Associate Editor Jared Paben has worked for Resource Recycling since December 2014. Most of his earlier career was spent as a reporter for the daily newspaper in Bellingham, Wash., but he also has experience working for the Oregon volunteerism commission and for Oregon nonprofits serving low-income populations. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Balcones Resources’ MRF in Austin, Texas is one of a dozen recycling facilities now owned by newly launched company Circular Services. | Jared Paben / Resource Recycling, Inc.
Last year’s launch of Circular Services created a new family of varied recycling companies, yet they’re all focused on a circular economy and are fueled with hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh capital.
The Hallett’s Point development in Queens, N.Y. is home to the first high-rise ever built with concrete containing ground glass pozzolan. | Courtesy of Urban Mining Industries
Making new glass bottles is generally considered the highest and best use for cullet, but recycling glass into a cement substitute is actually better from a greenhouse gas perspective, speakers on a recent webinar said.
The REMADE Institute-funded research found that, over the course of their full life cycles, several common polymers account for about 1.5% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. | rochariberio/Shuttestock
By the time plastic products reach their end of life, the bulk of their climate damage has already been done, according to a study that reaffirms greenhouse gasses tied to plastics are mostly generated in prime resin production, shipping and molding.
The Michigan Legislature last week passed a package of eight bills designed to update the state’s solid waste law. | Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock
A series of policy-focused bills passed by Michigan lawmakers may not include the spice of EPR, but their meat-and-potatoes approach of ensuring residents have a minimum level of recycling service may prove a big boost to the recycling industry.
Van Dyk Recycling Solutions was selected by Mecklenburg County, N.C. to rebuild a publicly owned MRF that sorts and sells recyclables from Charlotte and surrounding communities. | CLS Digital Arts/Shutterstock
On either side of the country, major recycling players are investing big money into significant improvements to their facilities.
Closed Loop began leasing the Phoenix facilities in 2010, and when it failed in early 2016, it left a combined 106 million pounds of cathode-ray tube materials on both properties (59th Ave. property pictured). | Courtesy of Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions/ADEQ
Owners of Phoenix warehouses filed a federal lawsuit against electronic scrap companies that shipped cathode-ray tube materials to Closed Loop Refining and Recovery, and already two defendants have agreed to pay out roughly $1 million each.
Berry brand owner Driscoll’s has worked with its clamshell suppliers to boost the percentage of recycled PET derived from used thermoforms. | Courtesy of Driscoll’s
Clamshell containers used by berry brand Driscoll’s last year contained an average of 9% recycled PET sourced from used thermoforms. Continue Reading
After winning a contract previously held by Republic Systems, Balcones Resources will operate Phoenix’s North Gateway MRF (pictured above and below), as well as the city’s 27th Avenue MRF, which will be rebuilt with Machinex equipment. | Courtesy of city of Phoenix
Balcones Resources’ recently signed MRF operations contract with the city of Phoenix is exactly the type of “huge step” toward growth envisioned when Closed Loop Partners bought a majority stake in the company, a Balcones executive explained.
Even though OCC bales are currently selling for unusually low prices, many producers are seeing their savings offset by increased costs in other areas. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock
Recycled paper product producers may be enjoying the lower OCC prices as 2022 comes to a close, but those giant manufacturers are still facing higher inflationary pressures in other areas, several executives recently noted.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will help fund the collection of bagged food scraps and garbage in the same curbside containers. | Maerzkind/Shutterstock
The state of Connecticut is supporting a unique approach to organics diversion: collecting food scraps and garbage in separate plastic bags placed in the same curbside container. Continue Reading