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].
Michigan is eyeing EPR for packaging, with lawmakers recently introducing a bill that would set specific targets for recycling and reduction. | Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock
Michigan lawmakers have introduced an extended producer responsibility bill for packaging, following the successful passage of a packaging EPR bill in Minnesota. Continue Reading
Baled clamshells in Ridwell’s Portland facility on Aug. 15, 2024, awaiting shipment to a downstream processor. | Marissa Heffernan/Resource Recycling.
As more consumers turn a skeptical eye to traditional recycling programs, Ridwell, a company that provides curbside collection of hard-to-recycle materials, is growing into numerous markets across the country. And the company is doing it with transparency in mind. Continue Reading
Minnesota lawmakers approved an EPR bill during the 2024 legislative session, and the governor signed it into law in May. | Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Stakeholders behind Minnesota’s successful extended producer responsibility push said it was clear that radical change was needed in the state’s recycling system, during a recent webinar. Continue Reading
Glass Half Full broke ground on their new facility, which will give the grassroots glass recycling company the capacity to create cullet as well as sand. | Courtesy of Glass Half Full
Glass Half Full leaders knew the company needed a bigger facility as soon as they opened the first one. Now, as the concrete slab for a new space is poured on the coast of Louisiana, cofounder and CEO Franziska Trautmann is already imagining the three acres filled with glass.
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Revising its past years of OCC recycling rates, Bloomberg Intelligence is now estimating rates of 63% in 2022 and 66% in 2023. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock
Bloomberg Intelligence has once again estimated a significantly lower OCC recycling rate than the paper manufacturing sector, and it revised past years’ rates with an updated methodology. Continue Reading
Circular Action Alliance hired Jeff Fielkow as CEO, putting him at the head of an organization with ambitious extended producer responsibility goals. | Monticello/Shutterstock
Circular Action Alliance picked Jeff Fielkow as CEO, putting the industry veteran at the head of several fast-paced plans to roll out extended producer responsibility laws for paper and packaging.
The DRS redemption rate decreases ranged from 1% to 4%, with only two states tallying increases. | Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock
New data from the Container Recycling Institute showed falling beverage container redemption rates in most states with deposit return systems in 2023, which advocates said shows the need to modernize aging systems.
Five large publicly traded North American haulers recently reported their second-quarter earnings. | LV Olga/Shutterstock
Rising commodity prices were a boon for major recycling operators in the second quarter of the year, and they’re now anticipating better full-year results than they initially expected.
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Eco-modulation is commonly introduced after an EPR program is established, as it requires a strong foundation of data. | Olivier-Le-Moal/Shutterstock
Many recycling industry players and brands are now familiar with the base concept of extended producer responsibility for packaging, but now advisory boards, producer responsibility organizations and state regulators are working on another complex, interrelated concept: fee eco-modulation.
AMP’s systems combine color cameras and AI to improve sorting accuracy in MRFs, but the company founder said there are more ways to harness that power. | Marina Onokhina
Putting AI and robotics into a MRF is one thing. Designing a MRF with AI and robotics makes for an entirely different experience, according to AMP founder and CEO Matanya Horowitz. Continue Reading