Back to Top

How Phoenix fits into Balcones’ growth plans

Published: November 28, 2022
Updated:

by
Inside the city of Phoenix North Gateway MRF.

After winning a contract previously held by Republic Systems, Balcones Resources will operate Phoenix’s North Gateway MRF (pictured above and below), as well as the city’s 27th Avenue MRF, which will be rebuilt with Machinex equipment. | Courtesy of city of Phoenix

Balcones Resources’ recently signed MRF operations contract with the city of Phoenix is exactly the type of “huge step” toward growth envisioned when Closed Loop Partners bought a majority stake in the company, a Balcones executive explained. 

Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , |

Oregon redemption center brings AI counting to consumers

Published: November 28, 2022
Updated:

by
Behind the scenes at BottleDrop's collection location.

The latest drop-off center from the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative uses AI to rapidly count and identify bottles and other containers. | Marissa Heffernan/Resource Recycling, Inc.

The busiest container redemption center in Oregon recently got an upgrade, delivering the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative’s neural network technology to a consumer-facing location for the first time. 

Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , |

Paper producers reflect on OCC prices, upcoming plants

Published: November 28, 2022
Updated:

by
Old cardboard containers (OCC) collected for recycling.

Even though OCC bales are currently selling for unusually low prices, many producers are seeing their savings offset by increased costs in other areas. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock

Recycled paper product producers may be enjoying the lower OCC prices as 2022 comes to a close, but those giant manufacturers are still facing higher inflationary pressures in other areas, several executives recently noted.

Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , |

What’s the right role for chemical recycling?

Published: November 28, 2022
Updated:

by
Mixed plastic caps and residuals for recycling.

As of 2021 there were more than 40 companies working to develop or manage chemical recycling projects in the United States. | paul prescott/Shutterstock

Mechanical recycling should take priority over chemical recycling, but there will need to be several technical solutions to the world’s plastic problem, argued panelists on a recent Product Stewardship Institute webinar. 

Continue Reading

Dow, WM team up on curbside residential film project

Published: November 28, 2022
Updated:

by
Plastic bag filled with plastic bags for recycling.

Waste Management (WM) has committed to investing more than $800 million to enhance recycling infrastructure, including $56 million to upgrade three Pacific Northwest MRFs. | Pavel Kubarkov/Shutterstock

Dow and Waste Management are partnering on a pilot program that will give some Chicago residents the option of recycling plastic films curbside. 

Continue Reading

Greenpeace report: No US plastic is truly recyclable

Published: October 25, 2022
Updated:

by
Bales of plastics for recycling.

The latest Greenpeace report challenges the viability of U.S. plastics recycling. | MuhammadAzman/Shutterstock

This story has been updated. 

An updated report from Greenpeace USA maintains that no plastics in the U.S. actually meet the definition of recyclable and calls for companies to switch to other materials. 

Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , |

Northeast state funds organics-garbage ‘co-collection’ projects

Published: November 1, 2022
Updated:

by
Food scraps collected in a bucket.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will help fund the collection of bagged food scraps and garbage in the same curbside containers. | Maerzkind/Shutterstock

The state of Connecticut is supporting a unique approach to organics diversion: collecting food scraps and garbage in separate plastic bags placed in the same curbside container. Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , |