The move last week by 187 governments to alter a global waste treaty will mean further uncertainty for U.S. scrap plastic exports.
Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
The move last week by 187 governments to alter a global waste treaty will mean further uncertainty for U.S. scrap plastic exports.
Recovered fiber end users continue to experience impacts from fluctuating recycling markets, which they discussed in their recent earnings calls. Stakeholders also speculated on the future of fiber exports to Asia.
Consumption of U.S. recovered fiber versus overall finished paper products sold into the market hit a record high percentage in 2018. An industry group explained the increase, which came amid market challenges.
Federal legislation proposed in Canada requires consumer packaging to be made from a short list of recyclable materials. The guidelines allow only the most common recyclables, including just two plastic resins.
Legislation requiring 100 percent post-consumer plastic in beverage containers is gaining traction in California. Meanwhile, recently released data shows recycled plastic usage remains relatively low in the state’s bottling industry.
Two fiber packaging companies are ramping up production of a recycling-friendly coating for use on foodservice packaging. Commonly used coatings today can inhibit greater container recovery.
Maine lawmakers approved the first statewide prohibition on polystyrene foodservice packaging last week. The plastics industry quickly criticized the move.
Optical sorting technology is at the center of a patent infringement lawsuit between equipment suppliers Green Machine and Machinex.
Bucking the usual trend of recycling programs evolving from dual- to single-stream service over the years, the city of Greensboro, N.C. has run a cart-based single-stream program since day one, all the way back in 1992.
Waste and recycling collection deaths increased substantially in 2018, despite coordinated campaigns to reduce industry fatalities.