In the course of one year, Los Angeles-area exporters cut their scrap polyethylene shipments to China by 99 percent, leaving thousands of tons of plastic looking for a home. Other countries were only able to absorb about one-fifth of the volume.
In the course of one year, Los Angeles-area exporters cut their scrap polyethylene shipments to China by 99 percent, leaving thousands of tons of plastic looking for a home. Other countries were only able to absorb about one-fifth of the volume.
A major portion of the single-stream mix has fallen sharply from record high prices a year ago. Industry stakeholders recently opened up on the factors behind the shift, and how it’s impacting U.S. recycling operations.
Recycling equipment companies have released a new application for artificial intelligence, announced the start-up of an upgraded system and offered details on an upcoming MRF in Houston.
There’s a growing worry among MRF operators, and it has nothing to do with commodity markets: Lithium-ion batteries are causing fires and explosions at facilities nationwide.
Industry experts say numerous recovered plastics processing facilities are popping up worldwide, as the global market shifts away from shipping raw material into China.
Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, at the 2016 Resource Recycling Conference.
The Recycling Partnership now has nearly 40 industry entities behind it. That raises an interesting question: How does one organization balance the needs of so many corporate backers?
The U.S. has become a focus of investment for a small yet growing portion of the Chinese scrap processing industry. Backers of two in-development operations note they are looking for regulatory stability and a strong supply of recyclables.
Chinese officials have accused the U.S. of hypocrisy for denigrating the scrap imports ban amid a brewing trade war between the two nations.
After wounding U.S. exports of scrap paper and plastics, China is now preparing to cripple recovered aluminum shipments. This time, the justification isn’t environmental protection but tariff retaliation.
The Closed Loop Fund will loan up to $5 million in Connecticut this year to improve recycling infrastructure.