In March 2020 Resource Recycling began keeping track of how the novel coronavirus was affecting the business of materials recovery and processing. Below you’ll find our in-depth reporting and analysis on the topic updated through November 2021.
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November 16, 2021
By Colin Staub
Demand for recycled PET increased 10% in 2020, but it was accompanied by a decrease in PET bottle collection, according to an annual report from the National Association for PET Container Resources.
October 26, 2021
By Colin Staub
Strife in the global shipping sector continues to impact North American recycling, with companies experiencing higher rates as well as decreased shipping availability and reliability.
October 19, 2021
By Colin Staub
A report from Waste Management describes how the pandemic shifted the composition of the curbside stream from paper to plastic last year. The document also provides insights into the company’s domestic market expectations and recycling investments.
October 5, 2021
By Jared Paben
The clock is ticking on California’s law mandating recycled plastic in drink bottles, and some beverage producers still have a long way to go, newly released data reveals.
September 21, 2021
By Colin Staub
Running a successful MRF means adapting to a changing stream, investing to upgrade equipment and navigating end market uncertainty. Three prominent MRF leaders recently shared how they’re approaching these challenges.
September 14, 2021
By Colin Staub
A year ago, some aluminum end markets were slowing purchases of the material. But demand has steadily increased throughout 2021, bringing welcome pricing for the municipal recycling sector.
August 17, 2021
By Jared Paben
At the end of the day, after all of the equipment and policies and market investments, recycling still relies on people doing the work. But those employees have been harder to come by lately.
August 10, 2021
By Jared Paben
Waste Connections recycling revenues more than doubled in the second quarter, driven by higher recovered material prices and volumes.
May 25, 2021
By Colin Staub
A North American mill operator is sourcing multi-layer cartons to make up for a decline in recycled paper tied to pandemic shutdowns.
May 25, 2021
By Jared Paben
Coronavirus-related closures hurt financial performance for TerraCycle US last year, but increased profitability in the company’s Zero Waste Boxes business helped buffer the impacts.
May 18, 2021
By Colin Staub
During a recent virtual panel, the Northeast Resource Recovery Association reported that many recycling facilities are operating at 100% again, after pandemic disruptions. Additionally, a disease expert offered current guidance on preventing spread in facilities.
May 11, 2021
By Jared Paben
Higher commodity prices drove year-over-year recycling revenue increases for North America’s largest garbage and recycling companies.
April 27, 2021
By Adam Shine, Sunnking
An electronics recycling executive discusses how his company is incentivizing employees to receive coronavirus vaccines, offering an opportunity to return to full production.
April 14, 2021
By Editorial Staff
The 2021 Plastics Recycling Conference, held online, featured eight sessions over two days. Here are some of the talking points that caught our team’s attention.
March 8, 2021
By Colin Staub
PET recycling firm CarbonLite and a subsidiary filed for bankruptcy, indicating the company plans to reorganize and continue operating. A company leader said market strife and COVID-19 impacts led to the decision.
March 2, 2021
By Jared Paben
Higher commodity prices boosted recycling revenues for Waste Management, Republic Services and North America’s other largest haulers last year, according to earnings reports.
February 24, 2021
By Jared Paben
COVID-19 failed to dent profitability at Trex, which recycles scrap film into composite lumber. In fact, the opposite happened: Sales and profits both jumped sharply last year.
February 23, 2021
By Colin Staub
A Pacific Northwest paper mill has begun producing new grades of paper made from recovered fiber, a response to changing end markets and growing customer interest in recycled content.
February 18, 2021
By Colin Staub
For major e-scrap smelting companies, the turbulence of 2020 brought pandemic-driven supply disruptions as well as pricing spikes for key metals.
February 18, 2021
By Jared Paben
Sims Lifecycle Services enjoyed a year-over-year profit boost in the latter half of 2020, although COVID-19 slowed the company’s push to recycle materials associated with cloud computing.
February 10, 2021
By Jared Paben
Two large manufacturers of recycled-plastic products – Unifi and Greystone Logistics – stayed on track late last year despite COVID-19 complications, financial filings show.
