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Resource Recycling keeps you on top of critical industry trends and brings unparalleled analysis of the evolving materials stream, market turbulence, policy trends and more.

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Five big brands averaged 8% recycled content

Published: June 16, 2020
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A plastic Starbucks cup on a table in store.

Of the 190,00 metric tons of plastic Starbucks used from Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018, 6% was recycled content. | ansoz/Shutterstock

Post-consumer resin makes up a small percentage of all plastic used by Coca-Cola, Starbucks and others, according to a new report that will be used to track company progress on increasing recycled plastic use.

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Indonesia appears to have finalized scrap import rules

Published: June 16, 2020
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Activities in the port of Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Indonesian government on May 27 announced the official contamination policy for imports of scrap paper, plastic and other materials. | dani daniar/Shutterstock

Paper and plastic shipments to Indonesia will be allowed a maximum of 2% contamination, the country recently announced. The move follows several changes to the country’s import policies last year.

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Recycled fiber operations shut down

Published: June 9, 2020
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Paper mill scene.

Greif CEO Peter Watson noted that closure plans for the company’s Mobile, Ala. facility date back to before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. | hxdyl/Shutterstock

Three paper companies recently closed facilities that use recycled material. Two framed the shutdowns as part of longer-term “optimization” plans, and the third said it is a direct response to the COVID-19 impact on demand.

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Recycling stakeholders speak out against racial injustice

Published: June 9, 2020
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Jim Fish, Waste Management CEO

Jim Fish of Waste Management is one of several recycling industry players to have issued statements in the wake of national protests over racism and police brutality.

As protests continue across the country over police killings of black citizens, large U.S. recycling companies have issued statements condemning racism and reaffirming their commitments to diversity and inclusion.

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Bottle deposit programs continue to reopen

Published: June 9, 2020
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Empty bottles to be recycled.

In Connecticut, retail redemption volumes were down 95% during the suspension period. | Thiago Figueredo/Shutterstock

Container deposit programs are starting back up following their COVID-19 downtime. Equipment supplier Tomra offered a look at how the process is playing out in Connecticut.

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Industry council forms with eye on ‘meaningful change’

Published: June 2, 2020
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Keefe Harrison, who leads The Recycling Partnership

Keefe Harrison, who leads The Recycling Partnership. | Brian Adams Photography/Resource Recycling Conference

The Recycling Partnership is bringing together three dozen individuals from across the recycling value chain for some frank discussion about how to get more types of material consistently collected and moved to end markets.

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Our top stories from May 2020

Published: June 2, 2020
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News about falling recycling revenues for the largest waste haulers in North America captured attention in May.| Rosamar/Shutterstock

Articles about markets, markets and more markets drew clicks from our readers last month.

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Contamination in one region’s commercial stream is 14%

Published: June 2, 2020
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Researchers collected and sorted through more than 38,000 pounds of mixed recyclables from 173 sample loads. | Rubens Alarcon/Shutterstock

Researchers have quantified contamination in the business recycling stream in the Portland, Ore. metropolitan area, providing data that can be used to make operational or outreach decisions.

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