Because of business and public drop-off site closures and public anxiety about virus transmission, e-scrap collections are down across North America. | Dan Leif/ Resource Recycling, Inc.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to major reductions in the collection of used consumer electronics across North America, with some recycling companies reporting volume drops up to 80%.
Boise’s EnergyBag program has explored a number of alternative processing options while awaiting Renewlogy’s upgrades. | Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
A program collecting hard-to-recycle plastics in Idaho’s largest city has been without a solid market for about a year since downstream outlet Renewlogy stopped accepting loads. After an equipment supply delay due to the coronavirus, the city now says this will continue at least through the summer.
The new effort will explore how PP packaging types that are not currently recycled could be in the future. | JohnKwan/Shutterstock
The Recycling Partnership is gearing up to launch the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition to develop holistic solutions for diverting the growing array of packaging made with No. 5 plastic.
When it comes to plastic bag legislation, 2017 may be the storm after the storm. After the high-profile battle over California’s statewide plastic bag ban, legislators in at least 16 states have introduced bills related to bags this year.
For years, Florida has prohibited local bans on plastic bags and EPS food-service products – or has it? A state judge recently ruled that the prohibition no longer applies and, in response, one city has passed a plastic bag ban.
California voters want a statewide ban on single-use plastics bags, and they’d like stores to keep the fees charged for paper and reusable bags, election results show.
A pair of bills in Massachusetts could have some impact on recovery. One mandates reductions in statewide per-capita waste generation and another requires state government offices to divert a host of materials.
