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Author Archives: Marissa Heffernan

About Marissa Heffernan

Marissa HeffernanMarissa 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].

The push to cut fiber from California’s EPR program

Published: June 28, 2022
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Paper bales for recycling.

An extended producer responsibility bill is currently under consideration in California. | Luis M. Seco/Shutterstock

This story has been corrected. 

Nearly a dozen legislators signed a letter asking to remove fiber from California’s proposed extended producer responsibility bill, as it undergoes more amendments in the final days before a June 29 deadline.

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Ohio chosen for Thailand company’s recycled plastic plant

Published: June 28, 2022
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Map showing the state of Ohio and surrounding region.

A recently signed MOU will place a plastics recycling operation at SWACO’s Green Economy Business Park near Columbus, Ohio. | Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock

The U.S. subsidiary of Thailand-based plastic manufacturer PTT Global Chemical announced that it plans to build its new recycled plastic manufacturing plant in central Ohio.

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PP grant brings robot to a facility’s sorting line

Published: June 28, 2022
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AMP Robotics installation team.

A Fresno, Calif. MRF leveraged grant funding to install robotic sortation equipment to recover more PP. | Courtesy of AMP Robotics

With a little help from The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, a Fresno-based MRF has entered the world of robotics.

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Vermont solid waste district plans $22M recycling facility

Published: June 28, 2022
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collection bins

The Chittenden Solid Waste District wants to build a 62,000 to 64,000-square-foot facility, almost double the size of the existing one. | Lenscap Photography/Shutterstock

A solid waste district in Vermont is planning a $22 million recycling facility to replace the current nearly 30-year-old MRF, where everything is still sorted by hand.

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Future of recycling policy in California could be decided soon

Published: June 21, 2022
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California flag and U.S. flag with blue sky background.

California legislators, environmentalists and industry groups are working on a plastics pollution and recycling bill that they hope will persuade ballot measure backers to withdraw their initiative before the deadline at the end of this month. | rarrarorro/Shutterstock

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Recyclability labeling lawsuit launched in Connecticut

Published: June 21, 2022
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Court gavel resting on books and wooden desk.

A lawsuit takes aim at product marketing claims made by Reynolds Consumer Products around recycling and recyclability. | rawf8/Shutterstock

Connecticut’s attorney general sued Reynolds Consumer Products over the marketing of its Hefty trash bags as recyclable, bringing truth-in-labeling lawsuits to another U.S. state.

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Industry group: Help us find the plastic bale volumes we need

Published: June 21, 2022
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Bales of plastics for recycling.

A European analysis shows 9 million metric tons of discarded plastic was collected for sorting, out of 30 million produced in 2021. | Muhammad Azman/Shutterstock

European plastic recyclers are struggling to get enough material, even as exports of plastics decline and values rise.

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Oregon Truth-in-Labeling Task Force submits final report

Published: June 7, 2022
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Package with recycle symbol and recyclable language.

A task force in Oregon has set recommendations for recyclability labeling for consumer packaged goods. | Olivier Le Moal/Shutterstock

After nine meetings over five months, the Oregon Truth-in-Labeling Task Force has submitted its final report and recommendations to the state legislature.

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