm amid COVID-19, and tonnages might never go back. A paper association leader described that trend and what it means for the industry’s future.
An initial round of investments has been made toward a major plastics sortation facility, to be located in Erie, Pa. | create jobs 51/Shutterstock
Startup recycling firm International Recycling Group is moving forward with a $100 million plastics recovery facility in the Northeast.
Three recycling program leaders from across the U.S. said that education and outreach efforts have seen budget cuts due to the pandemic. | Stephen Griffin/Shutterstock
Leaders from three municipal recycling programs of varying size, including the largest city in the U.S., say they are grappling with budget issues and making alterations to collection service as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Despite the upcoming ban, the Chinese government continues to approve permits for more recovered paper to enter the country. | hxdbzxy/Shutterstock
Another major container ship operator says it’s ending scrap shipments to China as that country prepares to widen its prohibition on imports of recovered material. Meanwhile, insurance providers recently analyzed the Chinese policy and its ramifications for shipping lines.
Sen. Tom Udall and Rep. Alan Lowenthal recently outlined how components of their national recycling act might be adapted to fit different states. | DeawSS/Shutterstock
Two members of Congress who have pushed for EPR, a national deposit system and more are now encouraging state and municipal lawmakers to introduce their own versions of the legislation.