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.
India, Mexico and Vietnam are still the top three destinations for U.S. OCC and paper in the first quarter of 2022. | Siwakorn1933/Shutterstock
U.S. exports of recovered fiber held relatively steady during the first quarter of 2022, but scrap plastic shipments plunged by more than one-fifth. Continue Reading
Timeline final update: March 22, 2022
Census Bureau data shows U.S. companies exported nearly 18 million short tons of recovered fiber in 2021, up 13% from the year prior. | DifferR/Shutterstock
Scrap fiber exports to China collapsed in 2021, but the rest of the world more than made up the difference. Scrap plastics, however, continued their years-long decline in shipments.
Celadon’s 335,000-square-foot Chesapeake, Va. facility is anticipated to be up and running by 2024. | Tudoran Andrei/Shutterstock
Celadon Development Corporation announced plans to expand its North American footprint with a recycling and production facility in Virginia to export recycled pulp to China.
U.S. fiber exports totaled 4.38 million short tons during the third quarter, up from 4.30 million in 2020. | Avigator Fortuner/Shutterstock
The third quarter of the year brought a resilient recovered fiber export market, even as the largest overseas buyer virtually disappeared. Meanwhile, scrap plastic exports continued a precipitous decline.
Global shipping constraints are impacting recovered commodities traders in unique ways. | Creativa Images / Shutterstock
Strife in the global shipping sector continues to impact North American recycling, with companies experiencing higher rates as well as decreased shipping availability and reliability.
Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would classify mixed plastics that are generated in California and exported from the U.S. as “disposal” rather than “recycling.” | Sumrit Tesrumphun/Shutterstock
California lawmakers have approved a bill that would no longer allow scrap plastic that is exported to be considered recycled. The legislation now heads to the governor for final consideration.
