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Author Archives: Jared Paben

About Jared Paben

Jared Paben 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].

What MRFs can expect from California’s new CRV laws

Published: October 17, 2022
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People placing bottles into a bag for recycling.

Recovery facilities in California face a number of changes in the wake of legislative updates. | gavrilhurgoi/Shutterstock

Amid a flurry of bills at the end of California’s legislative session, lawmakers passed $1.3 billion in recycling spending and made a number of key policy changes. A recent webinar hinted at what the changes may mean for MRFs.

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Judge dismisses claims against 7-Eleven’s recyclable labels

Published: October 3, 2022
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7-Eleven store exterior with pedestrians.

7-Eleven faces a lawsuit challenging recyclability claims on the company’s “24/7” brand foam plates, cups and freezer bags. | Sorbis/Shuttertstock

Brand owners can label products as recyclable even if local residential recycling programs don’t want them, because reasonable consumers wouldn’t assume the word “recyclable” means there are local facilities that accept the material, a federal judge decided.

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Reclaimer to close Southeast plastics recycling plant

Published: September 27, 2022
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Baled plastic film for recycling.

Plastics recycling firm PreZero US will close the company’s South Carolina facility. | Canetti/Shutterstock

This story has been updated.

Plastics recycling company PreZero US will close its South Carolina recycling facility and instead concentrate on expanding recycling capabilities in California. 

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E-scrap professionals share knowledge with wider industry

Published: September 27, 2022
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A session at the E-Scrap Conference featured evTerra’s Jeff Gloyd, left, and Chris Kaasmann of GreenChip. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.

When a lithium-ion battery fire breaks out in a recycling facility, the brain’s emotional centers often lead employees to grab extinguishers filled with fire suppression chemicals, but what they actually need is water.

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How dual-eject opticals boosted a MRF’s capture rate

Published: September 27, 2022
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View of equipment inside the MRF.

A $6 million MRF upgrade brought in equipment for improved fiber sortation at the Cal-Waste Recovery Systems MRF in Galt, Calif. | Courtesy of CP Group/MSS

The installation of three dual-eject optical sorters has allowed a Northern California MRF to increase its paper capture rate with a lower headcount, the director of operations said. 

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Thermoform-to-thermoform bill draws mixed reactions

Published: September 13, 2022
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Thermoform containers holding eggs.

Thermoforms such as those shown here often contain post-consumer material from bottles, but a California bill would require post-consumer thermoforms to be used in production of new thermoforms. | Anakumka/Shutterstock

Current debate over a California bill requiring PET thermoforms to contain recycled PET derived from thermoforms boils down to one question: What will MRFs do? 

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How a county-processor contract addresses equity

Published: September 13, 2022
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TechDump employee at work tearing down a device.

Repowered, formerly known as Tech Dump, has secured an electronics recycling and repair contract with Ramsey County, Minn., which includes the city of St. Paul. | Courtesy of Repowered

A Twin Cities-area nonprofit won an electronics recycling and repair contract with the second largest county in Minnesota, a deal that comes as the company undergoes a rebrand.

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Only US carpet EPR program reports 28% recycling rate

Published: September 13, 2022
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Carpet removed and collected for recycling.

California’s carpet recycling rate in 2021 was 27.9%, up from 20.9% in 2020. | Colleen Michaels/Shutterstock

California’s extended producer responsibility program for carpet achieved a sharp increase in the recycling rate last year, jumping 7 percentage points from the prior year.

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