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Although overall PCR usage dropped in 2023, Novolex’s paper segment reached its highest share of recycled content since 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Novolex
Packaging producer Novolex reported slightly lower post-consumer recycled content usage in its plastic products for 2023, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
WM is planning a new MRF in the Portland, Oregon, metro area. | Ken Wolter/Shutterstock
WM is planning a new $35 million MRF in the Portland, Oregon, area that will process up to 140,000 tons of residential materials annually and come on-line as early as December of this year. Continue Reading
Recycled fiber prices have increased steadily throughout 2024, a boon to MRF operators but contributing to the economic challenges cited in the closure of a Washington mill. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock
Just five years after converting to use 100% recycled fiber in containerboard production, McKinley Paper Company will idle its mill in Port Angeles, Washington, in August. A company representative said West Coast OCC prices and depressed containerboard demand contributed to the closure. Continue Reading
Amazon largely focused on its efforts to reduce plastic use, such as substituting recycled paper for flexible fillers and making packaging suitable for curbside collection. | Skorzewiak/Shutterstock
In its 2023 sustainability report, global retail powerhouse Amazon highlighted its efforts to reduce packaging materials and to make its packaging suitable for curbside collection but provided few details on PCR usage. Continue Reading
A new carton recycling facility is coming online, growing out of a partnership between the Carton Council, Elof Hansson and Upcycling Group. | Wachiwit/Shutterstock
By the second half of 2025, a new facility will be turning out roofing construction materials made from 1.5 million pounds of post-consumer cartons per month on the West Coast. Continue Reading
Texas experienced its first major hurricane of the season in early July, with significant power outages, but peak storm season has yet to occur. | Andrea Quintero Olivas/Shutterstock
As the first major hurricane of the season hit Texas last week, MRFs and processors braced for disrupted services, flooding and power outages, which are familiar obstacles for Gulf Coast operators each June through November. Continue Reading
The initial list was published in December 2023 and had 98 categories, while the updated list has 94 as some materials were double-listed. | Joseph_Sohm/Shutterstock
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery released an updated version of the list of materials covered under its extended producer responsibility program for packaging, making nearly 30 tweaks to the list.
A draft bill in California called the Truth in Labeling Act of 2024 would set federal parameters around recycling labels on consumer packaging. | 9dream Studio/Shutterstock
Due to its size and tendency to be on the leading edge of environmental law, California has long been seen as the bellwether, setting policy that other states will later follow – or that producers and manufacturers take as de facto law nationwide when it comes to standards. Continue Reading