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Judge dismisses claims against 7-Eleven’s recyclable labels

Published: October 3, 2022
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7-Eleven store exterior with pedestrians.

7-Eleven faces a lawsuit challenging recyclability claims on the company’s “24/7” brand foam plates, cups and freezer bags. | Sorbis/Shuttertstock

Brand owners can label products as recyclable even if local residential recycling programs don’t want them, because reasonable consumers wouldn’t assume the word “recyclable” means there are local facilities that accept the material, a federal judge decided.

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Reclaimer to close Southeast plastics recycling plant

Published: September 27, 2022
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Baled plastic film for recycling.

Plastics recycling firm PreZero US will close the company’s South Carolina facility. | Canetti/Shutterstock

This story has been updated.

Plastics recycling company PreZero US will close its South Carolina recycling facility and instead concentrate on expanding recycling capabilities in California. 

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E-scrap professionals share knowledge with wider industry

Published: September 27, 2022
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A session at the E-Scrap Conference featured evTerra’s Jeff Gloyd, left, and Chris Kaasmann of GreenChip. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.

When a lithium-ion battery fire breaks out in a recycling facility, the brain’s emotional centers often lead employees to grab extinguishers filled with fire suppression chemicals, but what they actually need is water.

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How dual-eject opticals boosted a MRF’s capture rate

Published: September 27, 2022
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View of equipment inside the MRF.

A $6 million MRF upgrade brought in equipment for improved fiber sortation at the Cal-Waste Recovery Systems MRF in Galt, Calif. | Courtesy of CP Group/MSS

The installation of three dual-eject optical sorters has allowed a Northern California MRF to increase its paper capture rate with a lower headcount, the director of operations said. 

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How cities are strengthening programs for long-term success

Published: September 13, 2022
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Speakers on stage at the 2022 Resource Recycling Conference.

The “Resiliency at the Local Level” session at the 2022 Resource Recycling Conference featured (l to r): Eduardo Rodriguez, Alexis Yaple, Kanika Greenlee and Zach Woodruff. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.

Resilience in recycling requires a number of elements: upgrading technology, extending contracts or even buying carts for residents.

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Thermoform-to-thermoform bill draws mixed reactions

Published: September 13, 2022
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Thermoform containers holding eggs.

Thermoforms such as those shown here often contain post-consumer material from bottles, but a California bill would require post-consumer thermoforms to be used in production of new thermoforms. | Anakumka/Shutterstock

Current debate over a California bill requiring PET thermoforms to contain recycled PET derived from thermoforms boils down to one question: What will MRFs do? 

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California passes bevy of recycling bills in final days

Published: September 7, 2022
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Calif. state captiol building in Sacramento.

California legislators sent a number of recycling-related bills to the governor at the end of this session. | Leonid Adnronov/Shutterstock

When California’s legislative session ended Aug. 31, a number of recycling-related bills passed just before the deadline. Here’s a roundup of bills currently waiting to be signed into law and that have already been signed. 

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US recovered fiber and plastic exports drop

Published: September 7, 2022
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Loading and unloading at shipping port in Long Beach, Calif.

U.S. companies exported 8.7 million short tons of recovered paper and OCC during the first half of 2022. | Richard H Grant/Shutterstock

U.S. exports of fiber bales came down slightly during the first half of this year, trade data shows. At the same time, overseas shipments of scrap plastics took a tumble.

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Plaintiff drops case over Hefty Recycling bag marketing

Published: September 7, 2022
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Front of Hefty Recycling Bag box in question in court.

An Oakland, Calif. resident dropped her lawsuit against Reynolds Consumer Product regarding the company’s recycling bags, but in Connecticut a similar case continues.

Reynolds Consumer Products has staved off one of the recent legal challenges to its Hefty Recycling bag marketing claims. 

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Analysts: US OCC recycling rate may be below 70%

Published: August 29, 2022
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Ryan Fox and Myles Cohen on stage at the 2022 Resource Recycling Conference.

Fiber insiders Ryan Fox (left) and Myles Cohen on stage at the 2022 Resource Recycling Conference. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling, Inc.

This story has been updated

Two corrugated industry experts have crunched the numbers and concluded that the OCC recycling rate is likely much lower than estimates published by the paper manufacturing sector.

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