The state’s program was once considered a national leader, achieving redemption rates topping 95%, but showed a significant drop by 2024, a recent report showed. | Veja / Shutterstock
A new report from the University of Michigan warns that the state’s signature 10-cent bottle deposit system is faltering, with redemption rates dropping to their lowest level in decades and structural gaps threatening the program’s ability to support Michigan’s recycling and climate goals. Continue Reading
Port activity, which has a strong correlation to demand for cardboard boxes, is expected to slow in coming months. | Jose Luis Stephens / Shutterstock
Shipping containers moving through the Port of Long Beach are expected to slow in November and December, authorities said, activity that has a strong correlation to demand for cardboard boxes globally as well as supply of old corrugated containers.
Left to right: Josh Borgmeyer, Trek Bicycle; Scott Gerber, Better Play Initiative; Steve Callahan and Stratton Kirton, Liberty Tire Recycling, at the NRC panel Getting to Zero: Recycling Tire Waste. | Courtesy Stratton Kirton
At this year’s National Recycling Congress, I had the privilege of moderating a panel of industry and advocacy leaders for a conversation on recycled rubber. This topic may sound narrow but it mirrors the broader challenges facing recycling across every material type. Continue Reading
The New York-based CurbWaste platform brings order management, invoicing, real-time dispatch and other hauler functions under a single interface. | Here Now / Shutterstock
An eight-figure investment will help a New York City waste management software company take the next steps toward its founder’s ultimate goal — to become the industry’s system of record.
Christine Kiourtsis is president of Renewable Recycling. | Photo courtesy Christine Kiourtsis
A warm welcome back to Women in Circularity, where we shine a light on women moving us toward a circular economy. For October, I was pleased to connect with a leader in mattress recycling and circular business solutions, Christine Kiourtsis. Christine is the president of Renewable Recycling Inc. (RRI), a company that diverts mattresses and other difficult-to-recycle materials from landfills by recovering valuable components for reuse and recycling. With more than a decade of experience in recycling operations, Christine is a recognized advocate for advancing circular economy practices and innovative recovery infrastructure across the northeast United States. Continue Reading
Denver is rolling out its Waste No More ordinance, a community-driven effort to build a circular waste system through 2026 with agency coordination, outreach and rulemaking. | Ted Alexander Somerville / Shutterstock
Denver has begun implementing its community-led Waste No More ordinance, sweeping legislation designed to transform the city’s waste collection system toward a circular economy model. Continue Reading
A warm welcome back to “Women in Circularity”, where we shine a light on women moving us toward a circular economy. This month, I was pleased to connect with an expert in community-based circular systems: Dr. Jess Watson. Jess is the Executive Director of earthday365, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and equipping the St. Louis community to work collaboratively toward an equitable, healthy and environmentally sustainable future through education and resources. Jess has 20 years of experience in developing and delivering community projects that support a healthy, just and circular future.
The Aluminum Association is pressing for the Trump administration to take additional measures to boost domestic markets. | Mikkel H. Petersen / Shutterstock
An industry association is calling for measures to support aluminum recycling, including a ban on US exports of used beverage cans (UBCs), as demand for the material grows in key areas such as vehicles, aerospace and defense systems and packaging.
Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy has published a new report directed at improving recovery rates and operations at US MRFs. | Jantsarik / Shutterstock
Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy and American Beverage have published a best practices guide for MRFs in the US, aiming to “boost recovery rates, increase material quality and foster resilient operations.”
The RecycleOn Oregon center opened this month in Ashland, the first of 140 planned for the state, in line with the state’s EPR law mandates. | Courtesy RecycleOn
Hard-to-recycle materials may soon find a new use in Oregon thanks to a first-of-its-kind recycling center now open there.