Jenna Jambeck was the keynote at this year’s Resource Recycling Conference and Trade Show, held in late summer. | Resource Recycling Conference/Brian Adams Photography
The statistic has taken on almost household familiarity: 91% of plastic ever created has not been recycled, and a massive amount has become litter. Jenna Jambeck, a researcher who helped formulate that number, recently spoke about solutions to the pollution problem.
Experts say a deposit system for non-alcoholic beverage containers would complement a Canadian province’s curbside recycling system, by cutting costs and increasing the volume of material recycled each year.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will ban a number of single-use plastic products and will support establishing extended producer responsibility for plastic items.
Maine capitol building in Augusta.
The state of Maine has pledged to implement extended producer responsibility for packaging materials. Legislation will be proposed by the end of this year.
North Carolina capitol building in Raleigh.
Lawmakers in North Carolina are advancing a bill that would eliminate restrictions on disposing TVs and computer equipment.
With an overwhelming number of votes in favor, Vermont lawmakers have sent the governor a bill banning plastic bags, expanded polystyrene food service containers and plastic stir sticks.
A recycling expert has offered up criticisms of British Columbia’s extended producer responsibility system for printed paper and packaging.
Regulators have given final approval to a carpet stewardship roadmap in California, marking a milestone in an ongoing, years-long dispute with the carpet industry.
The Washington state capitol building in Olympia.
Lawmakers in Indiana and Washington are evaluating proposals that would shift end-of-life packaging management responsibilities from municipalities to product producers.