Industry Announcements
Resource Recycling highlights the latest announcements from industry companies and organizations. For information on submitting press releases or contributing op-eds to us, review our FAQ page.
Resource Recycling highlights the latest announcements from industry companies and organizations. For information on submitting press releases or contributing op-eds to us, review our FAQ page.
Meal kit producer Blue Apron joined the How2Recycle recyclability labeling program.
Coastal Wire Company launched a virtual emergency repair service to conduct repairs without exposing employees or customers to COVID-19 risks.
The Container Recycling Institute released research charting the impact of coronavirus on U.S. container redemption programs.
Crowdsourcing platform Ennomotive is hosting a challenge to build an open-source ventilator with an eye toward improving mass treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) launched an initiative to grow recycled plastic demand among government entities.
The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) published a report examining how extended producer responsibility for packaging is working in multiple Canadian provinces.
The U.S. EPA updated its Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool, which estimates environmental impacts associated with buying or manufacturing materials with varying degrees of recycled content.
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control filed a lawsuit against Stericycle, alleging violations of hazardous waste laws.
The Global Recycling Foundation announced the 10 Recycling Heroes of Global Recycling Day 2020.
Liberty Tire Recycling acquired Lakin Tire, with support from its majority equity sponsor The Carlyle Group.
Commercial recycling technology platform provider RoadRunner Recycling raised $28.6 million in Series C financing.
AMP Robotics was listed as one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company.
The Canadian government ratified the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the last of the three countries to officially approve the free-trade agreement.
Novelis named Roxana Molina as the company’s chief procurement officer.
Washington state lawmakers advanced legislation mandating use of recycled plastic in beverage bottles. They also passed a bill banning thin plastic bags and mandating recycled content in thicker, reusable bags.
DS Smith, a U.K.-headquartered packaging company, opened its first U.S. recycling plant in Reading, Pa., in part as a way to supply the company’s nearby paper mill with OCC.
GFL Environmental launched its initial public offering (IPO) after previously withdrawing a planned IPO last fall. The move makes GFL one of the largest publicly traded haulers in North America.
The Hefty EnergyBag program announced it has handled 1 million pounds of material.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) approved a policy on extended producer responsibility (EPR) at the group’s winter board meeting in Nashville, Tenn. ISRI also passed its 2020 advocacy agenda.
Machinex is celebrating 50 years in the equipment manufacturing business.
Starbucks announced it will begin testing cups with the BioPBS liner, which the company says makes the cups compostable and recyclable.
Vecoplan hired Kirsti Nelson to head the company’s marketing department and Mike Wilhoit to lead its after-market department.
Glass Packaging Institute President Scott DeFife was named president of the Glass Recycling Foundation’s executive board.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) Board of Directors approved adding two new specifications to the ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular at the group’s recent meeting.
The government of Ontario published the battery recycling section of its Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act. Compliance company Ryse Solutions wrote about how the regulation makes battery producers responsible for collection and management of used batteries.
Machinex supplied sorting equipment for a newly opened Waste Management MRF in Quebec.
Waste Management outlined its decision to utilize recycled plastic from the residential stream in curbside recycling carts.
YUM Brands announced it will stop using EPS foam packaging by 2022.
Environmental advocates and city officials in Baltimore released a plan to guide the city towards a zero waste model. The move comes after the city last year passed an air ordinance that could force a local incinerator to close.
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) approved pilot mobile takeback and bag-drop collection programs for redeeming beverage containers in San Francisco and Culver City.
The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) launched a three-year marketing campaign, Positively PET, to establish a positive voice for PET.
Vehicle and equipment supplier New Way Trucks acquired the ROTO PAC product, an auger-driven organics collection truck.
Recycling technology firm Rubicon and DAVACO described a recent project that diverted 161 tons of metal from the disposal stream.
Austin Resource Recovery, an Austin, Texas city department, received a $45,000 grant from the Foam Recycling Coalition to increase processing of post-consumer foam polystyrene.
The Glass Recycling Foundation announced $25,000 donations from glass producer O-I Glass and beverage company Diageo.
The Nebraska Recycling Council will receive free one-gigabit broadband service for 10 years through a nonprofit-supporting program offered by the city of Lincoln, Neb. and a local telecommunications company.
Sonoco announced that Howard Coker, senior vice president of its paper and industrial converted products segment, will succeed Rob Tiede as president and CEO.
Waste Management joined the Association of Plastic Recyclers’ Demand Champions program, pledging to buy recycling carts made from 10% post-consumer resin.
Ball Corporation launched a line of impact extruded aluminum bottles tailored for the beauty, personal care, food and beverage markets.
Call2Recycle announced that more than 7.5 million pounds of batteries were recycled in the U.S. in 2019, representing a 5% increase over the previous year.
Industrial Magnetics, Inc. will construct a 6,000-square-foot facility to help customers choose magnetic separation products by running samples of their product stream in a test environment.
Tomra Sorting Recycling opened an office in Charlotte, N.C., serving as the company’s waste and metals recycling headquarters for the Americas.
The US Composting Council launched the Corporate Compost Leadership Council.
Van Dyk Recycling Solutions completed installation of a waste-to-fuel processing system for Pleasanton, Calif.-based Fulcrum BioEnergy.
