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Ethics complaint adds to SB 54 back-and-forth

Published: March 11, 2025
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Baled plastics for recycling.

An anonymous complaint asked California’s Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate Rachel Wagoner for a violation of a ban that prevents former regulators from receiving compensation to work against the state on matters that were under their purview. | Zlikovec/Shutterstock

A formal ethics complaint has been lodged against Rachel Wagoner, formerly the director of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery who is now with producer responsibility organization Circular Action Alliance. The complaint alleges that she is lobbying her former agency in violation of a state “switching sides” ban. Continue Reading

CalRecycle misses SB 54 rulemaking deadline

Published: March 11, 2025
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California's state capitol building seen with blue sky above.

By statute, the full permanent rulemaking package needed to be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law by March 7, but it wasn’t. | Jonathan Lenz/Shutterstock

California state regulators will head back to the drawing board after the governor declined to accept their draft extended producer responsibility program language, delaying the implementation of EPR for packaging and requiring another round of rulemaking. Continue Reading

Tariffs on Canada and Mexico take hold

Published: March 4, 2025
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shipping terminal china

Some companies, including major material haulers, are taking a tempered view of the tariffs, especially given the amount of macroeconomic turmoil that has accompanied the past five years. | chuyuss/Shutterstock

Update: Most of the new tariffs on imports from both Mexico and Canada were paused until April 2, following executive orders President Donald Trump signed on March 6.

The Recycled Materials Association warned of potential “severe” disruption to the materials recovery sector after tariffs targeting the U.S.’s largest trading partners took effect March 4, bringing higher costs to import nearly all goods, including recycled commodities.

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ND Paper plans to restart Wisconsin mill

Published: March 4, 2025
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Owned by Chinese paper giant Nine Dragons, ND Paper cited growing demand for its products. | Courtesy of ND Paper

Illinois-headquartered ND Paper plans to restart a recycled paper machine at its Biron mill in central Wisconsin in the second half of 2025, citing growing demand for its packaging products. Continue Reading

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Top stories from February 2025

Published: March 4, 2025
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Fiber packaging at the factory

Mark Agnor/Shutterstock

Paper company frustration with pricing indexes drew reader interest last month, as did stories looking at tariff effects, EPR program development in Oregon, and packaging companies moving from plastic to paper.

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EPA plans broad cuts as existing grants thaw

Published: March 4, 2025
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The EPA administrator pointed to staffing, office space and grants as areas to cut agency spending. | Tada Images

Details are scarce on U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s plans to cut his agency’s spending by 65% or more, but some of its 15,000 full-time-equivalent positions and grants to recycling programs across the country could be on the chopping block.  Continue Reading

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Oregon stakeholders work on the wine bottle question

Published: February 28, 2025
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Empty glass bottles for recycling

HB 3433 would add glass wine bottles to Oregon’s container deposit program, but the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative does not want to take on the additional material stream. | Fotosr52/Shutterstock

The question of how glass wine containers should be managed in Oregon – under the state deposit return system or under extended producer responsibility – remains active, though wine bottles seem destined for EPR for now. 

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Investment firm pushes further into e-scrap sector

Published: February 25, 2025
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Cascade Asset Management facility in Orlando, Fla.

Cascade Asset Management, which operates facilities in Wisconsin and Florida, says the combination with Sage provides logistical advantages for winning clients. | Courtesy of Cascade Asset Management

Longtime electronics recycling processor Cascade Asset Management has been acquired by Sage Sustainable Electronics, bringing it into the Closed Loop Partners portfolio of companies. Company leaders said a shared vision and long experience in the industry make the move complementary to each firm. Continue Reading

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