U.S. exporters shipped 4.5 million short tons of recovered fiber from July through September. That’s the lowest third-quarter volume since 2006. | MAGNIFIER / Shutterstock
Overseas appetite for scrap plastic dwindled in the third quarter. On the domestic side, operators report stable movement for common curbside materials, although fiber pricing remains a challenge.
In Washington, D.C., the U.S. EPA will host an America Recycles Innovation Fair on Nov. 14. | Rob Crandall / Shutterstock
Companies, industry groups and government agencies are celebrating America Recycles Day on Nov. 15. The following are some of the events and announcements in the lead-up to the annual celebration. Continue Reading
The city of Boise rolled out the EnergyBag program in 2018. | Aleksandr Grechanyuk/Shutterstock
The Hefty EnergyBag program is collecting but not currently processing hard-to-recycle plastics in Boise, Idaho. The program’s downstream processor suspended EnergyBag processing earlier this year to install new equipment.
A recycling contamination education campaign is underway in Washington, D.C. | Andrei Medvedev/Shutterstock
The Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works will target film and other contaminants as part of a “Feet on the Street” campaign.
The “Recycle Right NC” campaign is centered on a social media effort. | shutteratakan/Shutterstock
The state of North Carolina and nearly 200 local governments have launched a 10-week recycling education campaign.
Los Alamos is known to many as the site of a major research center that has made some pivotal discoveries, including development of the atomic bomb. In some ways, its research facility also factors into the community’s diversion efforts.
Juri Freeman of Resource Recycling Systems (left) moderated a plastics-focused panel consisting of (from left to right) Michael Sangiacomo of Recology, Zeina El-Azzi of Brightmark Energy, Kate Bailey of Eco-Cycle and Tim Ponrathnam of Berry Global. | Resource Recycling Conference/Brian Adams Photography
Should some types of single-use plastic be banned? Or is infrastructure improvement a better answer to current plastic waste concerns? A varied group of industry leaders tackled those questions last week.
Residents of Petoskey, Mich. in Emmet County will benefit from a $1.8 million MRF upgrade. | Kenneth Sponsler/Shutterstock
A tight labor market, aging equipment, an evolving ton and difficult recyclables markets have spurred a Michigan county to upgrade its MRF. Robots are among the technologies to be installed.
Recycling programs have garnered media attention recently. | Atlaspix/Shutterstock
Recycling programs across the U.S. have made headlines lately for a variety of reasons, including a contract lawsuit, planned facilities and contract awards. The following are summaries of several recent happenings:
Colorado has about a 30% recycling rate for glass. | Herlanzer/Shutterstock
A pilot project led by Colorado’s state recycling association revealed a number of impediments businesses in the region face when it comes to glass recycling. The group also suggested some solutions.