The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) updated the tools it provides to increase recycling of grocery store rigid plastics.
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) announced the arrests of 11 individuals suspected of defrauding the state’s container redemption system by redeeming out-of-state containers.
Conagra Brands announced it will strive to make 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable, compostable or renewable by 2025.
The GameDay Recycling Challenge announced that Louisiana State University recycled 127,940 pounds of material during the 2019 competition, by far the largest weight of any participating college. Ohio University earned the highest diversion rate, at 92.94%.
Lexington, Ky. began offering paper recycling after a six-month hiatus, but it is now provided through a drop-off program rather than being accepted at the curb.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill establishing a recycling council in response to shifts in recycling markets.
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Mid-Atlantic Chapter began accepting applications for 2020 student scholarships.
Waste and recycling container manufacturer Busch Systems announced it earned Certified B Corporation status, which recognizes companies’ social and environmental efforts.
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) approved a $2 million greenhouse gas reduction loan for eco-logic brands inc., which produces paper bottles.
The Consumer Brands Association announced the formation of the Recycling Leadership Council, which includes a variety of industry groups and other stakeholders.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched Circulytics, described as a tool to help companies track their progress on circular economy goals.
The Every Bottle Back Coalition, which was launched in October, announced that its first investments will target the region of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) named Bertrand Paulet as its board of trustees chairman. Paulet is president and CEO of Ardagh Group, Glass – North America.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) announced that longtime ISRI employee Mark Reiter passed away on Jan. 15, and former ISRI chair Jerry Simms passed away on Jan. 17. ISRI created tribute pages for both Reiter and Simms.
Re-TRAC Connect released the latest version of the Municipal Measurement Program (MMP).
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) named Anthony Viardo as its director of marketing and digital communications.
Glass beneficiation company Strategic Materials appointed Christopher Dods chairman of the board, CEO and president.
Tetra Pak hired Jeff Fielkow as CEO of the company’s U.S. and Canada division. Fielkow previously worked for Container Recycling LLC, ReCommunity Recycling and Waste Management.
Call2Recycle became the exclusive U.S. distributor for CellBlock Fire Containment Systems, which manufactures battery protection products.
Cascades launched a 100% recycled cardboard tray for food packaging in the North American market.
GFL Environmental is working to acquire Michigan hauler and liquid waste company American Waste for $380.
Midwest Recycled and Coated Containerboard Mill LLC of Combined Locks, Wis. was acquired by private equity firm Industrial Opportunity Partners purchased.
The National Recycling Coalition has scheduled the next segment of its Market Development Workshop series: a one-day event on Feb. 11 in Memphis, Tenn. The workshop is a collaboration between the NRC, Keep America Beautiful and the U.S. EPA.
Recycle Colorado hired Barbara Bellanova as its new full-time executive director.
Glass manufacturer Ardagh Group appointed a new chief sustainability officer and created a “Global Sustainability Action Group.” In related news, New Mill Capital has purchased and will auction equipment from Ardagh’s closed bottle plant in Lincoln, Ill.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed into law a ban on single-use plastic and polystyrene foodservice ware on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) Paper Stock Industries (PSI) Chapter nominated officers for the 2020-22 term of the organization’s Board of Directors.
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) adopted a policy position stating that mandatory recycled content inclusion requirements are needed to increase the use of recycled materials.
Secondary glass processor Strategic Materials announced the opening of a 30,000-square-foot Houston facility that will manufacture a crushed glass abrasive product made from recycled glass. The location will replace the company’s current Houston facility mid-year and allows the company to triple its product output.
Waste Connections announced the company has completed acquisitions in Alaska, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
BigBelly, a manufacturer of solar-powered waste and recycling receptacles, began working with a private equity firm, looking to secure more investment and accelerate the company’s growth.
Four members of Congress launched a workgroup to boost plastics recycling through technology investments and more.
The Michigan Department of Treasury issued a finding that kombucha beverages are subject to the state’s container deposit requirements. A recent change in how the state defines “non-alcoholic” meant the beverage type would no longer be exempt.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper launched a food waste reduction effort, challenging local restaurants to implement waste reduction strategies during the holiday season.
The National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) released a guide of recommended practices for MRF workers and other waste facility employees. NWRA’s Women’s Council also published tips for companies looking to start an internship program.
Recology released its sustainability report, which details how much material the company recycled in 2018, describes various MRF upgrades and more.
Continuus Materials, a manufacturer and recycling facility operator, hired Jack Winterowd as lead scientist and Colin Litow as director of product management.
The Global Recycling Foundation announced that Global Recycling Day will be observed on March 18, 2020.
Plastics producer Indorama joined The Recycling Partnership.
The Paper Stock Industries (PSI) chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) launched its 2020 academic scholarship program.
Recycling Equipment Manufacturing appointed Garry Hojan as general manager and Joshua Burns as vice president of sales.
Shareholder advocacy group As You Sow released a report detailing its activities throughout 2019.
Scott Smithline, director of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), plans to resign.
GFL Environmental acquired the AGI group of companies, which includes multiple recycling firms. GFL recently cancelled a plan to take the company public.