In March, California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected SB 54 draft regulations, forcing the rulemaking process to restart. | Brandon Bourdages/Shutterstock
The first public opportunity to comment on California’s latest extended producer responsibility for packaging draft regulations stretched past the allotted time frame, with some speakers saying changes to a chemical recycling regulation section were unlawful. Continue Reading
The report touches on five main topics: recyclability of covered materials, compostability of covered materials, reuse and refill and other source reduction systems, cost coverage for local jurisdictions, and plastic leakage into the environment. | Ratchat/Shutterstock
Members of the California extended producer responsibility for packaging advisory board have identified dozens of barriers to implementation and offered up possible solutions in a recent report.
A MRF in Windham, Connecticut, received upgrades to be more efficient and sustainable. | Courtesy of Casella
Casella Waste Services has reopened its Willimantic MRF in Windham, Connecticut, after renovations to increase capacity and provide more energy-efficient recycling processing. Continue Reading
Residents were already “wishcycling” the cups, so the locally owned recycler decided to pave the way to formal acceptance. | Oasishifi/Shutterstock
The city of Omaha recently added paper take-out cups to its list of accepted items for recycling, with locally owned First Star Recycling leading the way in the resident-driven effort. Continue Reading
Producer responsibility organization Circular Action Alliance is making staffing changes in California as implementation ramps up. | Max Barnum/Shutterstock
Changes are coming at producer responsibility organization Circular Action Alliance in California, with Rachel Wagoner moving out of the California executive director role and into an “external advisory capacity.” Continue Reading
After a long runup, natural and colored HDPE grades saw sharp decreases in value once again in May, joined by drops in PET and PP prices. Mixed paper also declined slightly, while OCC remained steady.
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery released a revised informal draft of SB 54 regulations. | Michael Warwick/Shutterstock
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery released a revised draft of SB 54 regulations, two months after the governor rejected the first version of the extended producer responsibility for paper and packaging rules.
Using data including state litter studies, the bill moved farther along than previous efforts, lending optimism to its potential to pass in 2027. | Andrew Yahin/Shutterstock
A bipartisan bill in Texas to introduce a bottle deposit return system ran out of time for a state House vote, but supporters see cause for optimism after a strong showing during the recently concluded biennial legislative session.
Eric Frederickson, vice president of operations at Call2Recycle, presented a battery burn demonstration alongside the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. | Colin Staub/E-Scrap News
After a year that recorded a notable increase in e-scrap facility battery fires, the growing hazard and ways of mitigating it received ample attention at the Recycled Materials Association’s annual conference in San Diego last week.
A recent webinar presented by the Northeast Recycling Council explored industry and federal efforts to improve consumer education and reduce fire risks. | Allyson-Kitts/Shutterstock
Many MRF operators cite batteries as their greatest challenge, and for good reason. Fires at waste management facilities have been steadily increasing in recent years, many traced back to improper disposal of household batteries.