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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. After developing a special focus on recycling policy, they are also the editor of the monthly newsletter Policy Now. Heffernan can be contacted at [email protected].

C-suite survey shows sustainability top choice for cuts

Published: August 15, 2022
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Business management meeting with documents.

Nearly 40% of surveyed CFOs and CEOs said that sustainability initiatives would be the first cut in tight financial times. | Jirapong Manustrong/Shutterstock

A survey of CEOs and chief financial officers suggested that when businesses are considering cuts amid current economic headwinds, sustainability initiatives are among the first to go.

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Judge: City must pay after deceiving citizens on recycling

Published: August 8, 2022
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Court gavel on a desk.

Fort Smith, Ark.’s department of sanitation must pay $745,057 to the residents it misled. | Zolnierek/Shutterstock

An Arkansas judge ruled that a city sanitation department needed to pay restitution after landfilling material that should have been recycled and admonished the city for breaking the trust of its residents.

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Canada eyes federal plastics registry, labeling rules

Published: August 8, 2022
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Canadian flag against blue sky background.

Proposed regulations in Canada would limit the use of the chasing-arrows symbol among other provisions. | Alexander Sviridov/Shutterstock

The Canadian government will develop rules for recyclability and compostability labeling and establish a federal plastics registry for producers of plastic products.

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How2Recycle returns PP to ‘widely recycled’ level

Published: August 1, 2022
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Grocery store shelf showing polypropylene yogurt tubs.

Polypropylene rigid containers have been upgraded to “widely recycled” under the How2Recycle labeling protocol. | Colleen Michaels/Shutterstock

Two years after downgrading rigid polypropylene containers to “check locally,” a label system has returned the material to its previous status, determining at least 60% of the country has access to PP collection.

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State legislators explain why they’re drawn to EPR

Published: August 1, 2022
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Documents stacked in an office.

Legislators recently spoke about their challenges and successes with EPR legislation. | Banlai/Shutterstock

Four state-level elected officials who have worked on extended producer responsibility bills for packaging recently discussed how they became champions of recycling policy and offered tips to help advance legislation.

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Recycling and composting bills pass Senate

Published: August 1, 2022
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View of the U.S. capitol in Washington, D.C.

The industry-supported bills would establish a grant program and mandate better reporting. | Orhan Cam/Shutterstock

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed two bills that would improve rural recycling and composting accessibility as well as boost data collection, sending the legislation to the House for a vote.

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How new California law is ‘putting the industry on notice’

Published: July 6, 2022
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California state building

New legislation evokes varied reactions among industry and activists. | Michael Warwick/Shutterstock

Industry leaders mostly expressed support for California’s recently signed extended producer responsibility bill, though some said they still had concerns about its far reach. Continue Reading