February 2, 2021
By Editorial Staff
Last week, the Solid Waste Association of North America held its annual Wastecon event online. Not surprisingly, much of the talk during virtual sessions focused on the pandemic. But other topics got their due as well.
January 28, 2021
By Jared Paben
Strong demand for used electronics is helping to drive growth for a reuse-focused Texas processor.
January 21, 2021
By Jared Paben
The coronavirus forced many organizations to sideline IT refresh projects in 2020, but enterprise representatives say they expect to get back into the asset disposition game in 2021.
January 19, 2021
By Jared Paben
Glass bottle manufacturer Owens-Illinois has fired up a formerly idled furnace at its Waco, Texas plant, citing increased demand for alcoholic-beverage bottles as a result of the pandemic.
January 19, 2021
By Colin Staub
A driver shortage that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to create challenges for moving recyclables this year, analysts say.
December 23, 2020
By Colin Staub
A confluence of RPET market disruptions in 2020 included low prime plastic pricing and supply challenges that led end users to seek feedstock from other sources. Still, experts maintain a surge of RPET demand is fast approaching.
December 15, 2020
By Jared Paben
Over $850 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds flowed to MRF operators and recyclables trading companies this year, according to data released following a court order.
December 10, 2020
By Jared Paben
Pandemic-related collection closures conspired with a continually changing electronics stream to curtail e-scrap collections in Wisconsin during the last program year.
December 3, 2020
By Colin Staub
TES recently launched a device return program in collaboration with UPS, a response to office employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 19, 2020
By Jared Paben
Nearly half of large organizations have created job positions related to managing scrap electronics generated during the pandemic, according to a survey.
November 17, 2020
By Colin Staub
Nine Dragons is shifting toward recycled packaging at a U.S. mill, citing an “unprecedented” decline in demand for printing and writing paper. The company is just one of several paper producers responding to changing markets with mill conversions.
November 12, 2020
By Jared Paben
As the country gets closer to coronavirus vaccine approvals and distribution, recycling business managers may soon face a thorny question: whether to force employees to take the vaccine.
November 5, 2020
By Colin Staub
Processors were not alone in feeling supply and demand impacts from COVID-19. Their downstream partners were in a similar boat, as three smelting and refining experts explained during a presentation last week.
November 3, 2020
By Jared Paben
Processors say they’re seeing higher tonnages of aluminum and other valuable materials, as well as an HDPE price spike. But contamination and other complications persist.
October 29, 2020
By Jared Paben
Leaders at companies serving the enterprise sector say they are hearing requests for logistics help and refurbished products of all kinds. That’s keeping business steady even as some IT refresh projects are postponed.
October 21, 2020
By Colin Staub
In the U.S., the plastics recycling market has been largely dictated by pandemic-related collection and demand realities. Overseas, a recent Chinese move to restrict recycled plastic pellet imports is posing trade challenges.
October 20, 2020
By Colin Staub
The largest hauler in North America processed a record amount of recyclables in 2019, and it invested more than $100 million to improve its recycling infrastructure, according to its latest sustainability report.
September 22, 2020
By Colin Staub
Supply and demand realities for key curbside plastics are evolving fast during the coronavirus pandemic, and they’ve led one major plastics recycling company to adjust operationally.
September 22, 2020
By Colin Staub
Supply and demand realities for key curbside materials are evolving fast, impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, domestic processing capacity increases and other key trends, according to two experts.
September 17, 2020
By Colin Staub
Processors and state programs alike saw a lot less material this spring as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. But in the last couple months, inbound volumes have returned and surged in some cases. That fact has created new challenges.
September 2, 2020
By Jared Paben
COVID-19 and the related economic slowdowns have bruised the bottom line of a major RPET consumer, but other recycled-plastic-product makers have reported economic gains.
September 1, 2020
By Colin Staub
OCC generation has shifted away from the commercial realm amid COVID-19, and tonnages might never go back. A paper association leader described that trend and what it means for the industry’s future.
