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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].

Connecticut redemptions rise after deposit doubles

Published: July 1, 2024
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Bottle return at a reverse vending machine.

In 2021, Connecticut lawmakers approved a series of changes to the state’s bottle bill, including expanding the list of containers covered under the deposit program, increasing the number of redemption spaces and increasing the handling fee and doubling the deposit. | Veja/Shutterstock

Consumers redeemed 194.5 million containers in Connecticut during the first quarter of this year, up 12.6% from a year before, as the state increased the container deposit from a nickel to a dime. Continue Reading

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Balcones’ latest MRF features AI imaging and film vacuum

Published: June 25, 2024
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Balcones Recycling opened a $68 million MRF this month in San Antonio, Texas, capable of processing 50 tons per hour of municipal recyclables. | Courtesy of Balcones Recycling

Balcones Recycling has completed a new sorting facility in San Antonio, featuring AI-equipped optical sorters and an innovative experiment to deal with a common MRF contaminant.
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White House releases national food waste plan

Published: June 18, 2024
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Food waste gathered for composting.

The national organics recovery strategy has four goals: Preventing food loss, preventing food waste, increasing the organics recycling rate and supporting policies centered on those three goals. | Jesse David Falls/Shutterstock

Federal agencies this month unveiled a national organics recovery strategy with specific actions – and designated grant funding – that will move the country toward an existing goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. Continue Reading

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Brand owners set new five-year plastics targets

Published: June 18, 2024
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Blue plastic pellets

The U.S. Plastics Pact reported that by the end of 2022, pact signatories had increased PCR use from 7% to 9.4%. | XXL Photo/Shutterstock

The U.S. Plastics Pact recently unveiled the goals its signatories will strive for during the next five years. Most of the goals build on the efforts over the past five years, and the group’s target date to hit 30% average recycled content has been extended from 2025 to 2030. Continue Reading

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As OCC continues to rise, end users up product prices

Published: June 18, 2024
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Closeup of rolled corrugated paper.

Greif, Graphic Packaging and Sonoco all recently announced they will raise uncoated recycled paperboard prices. | Mustafa Hamdiev/Shutterstock

Multiple paper packaging giants have announced price increases for their uncoated recycled paperboard in recent weeks due to rising recycled fiber prices and demand. Continue Reading

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Ten years in, Closed Loop Partners details its impact

Published: June 11, 2024
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Closed Loop Partners has made more than 80 investments over the past 10 years of existence and is poised to keep going. | Petrmalinak/Shutterstock

Closed Loop Partners has provided funding to more than 80 companies and municipalities over its decade in existence, a period of significant turbulence in the U.S. recycling sector. Continue Reading

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Platform aims to scale up recycling sector digitization

Published: June 11, 2024
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baled plastics

Matium both connects buyers and sellers and makes data reporting easier for users of the digital platform. | Ann-Moore/Shutterstock

Matium last month began the commercial launch of a platform that digitizes many aspects of the plastics recycling trading business. The company also received a recent funding boost from an economic development agency in Colorado.

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Full plastic bag ban passes California Senate

Published: June 4, 2024
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Senate Bill 1053 revises California’s bag ban to state that reusable bags provided at point of sale cannot be made from plastic film. | jon nightingale/Shutterstock

A bill that expands California’s bag ban to prohibit all plastic bags – even the reusable recycled-content bags that are a major driver of post-consumer film resin sales – is working its way through the California legislative system.
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Crossroads Paper is back, planning a mill in Nevada

Published: May 29, 2024
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Baled OCC for recycling.

Crossroads Paper is now planning a 30-month construction project for a mill near Winnemucca, Nevada. | Max Barnum/Shutterstock

The team behind a proposed Utah recycled paper mill has resurfaced with plans that move the site west, now aiming to build a mill in northern Nevada to process mixed paper and OCC into 350,000 tons per year of recycled containerboard. Continue Reading

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Investors drawn to ‘recession-resilient’ waste sector

Published: May 29, 2024
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Desk with financial documents.

A recent investment report gathered insights from WM, GFL and other haulers. | Create Jobs 51/Shutterstock

Regulations, customer demand and technology are driving corporate sustainability interest, which in turn will likely bring investment dollars into the sector, according to a recent investment report that interviewed major North American recycling firms. Continue Reading

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