Ecomaine provides recycling service in 70 Maine communities.
As we move further into 2021, we have gained some level of hindsight on those early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know what steps we can take to limit the spread of the virus, and we know of the risks that respiratory droplets present.
Data shows that the U.S. PET bottle recycling rate in 2019 was 27.9%, down from 29.0% in 2018. | TeuNg-StyLe / Shutterstock
Slightly less scrap plastic from the U.S. was recycled in 2019 than the year prior. The data comes as brand owners signal greater demand for recycled resins.
Rendering of the planned “SuperPRF” courtesy of International Recycling Group.
International Recycling Group hopes to finish financing a $150 million plastics recovery facility by the end of the year, with the massive plant scheduled to come on-line in 2023.
Maine lawmakers advanced an EPR bill to the governor. | Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Legislation creating an extended producer responsibility program for packaging has cleared both the Maine House of Representatives and Senate. It’s the first such bill in the U.S. to make it that far in the legislative process, and it now goes to the state’s governor for a signature.
Paper and packaging EPR is already firmly established as part of the Canadian and European waste management landscape. |
Coca-Cola, Unilever and Walmart are among the companies that have backed a statement from a global group in support of extended producer responsibility, the latest example of the seismic shift in corporate sentiments around the policy approach.
E-scrap processors are developing strategies for an increasing number of PV modules entering the market. | Hill120 / Shutterstock
In some ways, solar panels present some of the same recycling challenges as old TVs. They carry a high cost to recycle properly, have limited commodity value and contain hazardous metals. At the same time, relatively few downstream processors recycle them, and markets are working against reuse.
