Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
In recent years, DS Smith has moved into the U.S. market, including acquisition of two paper mills. | Olexandr Panchenko/Shutterstock
A major British paper manufacturer is growing its presence in the U.S., increasing domestic demand for recovered fiber. The company’s leader forecasts a great future for recycled fiber use in paper packaging.
Bag producers pledged to support municipal programs in educating the public on proper bag recycling. | Ivanova Tetyana/Shutterstock
A coalition of bag manufacturers is committing to use more recycled plastic in the coming years. Recycling stakeholders are reacting to the pledge, which will include both post-consumer and post-industrial resin.
Rebuts solides Canadiens said it can no longer find a market for recovered paper produced at its Quebec MRFs. | Catherine Zibo/Shutterstock
Update: Quebec government officials say they’ve reached an agreement with Rebuts Solides Canadiens to continue services until another operator can be found.
A Canadian MRF operator will stop operating multiple facilities across Quebec in the near future, citing a lack of end markets for a key recyclable.
OCC and other recovered fiber grades are allowed in to China but with strict contamination thresholds. | noomcpk/Shutterstock
China bought less of the world’s recycled fiber in 2019, the second year in a row of major decreases in recycled material imports. And the country’s environmental ministry has reiterated plans for an all-out import ban next year.
The grant funds come as Dallas this month rolled out a multi-family recycling ordinance. | Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
A coalition of industry stakeholders will put over $900,000 toward municipal program improvements in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and will invest $2 million in an area MRF.
CarbonLite, a reclaimer producing food-grade recycled PET, will double its processing capacity this year with the construction of a $62 million facility in Dallas.
Chinese customs authorities are inspecting every container entering the country at certain ports, causing longer shipping times. And some observers say the enforcement efforts could also be driving down recovered paper prices.
China may be gearing up to further crack down on waste materials coming into the country, which could impact scrap imports.
China’s three-month-old import action has stalled shipments of some recovered materials from the U.S. and led to substantial import fee increases for shipments that do clear customs.
No U.S. state currently has an EPR law in place for packaging. | Yurii Prohonnyi/Shutterstock
Maine legislators are gearing up to introduce a bill that would mandate producers to fund the recycling of packaging they put on the market. The plan calls for different requirements based on whether a packaging type is “readily recyclable.”