A longtime recycling expert analyzes census data to help predict future recycling industry trends. | Grzejnik / Shutterstock
The release of the U.S. census for the decade of 2010 to 2020 points to important ways municipal recycling initiatives will change in the coming years. An assessment points to five key trends that will affect materials recovery efforts.
Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would classify mixed plastics that are generated in California and exported from the U.S. as “disposal” rather than “recycling.” | Sumrit Tesrumphun/Shutterstock
California lawmakers have approved a bill that would no longer allow scrap plastic that is exported to be considered recycled. The legislation now heads to the governor for final consideration.
As of August, OCC averaged $161 across the U.S., up from $57 a year earlier. | sxc839897 / Shutterstock
The value of a blended ton recyclables in the Northeast surged during the second quarter of this year, driven by price increases for many different materials.
In North America, Walmart increased its percentage of PCR in private brand packaging from 7% in 2019 to 9% in 2020. | Anton Gvozdikov / Shutterstock
Walmart has increased the percentage of post-consumer resin used in its private label packaging in North America, but the number is flat globally.
Our coverage of the national trend of cart tagging as a contamination abatement strategy was of interest to readers last month. | Courtesy of city of Olympia.
Readers were drawn to articles about the country’s second producer responsibility law for packaging, as well as coverage of our Program of the Year awards, cart tagging and more.
A leader with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition compares and contrasts the first two U.S. state EPR laws. | KWJPHOTOART / Shutterstock