Vermont’s current deposit system may soon expand to cover almost all beverages. | Victoria Lipov/Shutterstock
This story has been corrected.
Legislation that expands a Northeast state’s container deposit law passed one chamber and has moved to the state Senate for consideration. The bill adds additional beverage types into the deposit program.
The U.S. exported 1.32 million short tons of recovered fiber in February, with India as the top destination. | MAGNIFIER/Shutterstock
U.S. exports of recovered plastic and paper remained consistent in February, despite global trade policy changes for both materials that went into effect at the beginning of the year.
NERC’s Next Generation Scholarship Fund is just one of multiple conversations the group is having on the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion. | Lightspring/Shutterstock
Leaders at the Northeast Recycling Council recently explained how they’ll use a new scholarship fund to help boost racial diversity in the next generation of recycling industry professionals.
“I have prepared my answer for this,” said city of Seattle economist Jenny Bagby before emphatically holding up a sheet of paper and taking a pause. “I don’t know.”
The exchange drew laughs from the room full of Pacific Northwest recycling leaders who were gathered earlier this month in Seattle for a recycling metrics event called the SPU Measurement Symposium. Continue Reading
Crews remove plastic litter from Hunting Bayou in the Houston area. | Courtesy of Texans for Clean Water
Legislation being considered in Texas would create a program injecting tens of millions of dollars into the recycling system each year while also paying consumers to return plastic bottles, cups and film.
OCC baled for recycling. | Sergej57/Shutterstock
Recycled paper mill operator DS Smith predicts strong growth in corrugated packaging, long after the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have passed, the company’s head of recycling said.
The report from SWANA delves into how poor recycling behaviors develop and why they persist. | Scott Beck / Resource Recycling Inc.
Education campaigns may improve curbside recycling practices for residents who produce average or low amounts of contamination, but they may not impact the worst offenders, according to new research.
Legislation to be reintroduced will include provisions for a national bottle bill and a ban on certain single-use plastic items. | S-F/Shutterstock
Two members of Congress will revive the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which includes a national container deposit system and other sweeping changes. Representatives from the plastics industry have countered the push.
About 40% of the feedstock consumed by Constellium last year was scrap material. | pim pic/Shutterstock
Global aluminum manufacturer Constellium, which operates a large recycling site in Alabama, says it boosted the amount of production scrap it recycled last year.
The mill’s completion is on schedule with the initial timeline, which forecast a spring 2021 start-up. | Courtesy of Green Bay Packaging.
Green Bay Packaging this month produced the first reel of paper at its newly completed Wisconsin recycled paper mill, which uses OCC and mixed paper feedstock.