Recovered fiber markets caught reader attention last month. | sylv1rob1/Shutterstock
Markets and contamination were the hot topics in June, with all of our most popular articles highlighting these issues.
Recovered fiber markets caught reader attention last month. | sylv1rob1/Shutterstock
Markets and contamination were the hot topics in June, with all of our most popular articles highlighting these issues.
As the industry catches its collective breath during this holiday week, we’re offering up a rundown of our biggest stories from January through June of 2019.
A varied mix of international trade, sorting technologies, domestic end markets and legislation stories drew readers’ attention last month.
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A major hauler acquisition, export market developments, commodity pricing and other news drew readers’ attention last month.
Articles about overseas and domestic markets for paper and plastic recyclables drew our readers’ attention in March.
Stories touching on OCC markets, a mixed-plastic outlet, paper mill fire, hauler earnings and packaging stewardship drew readers’ attention last month.
In late 2018, officials in the city of Walla Walla, Wash. (population 32,000) issued a report that showed the economics of the city’s single-stream curbside recycling program turned upside down over the course of 18 months.
As the graph below indicates, the city went from earning up to $30 per ton for recyclables in early 2017 to paying as much as $100 per ton a year later. Over the course of 2018, the city’s program lost a total of $130,000.
Walla Walla, which attributed the financial flip primarily to China’s National Sword import policy, has instituted a monthly recycling surcharge on resident bills to help get the program back on solid financial footing. The city’s program collects standard fiber items and plastics Nos. 1 and 2. It does not accept glass.
Data source: City of Walla Walla, Wash.
This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.
Last month, news about big changes in domestic and foreign markets dominated readers’ attention, although they were also drawn to an article about graphics on recycling receptacles.
RRS analyzed data from field reports and primary sources as well as experiential data from MRF practices across the U.S.
The findings show that with additional stages of advanced cleaning, glass recovery can yield increases in quantity, as well as tip fee savings and avoided emissions.
In the graphic below, typical MRF glass processing steps are shown in the “Average Performance” column, and more advanced undertakings are shown to the right. At the bottom, we’ve quantified the benefits of utilizing best practices.
Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.
This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.