WWF found that 34% of members’ plastic footprint was recycled, 9% incinerated, 43% landfilled and 15% mismanaged. | Kraft74/Shutterstock
In 2021, major brands increased their use of recycled material and cut back on “problematic plastics,” but the amount of plastic they put on the market grew by over 5%, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Analysts speaking in a recent GAIA webinar said eco-modulated fees on packaging fail to incentivize reduction and reuse. | Photoeu/Shutterstock
As extended producer responsibility programs for packaging start to take hold in the U.S., many are looking to Europe for ideas. Several stakeholders in the decades-old French system shared some lessons they’ve learned, including that eco-modulated fees have not achieved their desired effect. Continue Reading
Experts from Italy and Canada offered advice on effective EPR, drawing from their experience with PROs in those countries. | Ole Photo/Shutterstock
When building a producer responsibility organization, fees should be transparent, the industry should be in control and the system needs to be fair. That’s what participants in a recent webinar said, noting there are different ways to achieve those ends. Continue Reading
Industry leaders oppose the European Commission’s proposed phase-out of plastics exports, arguing such a move would restrict trade. | European Parliament Multimedia Centre
A branch of the European Union wants to end all exports of recovered plastics within the next four years, a move that would undoubtedly disrupt trade with the U.S. One company leader suggested the impacts could hinge on what the EU decides to consider “waste.”
Singapore teaches some very young children how to recycle, and a U.K. group will collect hot-fill paper cups made with recyclability in mind. Continue Reading
A man is caught defrauding Germany’s bottle redemption program, and one California city mulls zoning changes targeting bottle redemption centers.
Dow will support both mechanical and chemical plastic recycling projects to pursue its sustainability goals. | Casimiro PT/Shutterstock
Dow has signed agreements to support a variety of recycling plant projects in the U.S. and Europe.
A European analysis shows 9 million metric tons of discarded plastic was collected for sorting, out of 30 million produced in 2021. | Muhammad Azman/Shutterstock
European plastic recyclers are struggling to get enough material, even as exports of plastics decline and values rise.
A recycling facility in West Babylon, N.Y. installed a large optical sorter that has increased OCC throughput and quality. | Courtesy of Van Dyk
Several materials recovery facilities across North America and the U.K. recently announced upgrades or other major projects. The initiatives include optical sorter installations targeting fiber and plastic, advanced artificial intelligence plans and more.
About 40% of the feedstock consumed by Constellium last year was scrap material. | pim pic/Shutterstock
Global aluminum manufacturer Constellium, which operates a large recycling site in Alabama, says it boosted the amount of production scrap it recycled last year.