August 27, 2020
By Jared Paben
The pandemic has forced the ITAD industry to adapt to survive. Experts from three processors recently described that sudden evolution and what it means for the future of data destruction services.
August 25, 2020
By Colin Staub
Leaders from three municipal recycling programs of varying size, including the largest city in the U.S., say they are grappling with budget issues and making alterations to collection service as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
August 20, 2020
By Jared Paben
Funding from the Paycheck Protection Program helped numerous electronics recycling and repair companies through difficult times, including Virginia company C2 Management.
August 4, 2020
By Colin Staub
Recycled paper mill leaders recently weighed in on the factors behind market shifts, how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting generation and demand, and where markets are headed in the future.
August 4, 2020
By Jared Paben
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.
July 30, 2020
By Dan Leif
The coronavirus has forced e-scrap companies to navigate material supply shifts, tackle new safety concerns and confront wider economic uncertainty. Another complication to add to the list: certification audits.
July 27, 2020
By Colin Staub
Republic Services spent $34 million on equipment upgrades at its recycling facilities last year, and it closed 12 MRFs in a consolidation effort.
July 16, 2020
By Colin Staub
PC shipments were up almost 3% during the second quarter of the year compared with 2019. Analysis firm Gartner says the growth was driven by stores beginning to rebound from the first-quarter COVID-19 disruptions, as well as a significant increase in laptop sales.
July 14, 2020
By Colin Staub
Two large publicly held waste and recycling companies are taking in higher residential volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they say contamination has been flat. Recently, they’ve also started seeing critical upticks on the commercial side.
July 2, 2020
By Colin Staub
During a recent virtual meeting of e-scrap stakeholders, speakers offered a micro and macro look at how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the world of electronics recovery.
July 9, 2020
By Colin Staub
The coronavirus pandemic has strained e-scrap collection, but that’s opening the door to an alternative recovery system that minimizes contact between people.
June 30, 2020
By Colin Staub
Coronavirus infections among workers have caused a MRF to shutter and delayed collection of recyclables elsewhere. The federal government and one state are working to provide masks and funding to help programs cope.
June 24, 2020
By Colin Staub
A single-use plastic bag ban and reusable bag recycled-content mandate is back in force in California. The regulations had been temporarily lifted because of COVID-19.
June 24, 2020
By Colin Staub
An executive at KW Plastics recently described current market trends and how they’ve impacted scrap plastic prices.
June 24, 2020
By Clarissa Morawski and Samantha Millette
Health authorities say reusable packaging poses no more risk of spreading coronavirus than single-use packaging, but the plastics industry is still trying to use COVID-19 to derail progress on reducing single-use plastics.
June 23, 2020
By Colin Staub
Across the U.S., recycling conversations among elected officials are gaining momentum, suggesting 2020 could still be marked by laws related to materials recovery.
June 9, 2020
By Colin Staub
Three paper companies recently closed facilities that use recycled material. Two framed the shutdowns as part of longer-term “optimization” plans, and the third said it is a direct response to the COVID-19 impact on demand.
June 9, 2020
By Colin Staub
Container deposit programs are starting back up following their COVID-19 downtime. Equipment supplier Tomra offered a look at how the process is playing out in Connecticut.
June 3, 2020
By Colin Staub
Although they couldn’t meet in person, plastics recycling stakeholders still came together for the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) members meeting, which was held online for the first time.
May 28, 2020
By Jared Paben and Dan Leif
Rock-bottom virgin prices and manufacturing shutdowns tied to the coronavirus have put a significant squeeze on plastics recycling profits of late. Some operators, however, expect conditions to start improving soon.
May 27, 2020
By Colin Staub
It’s too early to say how big of a hole COVID-19 will punch in municipal budgets. But communities are already facing tough decisions about how to allocate limited resources, and in some cases, recycling isn’t making the cut.
May 27, 2020
By Jared Paben
A MRF serving Calgary is back at half-capacity after workers tested positive for the coronavirus, and a local program in Missouri is being put on hold as employees go into quarantine.
