Although third quarter revenues reached record levels for some of the nation’s top five haulers, plummeting OCC pricing in October was an indicator for commodity values heading into 2025. | 2p2play/Shutterstock
Third-quarter commodity prices contributed to record quarterly revenues and margins for several of North America’s largest publicly traded garbage and recycling companies, according to recent financial disclosures. But that has changed moving into the final stretch of the year.
Exports of key recovered materials continued recent trends from July through September of this year, with paper exports declining modestly and plastic exports flat. | apiguide/Shutterstock
Recovered fiber exports have continued a multi-year decline in 2024, both in the third quarter and in the first nine months of the year as a whole. Plastic exports, however, have stayed steady and even slightly increased throughout the year. Continue Reading
The annual Resource Recycling Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, drew more than 300 registered attendees to sessions including “Connecting Innovation and Grassroots Efforts to Curtail Contamination.” | Dan Holtmeyer/Resource Recycling, Inc.
The 2024 Resource Recycling Conference kicked off Wednesday, bringing hundreds of recycling program managers, advocates and other experts to share successes and lessons from across the country.
The 2024 Resource Recycling Conference brought hundreds of municipal leaders together in Louisville, Kentucky, from Nov. 13-15 to connect with colleagues, explore industry best practices and celebrate America Recycles Day.
(Click a photo to bring up a lightbox viewer that allows you to advance through the sequence. Photos by Dan Holtmeyer, Resource Recycling, Inc.)
The industry group’s recycling rate now considers additional international trade data, allowing it to better capture imported material that ends up in the recycling stream. | Kyna Studio/Shutterstock
The American Forest & Paper Association has overhauled its methodology for calculating fiber recycling rates, bringing a significantly lower OCC recovery figure than the industry previously reported. Continue Reading
North American fiber end markets saw stronger demand and expect declining costs in the near term. | DenisNata/Shutterstock
Major North American recovered fiber end users saw stronger containerboard demand during the third quarter of the year, according to recent earnings calls. Most are also projecting declining recovered fiber costs through the end of the year. Continue Reading
In more evidence of a market shift, OCC and mixed paper are both fetching lower prices than they were last month, reversing the upward trend of the past couple years. But both fiber grades are still trading at or above their values a year ago.
Experts from PMMI, the Flexible Packaging Association and more offered insight into the roadblocks and projections for implementing recycled content. | Antoinette Smith/Resource Recycling, Inc.
As companies work toward meeting regulatory requirements for sustainable packaging, they will significantly increase usage of post-consumer resin, compostable materials and certified recycled paperboard, an industry analyst said at Pack Expo International this week in Chicago. Continue Reading
California’s extended producer responsibility for packaging law, SB 54, just completed another round of public comment. | Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock
Industry players said the latest draft of California’s extended producer responsibility for packaging permanent regulations is an improvement, but there is always more work to be done when it comes to complex policy implementation. Continue Reading
Compost Power uses metroStor bins to collect organics without attracting rats and has added its own graphic wraps to the bins to engage the community. | Gargonia/Shutterstock
Setting up successful organics diversion – whether statewide or just in one city – requires creativity, flexibility and a strong education campaign, presenters at WasteCon 2024 told attendees. Continue Reading
