Marissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. She can be contacted at [email protected].
A handful of states have modernized their bottle bills in recent years, and pressure to enact programs in non-bottle-bill states appears to be growing, according to panelists on a recent webinar. | Monticello/Shutterstock
Deposit return systems are poised to take center legislative stage in the coming years, with strong potential benefits for the environment and economy, the Container Recycling Institute noted in a recent analysis and webinar. Continue Reading
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery published drafts of its covered material list categories for the extended producer responsibility for packaging program, among other announcements. | Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
California is moving ahead on implementation of its extended producer responsibility law. The state agency recently released a draft of the regulations and selected a producer responsibility organization. Continue Reading
An AI-powered sorting bin from MyMatR is deployed in a pilot program at a public library in High Point, N.C. | Photo courtesy MyMatR
Consumer education is a traditional way to reduce contamination, but the founder of startup MyMatR is combining it with AI to offer a “smart” self-sorting bin for public spaces. Continue Reading
U.S. states with container deposit programs have the highest recycling rates in the country, according to new research. | Aleks333/Shutterstock
A report from Eunomia Research and Consulting found that nine of the 10 states with the highest recycling rates have deposit return systems, and that bottle bill states also contribute a higher percentage of packaging that is recycled in the U.S. Continue Reading
The acquisition brings five more MRFs into the Balcones Recycling arm of Circular Services. | Courtesy of Closed Loop Partners
Circular Services, the operating group of Closed Loop Partners, acquired Midwest Fiber Recycling for an undisclosed amount. Continue Reading
Closed Loop invested in a technology that can take aluminum scrap from any source and turn it into a manufacturing precursor material and energy. | John New/Shutterstock
Closed Loop Partners invested in a company that uses contaminated aluminum to create hydrogen fuel and a raw material used to manufacture aluminum. Continue Reading
Recycling industry players used the backdrop of the United Nations COP28 to make announcements. | Thomas Holt/Shutterstock
With leaders from around the world gathered to discuss climate change and action at COP28, the recycling industry is chiming in with its expertise and new goals. Continue Reading
Mayor Eric Adams attributes the cessation of services to growing costs from the migrant crisis, among other factors. | Monster Ztudio/Shutterstock
New York City residents on Staten Island lost the option to have their scrap electronics picked up curbside after the mayor made large-scale budget cuts. Continue Reading
Canadian technology company Reusables.com is working to reduce single-use plastic foodware at universities. | Kanittha Boon/Shutterstock
Several recently published reports from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Oceana explored how to scale reusable packaging, while a Canadian company took another step toward establishing one such system. Continue Reading
A lawsuit from New York State Attorney General Letitia James makes a number of allegations against PepsiCo, including failure to warn the public about the environmental impact of its products. | Pixinoo/Shutterstock
New York State’s attorney general is the latest to launch a lawsuit against a major brand over plastic, this time focused on pollution. Continue Reading