Regulations that can change from hour to hour are causing headaches for buyers and sellers but could present opportunities should they remain in place. | aapsky/Shutterstock
After many weeks of shifting narratives and uncertainty, participants in recycled commodity markets are working to navigate the new tariff environment, in which buyers and sellers as well as customs officials struggle to align federal mandates with on-the-ground implementation. Continue Reading
Recovered material imports, like the 1 million tons of recovered fiber the U.S. brought in from Canada last year, appear to be tariff-exempt under a new executive order. | Pjhpix/Shutterstock
The U.S. tariff whirlwind continues this month: Many imports from Canada and Mexico, including those of recycled materials, had their tariffs suspended two days after they took effect last week, while previously announced tariffs on aluminum and steel from all countries are set to take effect Wednesday. Continue Reading
Some companies, including major material haulers, are taking a tempered view of the tariffs, especially given the amount of macroeconomic turmoil that has accompanied the past five years. | chuyuss/Shutterstock
Update: Most of the new tariffs on imports from both Mexico and Canada were paused until April 2, following executive orders President Donald Trump signed on March 6.
The Recycled Materials Association warned of potential “severe” disruption to the materials recovery sector after tariffs targeting the U.S.’s largest trading partners took effect March 4, bringing higher costs to import nearly all goods, including recycled commodities.
Owned by Chinese paper giant Nine Dragons, ND Paper cited growing demand for its products. | Courtesy of ND Paper
Illinois-headquartered ND Paper plans to restart a recycled paper machine at its Biron mill in central Wisconsin in the second half of 2025, citing growing demand for its packaging products. Continue Reading
Haulers reported a year of numerous mergers and acquisitions, and higher commodity values. | Sepp Photography/Shutterstock
Buoyed by rising commodity prices, the five largest publicly traded recycling companies posted overall revenue increases in 2024. Continue Reading
If domestic aluminum demand rises, used beverage cans could see a jump in commodity value. | Graham Corney/Shutterstock
New tariff actions targeting aluminum and steel imports could have near-term benefits for MRF operators if the actions spur additional demand for domestic-sourced commodities. But it’s the longer-term effects that are more concerning. Continue Reading
Ball Corporation plans to build a two-line can plant in Oregon and purchased an existing business in Florida. | Pimpic/Shutterstock
Ball Corporation is planning to build a two-line can plant in Oregon and acquired Florida Can Manufacturing, betting on future North American growth. Continue Reading
Two fiber companies recently announced they are moving away from established price indices. | Mark Agnor/Shutterstock
This story has been corrected.
Packaging Corporation of America will stop linking its customer agreements to third-party pricing indexes, becoming the second major packager to announce similar intentions due to frustration with the leading index. Continue Reading
The announced closures will reduce Greif’s overall containerboard capacity by 100,000 tons and its uncoated recycled paperboard capacity by 90,000 tons. | Safakcakir/Shutterstock
Greif is shutting down a recycled paperboard machine in Georgia and shuttering an uncoated recycled paperboard mill in Massachusetts, citing high operating costs and significant capital investment needs. Continue Reading
Experts from Bloomberg, TetraPak and more forecasted stable-to-higher box shipments and analyzed paper fiber recycling during a recent webinar. | Shu Ba/Shutterstock
Volumes of OCC and mixed paper are shifting with societal and economic trends, industry experts said during a paper industry update webinar presented by the Recycled Materials Association.