Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows 43 workers suffered fatal injuries on the job in 2019. | Sepp photography/Shutterstock
Forty-three garbage and recycling collection workers were killed on the job in 2019, fewer than the prior year but still more than the average over the past several years.
The Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) insisted chaos would ensue if Republic Services shut down the MRF, which sorts and markets hundreds of tons of recyclables each day. | Tiko Aramyan/Shutterstock
A Connecticut court has ruled that Republic Services can’t terminate a contract and shut down a MRF while the company’s dispute with a recycling authority is appealed.
A Resource Recycling analysis shows that 1,116 companies identified as “materials recovery facilities” and 4,300 companies identified as “recyclable material merchant wholesalers” received Paycheck Protection Program funds this year. | NIKCOA/Shutterstock
Over $850 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds flowed to MRF operators and recyclables trading companies this year, according to data released following a court order.
A lawsuit from Greenpeace seeks to force Walmart to change its labeling and conduct a “corrective” advertising campaign. | nitpicker/Shutterstock
Environmental activist group Greenpeace this week accused Walmart of falsely labeling items as recyclable and asked a California court to compel the retailer to stop making the claims.
As the year comes to a close, MRFs are largely seeing good news across the board, fetching higher prices for OCC, mixed paper, aluminum, natural HDPE and other materials.
A judge has ruled that the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) must pay $1.1 million in damages to a subsidiary of Republic Services. | BCFC/Shutterstock
A Connecticut judge last month ordered a public authority to pay Republic Services damages in a MRF operations contract dispute. Soon after, the saga took another turn, with Republic indicating it’s set to bow out of the agreement altogether.
Through the new grants, The Recycling Partnership estimates curbside PP recycling will become available to an additional 4 million people nationwide. | RYosha/Shutterstock
Four MRFs in the eastern half of the U.S. will begin sorting polypropylene with financial assistance from major brands, retailers and other industry members brought together through The Recycling Partnership.
The authors lay out different approaches to goal setting and measurement for EPR programs. | Skylines/Shutterstock
The Chinese government has been enacting restrictions over the past few years, with a full ban coming into effect Jan. 1, 2021. | Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment last week announced details about the country’s upcoming ban on all materials it classifies as “solid waste,” including recovered fiber.
China remains the largest buyer of U.S. fiber, importing 1.86 million short tons during the third quarter. | F Armstrong Photography/Shutterstock
Paper and plastic exports continue to trend lower than in previous years, even as shipments increase to certain countries, recent figures show.