Colin Staub is a reporter at Resource Recycling. He can be contacted at [email protected].
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery altered its current California Refund Value deposit system rules to make space for reusable glass containers in the program. | Ratchat/Shutterstock
Regulators are finalizing rules allowing reusable glass bottles to be included in California’s container redemption program, carrying out plans lawmakers approved in 2021. Continue Reading
A local producer of 100% recycled PET water bottles is bringing in-state bottle processing capacity to Hawaii. | Courtesy of Waiākea Water
Waiākea Inc., a producer of 100% recycled PET bottles for water sourced from an active volcano, is installing bottle-to-bottle processing equipment at its Hilo, Hawaii facility with a planned capacity of 52 million pounds per year. Continue Reading
The study suggests over half of the 110 million metric tons of overall fiber that entered the waste stream went to landfill in 2019. | Janossy Gergely/Shutterstock
New research quantifies in greater detail the amount of fiber entering U.S. landfills each year. A lead author of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study said the findings highlight a huge opportunity for additional material recovery. Continue Reading
There were seven deaths in U.S. MRFs in 2022, up from four in 2021, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. | Jantsarik/Shutterstock
The number of worker fatalities in the recycling industry – both inside materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and in collection – increased in 2022, even as the rate of on-the-job collection worker deaths decreased. Continue Reading
The Elgin, Ill. recycled box facility carries an investment of more than $30 million. | Mark Agnor/Shutterstock
A corrugated box plant sourcing recycled paper from Canadian mill operator Atlantic Packaging Products has opened its doors near Chicago. Continue Reading
Strategic Materials cited rising feedstock prices and lower volumes, shifts in packaging away from glass, and other factors in its Chapter 11 filing. | Courtesy of the Glass Packaging Institute
A major U.S. downstream outlet for recovered glass from MRFs and bottle deposit programs filed for bankruptcy this month, citing $432 million in debts and interest. Strategic Materials says it plans to reorganize and continue operating normally without interruption. Continue Reading
Rising OCC prices led to a more expensive quarter for major fiber end users in the U.S. | Vitaliy Kyrychuk/Shutterstock
The third quarter of 2023 brought continued economic challenges that led another paper company to shut down a recycled fiber mill, joining a handful that did so early this year. But there were signs of positive fiber market changes coming. Continue Reading
Kelly Green Products’s Connecticut facility is running at full capacity as of November, but the company is already making expansion plans. | Courtesy of Kelly Green Products
Composite board manufacturer Kelly Green Products ramped up to full scale in November and is currently processing 400 tons of post-consumer cartons per month at its Waterbury, Conn. plant. Continue Reading
Safi (formerly TrueCircle), provides an online platform for buying and selling recyclables. | Fizkes/Shutterstock
Online recyclables trading marketplace Safi began operating in the U.S. in recent weeks, seeking to digitize and streamline the process of moving bales from MRFs to processors. Continue Reading
The Film Drop-Off Directory is ending services after 20 years of operation. | Pavel Kubarkov/Shutterstock
A long-running comprehensive guide to public drop-off sites accepting plastic film has been taken down, leaving a gap in consumer-facing recycling information for bags and other flexible packaging. Continue Reading