Back to Top

Category: Top stories

Oregon bill could expedite a MRF’s troubled permit process

Published: June 24, 2025
Updated:

by

A recently introduced bill could allow a proposed solid waste facility in Lane County, Oregon, to bypass its turbulent permitting process. | Courtesy of Bulk Handling Systems

Officials in Lane County, Oregon, are pushing state lawmakers to support a new bill that would allow the construction of a controversial recycling and composting facility.  Continue Reading

Proposed EPR changes in Canada could inform US plans

Published: June 24, 2025
Updated:

by

With Ontario two years into its 2023-2025 transition to a producer responsibility model for paper and packaging recycling, stakeholders have asked for more time and lower costs. | Maxim Studio/Shutterstock

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, is looking to make adjustments to its signature law for extended producer responsibility in packaging, in response to producer feedback about costs and other program concerns.  Continue Reading

Q&A: Industry at the ‘ceiling’ of what voluntary action can do

Published: June 24, 2025
Updated:

by

Although extended producer responsibility is poised to capture substantially more material, The Recycling Partnership’s CEO says it’s important to ensure that material has an end market. | New Africa/Shutterstock

Backed by major brands, The Recycling Partnership has become well-known in the materials recovery sector over the past decade for boosting access to recycling, in particular by helping municipalities roll out recycling carts, improve outreach and reduce contamination. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged |

Fiber end users talk price increases, demand outlook

Published: June 17, 2025
Updated:

by

Major fiber end user Smurfit Westrock anticipates some, but not substantial, demand recovery for containerboard and consumer fiber packaging this year. | trainman111/Shutterstock

Price increases helped recover fiber end users’ bottom lines over the past quarter, even as questions about corrugated packaging demand swirled in the wake of multiple high-profile U.S. mill closures. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged |

MRFs share how they develop accepted material lists

Published: June 17, 2025
Updated:

by

Material acceptance at MRFs varies widely by locality, but several stakeholders explained the factors behind such wide-reaching decisions. | StoyanYotov/Shutterstock

Several MRF operators recently provided insight into how their facilities decide what materials to accept, during a discussion on bridging the disconnect between brand owners and MRFs. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , |

Recycled glass end users lose federal grant funding

Published: June 10, 2025
Updated:

by
Glass bottles collected for recycling.

Grant funds that were made available by the Inflation Reduction Act have been subject to reconsideration under the Trump Administration. | Michael Warwick/Shutterstock

Cullet end users Gallo Glass and O-I were among the Department of Energy grant funding recipients who had their awards canceled last month, including one for a project that would directly expand recycled glass capacity. An industry group criticized the funding cuts. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged |

EPR advocates savor the moment as concerns remain

Published: June 10, 2025
Updated:

by

Around 200 regulators, extended producer responsibility advocates, manufacturers and others gathered at the 2025 Product Stewardship Forum to talk about EPR. | Dan Holtmeyer/Resource Recycling

Extended producer responsibility policies for all sorts of materials — packaging, paint, batteries, vapes — are riding a wave of momentum across the U.S. and are poised to continue expanding to more states, several industry leaders said at the 2025 Product Stewardship Forum outside of Chicago last week.  Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged |

Oregon bottle bill to allow ‘alternative’ return centers

Published: June 3, 2025
Updated:

by
Bottle return at a reverse vending machine.

Oregon’s bottle bill, the oldest in the nation, could see some changes. | Veja/Shutterstock

Oregon state lawmakers recently approved a bill that allows the state to designate new redemption centers in Portland tailored toward canners — people who redeem containers on a daily or near-daily basis — and to allow retailers operating nearby to provide fewer redemption services. Continue Reading