Extended producer responsibility proposals have been discussed in several states in 2022. | EtiAmmos/Shutterstock
A Washington state zero waste group was engaging in “intense negotiations” on an extended producer responsibility bill this year, but the legislation stalled anyway. One advocate said she’s now looking at other states to help inspire next steps.
The B25 machine, which produces recycled corrugated medium and linerboard for packaging, at the Biron, Wis. mill. | Courtesy of ND Paper
ND Paper is boosting its appetite for recovered fiber bales by engaging in a machine conversion project at a Midwest mill that is expected to be completed later this year.
Research looking at Europe found EPR programs that set material-specific targets will likely increase recycling rates. | Evan Lorne/Shutterstock
Recently published research helps inform the producer responsibility debate in the U.S. by looking at past outcomes in Europe.
Fiberglass insulation manufacturer Owens Corning increased its use of recycled materials in 2021. | Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
A bottle maker received money to help the company use more recycled glass, and a fiberglass insulation manufacturer increased its use of cullet last year. The following are recent headlines related to recovered glass end users.
Timeline final update: March 22, 2022
Eureka Recycling, which operates a MRF in Minneapolis, is a member of the Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers, which criticized plastics-to-fuel processes. | Courtesy of Eureka Recycling
The Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers called plastics-to-fuel processes “false solutions,” though the group of nonprofit recyclers says it is more open to technologies that are geared toward production of recycled resin.
A total of 28 waste and recycling workers died on the job in 2021, down from 52 deaths in 2020. | Somchai_Stock/Shutterstock
Solid waste and recycling worker fatalities dropped by nearly 50% in 2021, maintaining a downward trend that started in 2018.
A report from Google suggests that reaching a circular economy will require rethinking design, reducing resource consumption, recycling and other interventions. | Nevodka/Shutterstock
Google published its latest plastic circularity report, finding that both chemical and mechanical recycling will be needed to close the “plastics circularity gap” by 2040. The tech giant also pointed to taxing virgin plastics to help reduce waste.
David Biderman, far right, addresses the audience at the 2022 Plastics Recycling Conference. | Brian Adams Photo
Interest in minimum-recycled-content mandates and extended producer responsibility bills is at an all-time high, but the reality of passing legislation is more complicated, according to industry experts.
March has brought surges in prices for several curbside recyclables, with PET containers up 24%, aluminum cans up 25%, color HDPE up 32% and polypropylene up 30%.