The U.S. paper recovery rate has been at or above 63% each year for the past decade.
Every year, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) releases the U.S. paper recovery for recycling rate. The annual figure informs us how much recovered paper is being used to create new products in a given year and is also an important indicator of how much paper and paper-based packaging is kept out of landfills after use.
Improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries can be a fire risk at MRFs. | Janaka Dharmasena/Shutterstock
Legislation making lithium-ion battery producers responsible for collecting and recycling the products they sell is advancing in California.
Legislation introduced last week establishes a framework to enable recycling-related investments. | LWPhotography/Shutterstock
Recycling issues have hit the national stage with unprecedented fervor in recent weeks. Citing recycling market challenges and growing plastic pollution, lawmakers are advancing legislation and pressuring government agencies to take action.
Republic Services’ recycling business brought in $72 million in revenue during the second quarter. | Supannee Hickman/Shutterstock
The two largest garbage and recycling companies in North America have enjoyed more profitable recycling businesses, even as commodity prices remain at rock bottom.
Every year municipal crews in Los Angeles collect 1.5 million tons of material.
The second-largest city in the country also has a very ambitious waste diversion goal: 90% by 2025. That means Los Angeles must stay creative to continue managing the massive volume of recyclables its residents generate.
A bill from Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar provides federal funding to help local municipalities invest in materials recovery initiatives. | Supachai Pakdeesrisakda/Shutterstock
A waste reduction and recycling support bill has been introduced in Congress, with lawmakers describing the legislation as a significant component of the Green New Deal.
Trex uses millions of pounds of PE film annually. | artgray/Shutterstock
Already North America’s largest consumer of recovered film, Trex plans to use considerably more in the future, according to the company’s CEO.
An October 2018 Google Street View image of material stored at the 1 Craven Point Ave. site.
The CEO of Pace Glass said his company remains on track to build a large-scale glass processing plant in central New Jersey, despite recent charges of code violations from Jersey City authorities.
A number of e-scrap companies are defending themselves in court. | Somchai Som/Shutterstock
A dozen electronics recycling companies will cut checks totaling $517,000 to settle allegations they’re partially responsible for abandoned cathode-ray tube materials in Ohio. Meanwhile, 15 other recycling companies appear set to duke it out with landowners in court.
The returned containers held a total of 3.2 million pounds of material. | porjai kittawornrat/Shutterstock
More Southeast Asian nations are sending contaminated recyclables back to their originating country, as governments in the region continue to grapple with higher scrap plastic and paper import volumes.