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How PPP loans helped MRFs across the country

Published: August 4, 2020
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Person in a suit signing a check.

Small Business Administration data shows over 1,100 MRF companies received Paycheck Protection Program loans. | NIKCOA/Shutterstock

MRF operators received tens of millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program funds, recently released data suggests. A few explained just how important the money was to preventing layoffs.

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Our top stories from July 2020

Published: August 4, 2020
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Waste Connections recycling collection truck unloads material at the Balcones MRF in Austin, Texas.

Insight from a leader at Waste Connections drew attention last month. | Resource Recycling file photo.

MRF, hauler, market, technology and exports articles all landed on our read-most list last month.

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Environmental group takes aim at chemical recycling of plastics

Published: July 28, 2020
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Scrap plastics baled for recycling.

Chemical recycling uses different processes to break plastics down into other chemicals, which can be used to make fuels, new plastics or many other products. | Vershinin89/Shutterstock

This story has been updated.

A report from activist organization GAIA claims processing strategies that have been heavily promoted by the polymer industry amount to a “greenwashing tactic” undermining efforts to ban single-use plastics.

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A local program leader’s long history of crossing racial divides

Published: July 28, 2020
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Harry Hayes

Harry Hayes has been director of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department since 2007. | Photo courtesy of city of Houston 

Harry Hayes’ journey to the top of Houston’s solid waste department in many ways began over 40 years ago, when he confronted fears about being the only Black kid in French class.

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Largest shipping company won’t take recyclables to China

Published: July 27, 2020
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Maersk shipping container on a ship at sea.

Shipping giant Maersk announced as of Sept. 1, 2020 it will no longer take scrap material shipments to China. | Mariusz Bugno/Shutterstock

Citing China’s upcoming legislation that will ban all “solid waste” imports, APM-Maersk this month announced it will stop shipping virtually all recovered materials to China and Hong Kong in the coming weeks.

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Equipment upgrades drive greater UBC recovery

Published: July 21, 2020
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Aluminum cans for recycling.

Recent research determined that in 2019, UBCs made up 12.5% of potential revenues in MRFs in bottle bill states and 33% of potential revenues in MRFs in non-bottle-bill states. | Graham Corney/Shutterstock

Robotics and additional eddy current separators are key to maximizing sortation of used beverage cans, according to MRF operators, researchers and other experts.

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British Columbia expands EPR and bottle deposit systems

Published: July 21, 2020
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Starting in 2023, “packaging-like” and “single-use” products will be added to British Columbia’s producer-managed recycling program. | Tudoran Andrei/Shutterstock 

Canada’s third-largest province has approved a number of changes to its extended producer responsibility and container deposit programs.  Continue Reading

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Cities and groups chime in on feds’ procurement planning

Published: July 21, 2020
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Paper is one of eight categories within the U.S. EPA’s federal procurement guidelines | Aleksei Lazukov/Shutterstock

The U.S. EPA asked for public feedback on a list of recycled-content products purchased by federal agencies. The request drew 114 responses from a range of recycling stakeholders.  Continue Reading

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