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How Phoenix fits into Balcones’ growth plans

Published: November 28, 2022
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Inside the city of Phoenix North Gateway MRF.

After winning a contract previously held by Republic Systems, Balcones Resources will operate Phoenix’s North Gateway MRF (pictured above and below), as well as the city’s 27th Avenue MRF, which will be rebuilt with Machinex equipment. | Courtesy of city of Phoenix

Balcones Resources’ recently signed MRF operations contract with the city of Phoenix is exactly the type of “huge step” toward growth envisioned when Closed Loop Partners bought a majority stake in the company, a Balcones executive explained. 

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Oregon redemption center brings AI counting to consumers

Published: November 28, 2022
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Behind the scenes at BottleDrop's collection location.

The latest drop-off center from the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative uses AI to rapidly count and identify bottles and other containers. | Marissa Heffernan/Resource Recycling, Inc.

The busiest container redemption center in Oregon recently got an upgrade, delivering the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative’s neural network technology to a consumer-facing location for the first time. 

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Paper producers reflect on OCC prices, upcoming plants

Published: November 28, 2022
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Old cardboard containers (OCC) collected for recycling.

Even though OCC bales are currently selling for unusually low prices, many producers are seeing their savings offset by increased costs in other areas. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock

Recycled paper product producers may be enjoying the lower OCC prices as 2022 comes to a close, but those giant manufacturers are still facing higher inflationary pressures in other areas, several executives recently noted.

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What’s the right role for chemical recycling?

Published: November 28, 2022
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Mixed plastic caps and residuals for recycling.

As of 2021 there were more than 40 companies working to develop or manage chemical recycling projects in the United States. | paul prescott/Shutterstock

Mechanical recycling should take priority over chemical recycling, but there will need to be several technical solutions to the world’s plastic problem, argued panelists on a recent Product Stewardship Institute webinar. 

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Dow, WM team up on curbside residential film project

Published: November 28, 2022
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Plastic bag filled with plastic bags for recycling.

Waste Management (WM) has committed to investing more than $800 million to enhance recycling infrastructure, including $56 million to upgrade three Pacific Northwest MRFs. | Pavel Kubarkov/Shutterstock

Dow and Waste Management are partnering on a pilot program that will give some Chicago residents the option of recycling plastic films curbside. 

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Greenpeace report: No US plastic is truly recyclable

Published: October 25, 2022
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Bales of plastics for recycling.

The latest Greenpeace report challenges the viability of U.S. plastics recycling. | MuhammadAzman/Shutterstock

This story has been updated. 

An updated report from Greenpeace USA maintains that no plastics in the U.S. actually meet the definition of recyclable and calls for companies to switch to other materials. 

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Northeast state funds organics-garbage ‘co-collection’ projects

Published: November 1, 2022
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Food scraps collected in a bucket.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will help fund the collection of bagged food scraps and garbage in the same curbside containers. | Maerzkind/Shutterstock

The state of Connecticut is supporting a unique approach to organics diversion: collecting food scraps and garbage in separate plastic bags placed in the same curbside container. Continue Reading

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Oregon MRF becomes first to achieve RIOS certification

Published: November 14, 2022
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recycling industry

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) created the Recycling Industry Operating Standard (RIOS) to promote environmental consciousness and ensure MRF workers’ health and safety. | MichaelFelixPhotography/Shutterstock

Looking to support employees and set a higher bar for quality, Oregon-based Far West Recycling certified its northeast Portland facility to the Recycling Industry Operating Standard. It is the first MRF to do so. 

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