Lingering impacts from the shipping disruptions of January and February still plague the movement of recyclables out of the U.S. | DifferR/Shutterstock
Overseas markets for recovered paper and plastic are experiencing disruption as governments enact widespread restrictions and close ports in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
IT asset disposition company EPC reported a sharp increase in demand for notebook, tablet and desktop PCs throughout the U.S. and Canada as the need to work from home grows. | Sally B/Shutterstock
Electronics recycling and reuse companies across the U.S. say the coronavirus and resulting work-from-home orders have energized the market for refurbished electronics. In some cases, they can’t keep up with the needs of customers.
A number of recycling companies donated N95 masks that will provide essential protection to medical workers. | Abdalrhman Usama/Shutterstock
Even as recycling companies adapt to keep their employees and businesses healthy, some are donating supplies to ensure healthcare workers are protected, as well.
The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes $377 billion for small businesses. | ItzaVU/Shutterstock
The bipartisan stimulus bill signed into law by President Trump last week includes hundreds of billions of dollars in assistance to small businesses.
Republic forecasts servicing fewer commercial containers as bars, restaurants and schools temporarily close. | Aaron of L.A. Photography/Shutterstock
Republic Services foresees major changes in the residential and commercial recycling landscape due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Battery fires are an increasingly relevant concern for recycling facilities. | zeyaman/Shutterstock
A recently published guidance document helps recycling facilities draft plans to avert and mitigate fires.
The New York Department of Sanitation is preparing for higher-than-normal volumes of material to be collected curbside. | Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock
New York City, which has the largest concentration of coronavirus cases in the U.S., is continuing curbside service even as the city’s collection department battles infections among employees.
The federal government and states that have issued “stay-at-home” orders have decided recycling businesses are “essential.” | youkatan/Shutterstock
Recycling collection and processing has been deemed essential by states that have issued stay-at-home orders, meaning industry entities are not subject to forced shutdowns.
In communities around the country, recycling programs are limiting the materials they collect, altering service hours or shutting down altogether. | Oksana Shturo/Shutterstock
Recycling programs nationwide have curtailed service due to the coronavirus pandemic, potentially hampering the supply of recyclables moving to market in the weeks to come.
The EcoCart is made with 10% post-consumer HDPE derived from bulky rigids. | Courtesy of Cascade Cart Solutions
Cascade Cart Solutions has produced 22 million carts for Waste Management over three decades, but this month marked a milestone: the first time the company has deployed carts made with recycled curbside residential plastics.