The consumer recycling rate rose from the preceding three years, but industry association executives warned that the U.S. still has much work to be done to compete on a global level. | Ji Jinn/Shutterstock
Only 43% of aluminum cans shipped in the U.S. in 2023 were ultimately recycled, well below the 30-year average but slightly higher than in the previous three years, according to the most recent industry report. Continue Reading
Findings from the surveys showed that Americans lack knowledge on consumer batteries and confidence in the end result for their recyclable plastics. | Kinek00/Shutterstock
Fewer than half of respondents in a new WM recycling survey knew which household products contain lithium-ion batteries — an especially significant finding since fire is a huge safety concern for MRFs and is often caused by batteries. Continue Reading
Automation using AI, optical sorters and robotics can also help reduce compliance costs and improve revenue, AMP representatives said in a recent webinar. | Jantsarik/Shutterstock
MRFs looking to improve their profit and loss should consider automation, AMP representatives said in the third installment of the AMP Live Talks webinar series. Continue Reading
The Recycling Partnership and GreenBlue released new data highlighting recycling program acceptance data for 50 material types across the country. | Vladimir Badaev/Shutterstock
The Recycling Partnership and GreenBlue this week released new data highlighting recycling program acceptance rates for 50 different material types across the country – and they vowed to publish updated versions twice per year from now on. Continue Reading
Re-TRAC CEO Josh Reid explains why consistently collected, standardized data is vital for the recycling industry’s future. | Joyseulay/Shutterstock
With negative mainstream media coverage eroding public trust in recycling, now is the time to make changes, and an important piece of those improvements is accurate, standardized data collection.
Resourcify’s data platform shows users how sustainability initiatives can help save money and make processes more efficient. | Silvabom/Shutterstock
As environmental targets quickly approach, companies may struggle to understand their role in the broad field of sustainability and how to manage that role. But Germany-based waste management platform Resourcify can help, a company executive said in a recent interview. Continue Reading
Revising its past years of OCC recycling rates, Bloomberg Intelligence is now estimating rates of 63% in 2022 and 66% in 2023. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock
Bloomberg Intelligence has once again estimated a significantly lower OCC recycling rate than the paper manufacturing sector, and it revised past years’ rates with an updated methodology. Continue Reading
The DRS redemption rate decreases ranged from 1% to 4%, with only two states tallying increases. | Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock
New data from the Container Recycling Institute showed falling beverage container redemption rates in most states with deposit return systems in 2023, which advocates said shows the need to modernize aging systems.
Michigan is on track to achieve its goal of 30% recycling rate by 2029. | OnePhoto/Shutterstock
The recycling rate in Michigan reached a record high of 23% in 2023, keeping the state on track to achieve its goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029, according to a press release from the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Continue Reading
Oregon residents generated about 6.1 million tons of material in 2022, with 3.7 million tons going to landfills and incinerators and 2.4 million tons recovered. | JPL Designs/Shutterstock
The amount of material Oregonians disposed of in 2022 dropped significantly from the year before, but that was largely due to fewer building-destroying wildfires, according to the latest state Material Recovery and Waste Generation Rates report. Continue Reading