Curbside recycling can put additional collection trucks on the road. But the recycling process ultimately brings environmental benefits that far outweigh the extra vehicle emissions, according to a study from Waste Management.
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].Curbside recycling can put additional collection trucks on the road. But the recycling process ultimately brings environmental benefits that far outweigh the extra vehicle emissions, according to a study from Waste Management.
The Association of Plastic Recyclers will research ways in which materials recovery facilities might be able to recover more smaller sized plastic containers, which are often lost during sortation. That was one of several actions the group announced at a recent meeting.
When it comes to plastic bag legislation, 2017 may be the storm after the storm. After the high-profile battle over California’s statewide plastic bag ban, legislators in at least 16 states have introduced bills related to bags this year.
Personal care product company Garnier is working with TerraCycle and a nonprofit group to help consumers keep plastic out of the trash stream.
The head of California’s recycling department rejected a stewardship group’s carpet recycling plan, putting at risk carpet sales in the state of 40 million people.
For years, Florida has prohibited local bans on plastic bags and EPS food-service products – or has it? A state judge recently ruled that the prohibition no longer applies and, in response, one city has passed a plastic bag ban.
Maryland will regulate compostability claims on plastic products and study ways to boost composting throughout the state.
The Califo
rnia legislature passed a bill requiring beverage companies to publicly report the amount of post-consumer PET they use. And a separate piece of legislation sent to the governor extends a plastics-recycling subsidy programs for one year.
California voters want a statewide ban on single-use plastics bags, and they’d like stores to keep the fees charged for paper and reusable bags, election results show.
The City of San Antonio began accepting plastic bags in curbside single-stream carts two years ago. In its first year, 550 tons were recovered through the program, but that number fell by more than two-thirds in the second year.