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California picks EPR producer group and releases draft rules

Published: January 8, 2024
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The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery published drafts of its covered material list categories for the extended producer responsibility for packaging program, among other announcements. | Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

California is moving ahead on implementation of its extended producer responsibility law. The state agency recently released a draft of the regulations and selected a producer responsibility organization.  Continue Reading

Smart bins target contamination at street level

Published: January 2, 2024
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An AI-powered sorting bin from MyMatR is deployed in a pilot program at a public library in High Point, N.C. | Photo courtesy MyMatR

Consumer education is a traditional way to reduce contamination, but the founder of startup MyMatR is combining it with AI to offer a “smart” self-sorting bin for public spaces.  Continue Reading

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Research finds recoverable fiber lost to US landfills

Published: January 2, 2024
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Trucks at a landfill site from above.

The study suggests over half of the 110 million metric tons of overall fiber that entered the waste stream went to landfill in 2019. | Janossy Gergely/Shutterstock

New research quantifies in greater detail the amount of fiber entering U.S. landfills each year. A lead author of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study said the findings highlight a huge opportunity for additional material recovery. Continue Reading

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MRF and collection fatalities increase, but rate drops

Published: January 2, 2024
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Materials on a conveyor at a MRF.

There were seven deaths in U.S. MRFs in 2022, up from four in 2021, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. | Jantsarik/Shutterstock

The number of worker fatalities in the recycling industry – both inside materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and in collection – increased in 2022, even as the rate of on-the-job collection worker deaths decreased. Continue Reading

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Report: Bottle bill states recycle more, provide models

Published: January 2, 2024
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Reverse-vending-machine-aleks333-Shutterstock

U.S. states with container deposit programs have the highest recycling rates in the country, according to new research. | Aleks333/Shutterstock

A report from Eunomia Research and Consulting found that nine of the 10 states with the highest recycling rates have deposit return systems, and that bottle bill states also contribute a higher percentage of packaging that is recycled in the U.S. Continue Reading

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Closed Loop invests in aluminum-hydrogen tech

Published: January 2, 2024
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Closed Loop invested in a technology that can take aluminum scrap from any source and turn it into a manufacturing precursor material and energy. | John New/Shutterstock

Closed Loop Partners invested in a company that uses contaminated aluminum to create hydrogen fuel and a raw material used to manufacture aluminum.  Continue Reading

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