Marissa Heffernan worked at Resource Recycling from January 2022 through June 2025, first as staff reporter and then as associate editor. Marissa Heffernan started working for Resource Recycling in January 2022 after spending several years as a reporter at a daily newspaper in Southwest Washington. After developing a special focus on recycling policy, they were also the editor of the monthly newsletter Policy Now.
A faulty floor drain at the Old Town, Maine pulping facility led to the discharge of over 1,000 gallons of 50% sodium hydroxide solution into the Penobscot river. | Satur/Shutterstock
A U.S. subsidiary of Nine Dragons has been ordered to pay just over $100,000 after its Maine paper mill leaked over 31,000 gallons of pulping chemicals into a river in 2020 and 2022. Continue Reading
The bills cover a wide range of items, from single-use plastics at lodging establishments to blades for wind turbines. | Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock
Washington state legislators sent a handful of recycling-related bills to the governor’s desk recently, including one that would set up an extended producer responsibility program for batteries. Continue Reading
The higher court found that Fort Smith’s actions, though deceptive, did not rise to the level of an illegal exaction. | Rawf8/Shutterstock
The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s ruling that citizens were entitled to restitution of recycling fees after a city was discovered to be dumping recyclables in the landfill.
A partnership between two glass recycling stakeholders is expected to divert 210 million glass bottles from landfill every year. | Pjhpix/Shutterstock
Arglass Yamamura partnered with The Upcycling Company to feed its bottle factory and bring glass recycling access to 1.7 million residents in Georgia and Northern Florida. Continue Reading
An official at the Arizona DEQ predicts interest in serving on the Recycling Advisory Committee will be high. | EQRoy/Shutterstock
After over a decade, Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality is relaunching its recycling grant program thanks to funding from the state. Continue Reading
During a recent AMERIPEN webinar, industry insiders discussed the importance of policy for building end markets for recycled materials. | SunnyToys/Shutterstock
Without a market for a material, collection is not economically viable – but how can end markets be created unless there is stable supply? A webinar recently explored the role of legislation in solving that industry paradox. Continue Reading
A report from The Recycling Partnership stressed the importance of repeated, targeted communications with residents to keep them informed and up to date. | A9 Studio/Shutterstock
The Recycling Partnership’s Center for Sustainable Behavior and Impact this week released an in-depth report on decreasing consumer confusion and spurring better recycling habits. Continue Reading
Two container companies saw progress on their recycled content goals. Meanwhile, consumer advocates urged San Francisco to reinstate a retailer collection obligation. | Pjhpix/Shutterstock
Crown Holdings and O-I Glass recently released sustainability reports, and a bottle deposit pilot in California racked up more expenses than deposits, according to a watchdog report. Continue Reading
The expenditure is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. | Sergii Chernov/Shutterstock
The U.S. Department of Energy is making $192 million available for battery recycling advancements and the launch of a battery research and development consortium. Continue Reading
Éco Entreprises Québec plans to include “several innovative elements” at the upcoming MRF. | Nordroden/Shutterstock
A producer responsibility organization in Quebec just made its first big decision, selecting Green for Life to build and run a sorting center in Montreal. Continue Reading