May 21, 2020
By Colin Staub
A company involved in data center and wireless provider decommissioning foresees a “new normal” of higher internet traffic after the pandemic ends. That means more equipment in these facilities and more opportunity in retiring those assets.
May 20, 2020
By Jared Paben
Coronavirus shutdown impacts have converged with low virgin plastic prices to spell significant struggles for European plastics reclaimers, according to a trade association.
May 19, 2020
By Colin Staub
The coronavirus pandemic has sharply diminished OCC collection from established commercial channels and some residential programs. An analyst describes how the virus hit the paper sector, and mill operators offer perspective on how they’re reacting.
May 19, 2020
By Colin Staub
A small manufacturer recently began using post-industrial materials to produce masks for the COVID-19 response.
May 13, 2020
By Colin Staub
Three major recycled plastic consumers recently reported their business performance during the first few months of 2020. They touched on COVID-19, recycled material costs and their outlook for the future.
May 12, 2020
By Jared Paben
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a fact sheet to help keep garbage and recycling industry workers safe during the pandemic.
May 7, 2020
By Jared Paben
IT asset managers should be ready for managing electronics that will no longer be needed when the coronavirus pandemic subsides and employees return to offices, according to an industry group.
May 7, 2020
By Colin Staub
Processors across the country are donating refurbished electronics to aid in the COVID-19 response. Companies are providing devices to hospitals, first responders, students and others.
May 7, 2020
By Jared Paben
A producer-backed group in the U.K. is providing interest-free loans and grants to help keep electronics recycling companies in business through the coronavirus pandemic.
May 6, 2020
By Jared Paben
Normally, NRT’s 3D printer is busy producing parts for optical sorters and other recycling machinery. But amid the pandemic, the company is also using the technology to make mask straps that help out health care workers.
May 5, 2020
By Colin Staub
The coronavirus pandemic has piled on top of existing plastics recycling market strife to cause pricing fluctuations and create uncertainty about how end users will meet their sustainability commitments.
May 5, 2020
By Jared Paben
Pandemic-prompted lockdowns have crippled tax revenues nationwide, sending municipal leaders scrambling to patch gaping budget holes. In many cases, recycling programs have been affected.
April 30, 2020
By Colin Staub
Phone manufacturers offer free repairs to frontline workers, and ventilator producers release resources helping third-party companies fix ventilators.
April 30, 2020
By Jared Paben
An economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus will translate to lower sales of new electronics this year, according to an industry group.
April 29, 2020
By Colin Staub and Jared Paben
The coronavirus has disrupted end markets for KW Plastics, moving demand away from industrial applications and toward packaging for essential products.
April 29, 2020
By Jared Paben
Post-industrial scrap plastic recycling company Mumford Industries is producing emergency ponchos to help protect health care workers from the coronavirus.
April 29, 2020
By Colin Staub
California’s single-use bag ban has been suspended for two months, with the governor citing coronavirus safety concerns. One plastics reclaimer said the move led to an immediate drop in PCR sales.
April 28, 2020
By Colin Staub
Recycling programs are reporting greater residential recycling generation in March, concurrent with stay-at-home orders issued nationwide. Stakeholders involved with local programs are also noting the shift away from commercial generation may carry major financial implications.
April 28, 2020
By Colin Staub
A handful of municipalities have reinstated curbside recycling programs that were suspended due to the coronavirus. Still, dozens of others that curtailed service remain shut down.
April 23, 2020
By Jared Paben
New York City has “indefinitely suspended” its curbside e-scrap collection program, a move expected to save the city about $3.4 million a year.
April 23, 2020
By Colin Staub
An Irish electronics recycling firm has converted its refurbishing line to focus on assembling ventilators. Meanwhile, the medical devices are drawing focus among right-to-repair advocates.
April 22, 2020
By Editorial Staff
Reclaimers and other processors across the country are looking to a federal assistance program to help them overcome cash-flow problems sparked by the coronavirus. Some have been successful, but others are running into banking complexities and tapped-out funding.
April 21, 2020
By Colin Staub
As the coronavirus impacts continue throughout the U.S., manufacturers are highlighting the importance of curbside recycling as a feedstock supply channel. Meanwhile, processors are seeing changes in demand for their material as consumer spending shifts.
