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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].

Survey shows landfill tip fees remain stable

Published: February 22, 2022
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Landfill

Landfill tip fees were relatively flat in 2021, according to newly released data. | Kawin168/Shutterstock

Last year, price tags for a range of new things jumped sharply from the year before, but the cost to landfill those things was pretty much flat.

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Recycling markets elevate earnings for WM and others

Published: February 22, 2022
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Staff picks material off the sort line in a materials processing facility.

The largest waste and recycling haulers in North America reported rising revenues for 2021. | Photick/Shutterstock

Surging commodity prices drove markedly higher recycling revenues for the largest haulers in North America last year. Those companies say they’ll put a lot of money into upgrading their MRFs in 2022.

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What erratic plastic pricing has meant for a major manufacturer

Published: February 21, 2022
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Closeup of drainage pipes.

Volatile pricing in resin markets has presented challenges for Advanced Drainage Systems over the past year. | Chris Tennant/Shutterstock

Using recycled plastic is good business for Advanced Drainage Systems, but recent reports and interviews make clear that it’s not always painless.

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West Coast state kickstarts statewide ‘accepted’ lists effort

Published: February 15, 2022
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Plastic packaging collected for recycling or disposal.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued a request for technical information to help staff in considering which materials will make the state’s accepted recyclables list. | Konektus Photo/Shutterstock

Regulators in Oregon are asking producers to pony up the proof that their products are effectively recyclable.

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Federal program pumped nearly $1.2B into recycling companies

Published: February 8, 2022
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Signing business paychecks.

An analysis of federal data shows recycling firms received over a billion dollars in Paycheck Protection Program loans. | NIKCOA/Shutterstock

U.S. MRFs and recyclables traders received about $1.19 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans, including nearly $318 million received after Congress allowed certain companies to take a second bite at the PPP apple.

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Avangard to ‘cohabitate’ mechanical, chemical recycling

Published: February 8, 2022
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Avangard's Waller, Texas facility seen from above.

Avangard Innovative’s Waller, Texas facility will be home to the first U.S. deployment of Honeywell’s chemical recycling technology. | Courtesy of Avangard

Avangard Innovative has become one of the first examples of a large mechanical plastics recycling company embracing chemical recycling technologies.

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The details behind WM’s Continuus deal

Published: February 1, 2022
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Continuus Everboard product at a project installation.

Every 1,000 square feet of Everboard prevents about 1 ton of mixed paper-plastic from going to landfill. | Courtesy of Continuus

Within three years, Waste Management could be sending 150,000 tons of mixed paper and plastic each year to a factory that will recycle the otherwise-landfill-bound material into a high-quality roofing board.

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Residential access to paper recycling stays strong in US

Published: February 1, 2022
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Baled fiber for recycling.

According to AF&PA, in 2021, U.S. mills took in a total of nearly 33 million tons of recovered fiber, the largest amount in over a decade. | noomcpk/Shutterstock

About 94% of U.S. residents had either curbside or drop-off recycling service for at least one type of paper last year, indicating recycling programs largely retained the material despite pandemic pressures.

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Investment moves potential marine debris into global market

Published: February 1, 2022
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A factory team working on the sorting process conveyor in Polindo’s aggregation center. | Courtesy of Circulate Capital

A partnership involving Circulate Capital, Bantam Materials and an Indonesian processor will help to recover PET from remote areas of the Asian nation and deliver it to grocery store shelves in Europe and America.

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Recycling operators cheer list of problematic plastics

Published: January 25, 2022
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PS foam containers on blue background.

PS packaging made the list of problematic materials.| Minh Mi Goi/Shutterstock

The U.S. Plastics Pact says PS and PVC packaging and other materials should be phased out in coming years. A curbside recycling operator called the potential elimination of PVC and PS packaging “two really big steps in the right direction,” though several groups criticized the Pact’s work.
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