2017 brought the lowest volume of film recovered and sold since 2010. | taniascamera/Shutterstock
Non-bottle mixed plastics and film recycling have experienced their first major drops in a decade, two studies indicate. But amid the challenges, domestic use of both streams increased.
The average blended value for recyclables at U.S. MRFs was recently calculated at around $35 per ton. | hiv360/Shutterstock
Between overseas import restrictions, tariff impacts and domestic market volatility, an erratic environment has become the norm for recycling operators around North America.
Olympia, Wash. | Christoper Boswell/Shutterstock
The Pacific Northwest has been hit hard by market downturns, driving lawmakers in Washington state to order an examination of how the state can fortify regional end markets and processing capacity. That research is now public.
OCC prices have experienced a slight uptick lately, but mixed paper remains at rock-bottom values. Meanwhile, recovered PET and natural HDPE markets remain stronger.
Coca-Cola will help develop a $19 million plastics recycling facility in the Philippines, marking the company’s first recycling operation in Southeast Asia.
Governments, MRF operators, reclaimers and end users are calling for government regulation that requires recycled content in plastic bags.
U.S. recovered paper and plastic exports each grew slightly in April, hitting their largest monthly volumes so far in 2019.