EverestLabs’s data suggests that 3.6 million tons of aluminum, PET, HDPE and PP are collected and sent to MRFs each year, but about 960,000 of those tons end up in the disposal stream. | Graham Corney/Shutterstock
Of the aluminum cans, PET, HDPE and PP that reach a MRF, 27% ends up still going to disposal, according to a recent report from Robotics supplier EverestLabs. Continue Reading
The study, conducted in fall 2022 and spring 2023, sorted samples from residential households, New York City Public Schools, the New York City Housing Authority and on-street litter baskets into 96 main categories. | Helen89/Shutterstock
A waste characterization study in New York City found that recycling rates for metal, glass, plastic and paper declined from previous study years. It also found capture rates decreased and contamination rates increased. Continue Reading
Panelist Rebecca Hu said during the session that AI is moving beyond robotics and the technology is on track to provide data and create partnerships that could improve the whole value chain. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
Artificial intelligence is a key element of increasing plastic recycling, panelists at the 2024 Plastics Recycling Conference in Grapevine, Texas, said last month. Continue Reading
The first packaging data reporting deadlines for extended producer responsibility programs will hit in 2025, but gathering the needed data will take time and help from up and down the value chain. | A9-STUDIO/Shutterstock
In about a year, companies will be required to start reporting various data under four different extended producer responsibility laws as well as some recycled content and labeling laws. Many are still not ready, industry stakeholders cautioned.
Experts in EPR compliance say the best time to prepare is right now, and there are resources that can help. | Konektus Photo/Shutterstock
The first packaging data reporting deadline for extended producer responsibility programs doesn’t come until 2025, which seems far in the future, but compliance experts are warning that companies should start the massive undertaking now.
Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Organization Circular Action Alliance released a needs assessment that lays out accepted recyclable lists, models the effects of several improvement scenarios and evaluates access to services and costs. | Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
In another step toward implementation of extended producer responsibility for packaging, Colorado regulators published a report laying out which materials would be covered and exploring different options for how the program could operate. Continue Reading
The study suggests over half of the 110 million metric tons of overall fiber that entered the waste stream went to landfill in 2019. | Janossy Gergely/Shutterstock
New research quantifies in greater detail the amount of fiber entering U.S. landfills each year. A lead author of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study said the findings highlight a huge opportunity for additional material recovery. Continue Reading
There were seven deaths in U.S. MRFs in 2022, up from four in 2021, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. | Jantsarik/Shutterstock
The number of worker fatalities in the recycling industry – both inside materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and in collection – increased in 2022, even as the rate of on-the-job collection worker deaths decreased. Continue Reading
U.S. states with container deposit programs have the highest recycling rates in the country, according to new research. | Aleks333/Shutterstock
A report from Eunomia Research and Consulting found that nine of the 10 states with the highest recycling rates have deposit return systems, and that bottle bill states also contribute a higher percentage of packaging that is recycled in the U.S. Continue Reading
Safi (formerly TrueCircle), provides an online platform for buying and selling recyclables. | Fizkes/Shutterstock
Online recyclables trading marketplace Safi began operating in the U.S. in recent weeks, seeking to digitize and streamline the process of moving bales from MRFs to processors. Continue Reading
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