April 21, 2020
By Jared Paben
The coronavirus pandemic has made clear the importance of having a contingency plan when the unexpected strikes recycling programs. A new tool from Ontario’s Continuous Improvement Fund helps municipalities develop such guidance.
April 21, 2020
By Dan Leif
Many recycling facilities track throughput, materials composition, contamination and other data points. One operator in the Northeast is now bringing meticulous measurement to social distancing.
April 16, 2020
By Jared Paben
At enterprises across North America, IT asset refresh projects are no longer a top priority. That has meant major volume drops for material processors, as well as painful staffing cuts in some cases.
April 16, 2020
By Jared Paben
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted worldwide supply and demand for new PCs, bringing both bad and good news for computer recyclers and refurbishers, according to Gartner.
April 15, 2020
By Jared Paben
The coronavirus has put a focus on the plastics used in the manufacture of gloves, masks and other types of personal protective equipment. KW Plastics will assist Troy University scientists who are studying the recycling of that material.
April 14, 2020
By Colin Staub
Stay-at-home orders are hitting container deposit systems hard, leading to significant declines in the volumes of high-quality recyclables moving to material processors.
April 14, 2020
By Sydney Harris and Scott Cassel, Product Stewardship Institute
Product stewardship proponents argue that rolling back policies on plastic bags and other single-use items in the name of public health will perpetuate harm to the environment and human health.
April 9, 2020
By Jared Paben
The coronavirus pandemic has led to major reductions in the collection of used consumer electronics across North America, with some e-scrap companies reporting volume drops up to 80%.
April 9, 2020
By Jared Paben and Colin Staub
E-scrap and ITAD processors nationwide are disinfecting surfaces, changing work stations, modifying the ways they take in material, and more. The goal is to limit employees’ potential contact with the coronavirus.
April 7, 2020
By Colin Staub
As the coronavirus continues to spread, recycling facilities are increasing distance between employees, sanitizing common areas and, in at least one case, halting the practice of punching in and out on a time clock.
April 7, 2020
By Dan Leif and Colin Staub
Occupational safety experts recently laid out the steps that are the most effective for preventing the spread of COVID-19 within waste and recycling operations.
April 7, 2020
By Jared Paben
Waste Management suspends sorting of residential materials at a handful of California MRFs, local governments around the country lay off workers, and the Canadian government readies help for beleaguered businesses.
March 31, 2020
By Colin Staub
Republic Services foresees major changes in the residential and commercial recycling landscape due to the coronavirus pandemic.
March 31, 2020
By Jared Paben
The bipartisan stimulus bill signed into law by President Trump last week includes hundreds of billions of dollars in assistance to small businesses.
March 31, 2020
By Jared Paben
Even as recycling companies adapt to keep their employees and businesses healthy, some are donating supplies to ensure healthcare workers are protected, as well.
March 26, 2020
By Jared Paben
E-scrap processors 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.
March 24, 2020
By Colin Staub
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.
March 24, 2020
By Colin Staub
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.
March 24, 2020
By Colin Staub
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.
March 24, 2020
By Jared Paben and Colin Staub
The coronavirus has prompted the closure of a state recycling association, and it spurred the Federal Reserve to encourage investors to continue lending to local governments.
March 19, 2020
By Colin Staub
The global escalation of COVID-19 is causing supplier and customer disruption for e-scrap processors, while on a wider scale it constrains global shipping, dents stock prices and threatens an economic recession.
March 17, 2020
By Dan Leif
The rapid spread of COVID-19 and Saudi Arabia’s decision to flood global oil markets underscore how economic uncertainty can challenge even well-prepared business leaders.
March 17, 2020
By Colin Staub
The global escalation of COVID-19 is hampering some North American recycling programs, impacting Chinese users of U.S. recovered fiber, constraining global shipping, denting stock prices and threatening an economic recession.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, numerous industry organizations have published resources about responding to the disruption. Our list will be updated as more guidance is made available.
