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Women in Circularity: Bonnie Bethune

Published: November 26, 2024
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Bonnie Bethune of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association . | Photo courtesy of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association.

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 a long-time recycling advocate: Bonnie Bethune. Bonnie is the Sr. Member Services Representative for the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), the oldest and largest cooperative-model recycling nonprofit in the United States. She has over 40 years of experience in the recycling industry with a focus on municipal recycling. Continue Reading

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Ethics complaint adds to SB 54 back-and-forth

Published: March 11, 2025
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Baled plastics for recycling.

An anonymous complaint asked California’s Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate Rachel Wagoner for a violation of a ban that prevents former regulators from receiving compensation to work against the state on matters that were under their purview. | Zlikovec/Shutterstock

A formal ethics complaint has been lodged against Rachel Wagoner, formerly the director of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery who is now with producer responsibility organization Circular Action Alliance. The complaint alleges that she is lobbying her former agency in violation of a state “switching sides” ban. Continue Reading

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CalRecycle misses SB 54 rulemaking deadline

Published: March 11, 2025
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California's state capitol building seen with blue sky above.

By statute, the full permanent rulemaking package needed to be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law by March 7, but it wasn’t. | Jonathan Lenz/Shutterstock

California state regulators will head back to the drawing board after the governor declined to accept their draft extended producer responsibility program language, delaying the implementation of EPR for packaging and requiring another round of rulemaking. Continue Reading

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Tariffs on Canada and Mexico take hold

Published: March 4, 2025
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shipping terminal china

Some companies, including major material haulers, are taking a tempered view of the tariffs, especially given the amount of macroeconomic turmoil that has accompanied the past five years. | chuyuss/Shutterstock

Update: Most of the new tariffs on imports from both Mexico and Canada were paused until April 2, following executive orders President Donald Trump signed on March 6.

The Recycled Materials Association warned of potential “severe” disruption to the materials recovery sector after tariffs targeting the U.S.’s largest trading partners took effect March 4, bringing higher costs to import nearly all goods, including recycled commodities.

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ND Paper plans to restart Wisconsin mill

Published: March 4, 2025
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Owned by Chinese paper giant Nine Dragons, ND Paper cited growing demand for its products. | Courtesy of ND Paper

Illinois-headquartered ND Paper plans to restart a recycled paper machine at its Biron mill in central Wisconsin in the second half of 2025, citing growing demand for its packaging products. Continue Reading

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Investment firm pushes further into e-scrap sector

Published: February 25, 2025
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Cascade Asset Management facility in Orlando, Fla.

Cascade Asset Management, which operates facilities in Wisconsin and Florida, says the combination with Sage provides logistical advantages for winning clients. | Courtesy of Cascade Asset Management

Longtime electronics recycling processor Cascade Asset Management has been acquired by Sage Sustainable Electronics, bringing it into the Closed Loop Partners portfolio of companies. Company leaders said a shared vision and long experience in the industry make the move complementary to each firm. Continue Reading

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Closed Loop suggests small-format recycling improvements

Published: February 25, 2025
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Billions of small-format plastic items are produced each year but are lost to landfills or incinerators across the board. | Golden Shrimp/Shutterstock

Editor’s note: Learn more about plastic recycling trends and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland.  Continue Reading

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Oregon fully approves first packaging EPR plan

Published: February 25, 2025
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Oregon capitol building with trees in bloom.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced it approved a program plan on Feb. 21. | Yanqiang Dai/Shutterstock

After several years of work, Oregon has approved an extended producer responsibility plan, laying out how packaging producers are expected to fulfill the requirements of the law.   Continue Reading

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Metal tariffs bring varied effects for recycling sector

Published: February 19, 2025
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Aluminum cans for recycling.

If domestic aluminum demand rises, used beverage cans could see a jump in commodity value. | Graham Corney/Shutterstock

New tariff actions targeting aluminum and steel imports could have near-term benefits for MRF operators if the actions spur additional demand for domestic-sourced commodities. But it’s the longer-term effects that are more concerning. Continue Reading

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Paper and plastic exports decline again in 2024

Published: February 19, 2025
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Cargo ship on water.

The U.S. exported 13.3 million short tons of recovered fiber throughout the year, down from 14.8 million short tons in 2023. | Magnifier/Shutterstock

Recovered paper exports dropped 11% year-over-year in 2024, and scrap plastic exports fell by about 2%, according to new trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau.  Continue Reading

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