More honesty in recyclability labeling could save brands the trouble of going to court – without costing them much in sales. | Ivan Alex Burchak/Shutterstock
After Keurig Green Mountain reached a class-action settlement in a case concerning the company’s K-Cup recyclability claims, the plaintiffs anticipated the brand owner would end up paying consumers $1.25 million.
The multifaceted recycling company posted an increase in sales but a decrease in income, due to an increased cost of sales and higher operating expenses. | Gonzo/Shutterstock
TerraCycle US’s total sales surged last year, with a particular improvement in the sales of recycled plastics and other materials. Continue Reading
The Circular Action Alliance will coordinate producer responsibility efforts around the recovery of paper and plastic packaging in Colorado. | Konektus Photo/Shutterstock
In a big step toward implementing one of the nation’s first extended producer responsibility programs for packaging, Colorado selected Circular Action Alliance as its producer responsibility organization. Continue Reading
Most beverage brands failed to meet CalRecycle’s requirements for post-consumer resin use or didn’t report to the regulator at all. | Noom CPK/Shutterstock
Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo and other big beverage brands achieved California’s mandate to use 15% post-consumer resin in their bottles last year, but the list of smaller brands that failed to hit the target – or even report data to the state – stretches over 500 companies long. Continue Reading
The estimate was derived using data from the U.S. EPA and industry associations APR and NAPCOR. | Photka/Shutterstock
A report from the U.S. Plastics Pact found a national recycling rate of 13.3% for plastic packaging and an overall potentially recyclable, reusable or compostable rate of 36% for Pact members.
Small plastic items such as travel shampoo bottles often cannot be processed at MRFs. | Kris Black/Shutterstock
Five brands have partnered with a nonprofit and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to find a way to keep small plastic items in the recycling stream.
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The revised lawsuit comes after an Illinois judge in September 2022 threw out many of plaintiff Devon Curtis’ claims. | Tiko Aramyan/Shutterstock
A Chicago resident has filed an amended lawsuit against 7-Eleven, arguing that some of the company’s “recyclable” labeling is deceptive because the products lack resin identification codes. Continue Reading
Leaders with Hillenbrand discussed the company’s ESG efforts, including a recycling equipment manufacturer acquisition. | d.ee_angelo/Shutterstock
Sustainability and environmental, social and governance plans are typically multifaceted, but a recent acquisition by Hillenbrand brought recycling to the forefront for the manufacturing conglomerate.
7-Eleven faces a lawsuit challenging recyclability claims on the company’s “24/7” brand foam plates, cups and freezer bags. | Sorbis/Shuttertstock
Brand owners can label products as recyclable even if local residential recycling programs don’t want them, because reasonable consumers wouldn’t assume the word “recyclable” means there are local facilities that accept the material, a federal judge decided.
Thermoforms such as those shown here often contain post-consumer material from bottles, but a California bill would require post-consumer thermoforms to be used in production of new thermoforms. | Anakumka/Shutterstock
Current debate over a California bill requiring PET thermoforms to contain recycled PET derived from thermoforms boils down to one question: What will MRFs do?