Multiple virgin plastics manufacturers recently purchased PET recycling operations, citing rising demand from brand owners looking to use recycled material.
Companies from throughout the plastics value chain have committed more than $1 billion to reduce plastic waste by improving waste management systems and cleaning up existing pollution.
RRS reviewed data from foam polystyrene plastic recycling programs in several communities that had received grants to target the material.
The numbers show a pattern of a sizable initial rise in foam collected per capita during the first year of the program, followed by more modest growth in subsequent years.
Programs built around multiple drop-off sites were able to collect more foam per capita than curbside programs or programs using a single drop-off site.
Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.
This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.
Envision Plastics has had success integrating marine plastics into the supply chain. But if more brand owners don’t step up to purchase the material, the whole effort may have to scale back, an executive at the reclaimer said.
Our monthly look at values for common post-consumer materials shows steadiness in plastics and rises in fiber, with some particularly notable jumps seen in old corrugated containers.
A business executive says his West Coast trash and recyclables company is prepared to bankroll a California ballot measure taking aim at single-use plastics.
The weight of plastic bottles collected for recycling continued to decrease in the U.S. in 2017, contributing to the third straight year of a declining recycling rate.
A major brand owner says it will be using 25 percent recycled plastic in the packaging for all of its U.S. products in three years.
Flexible packaging isn’t going away anytime soon, and an upcoming pilot project seeks to ensure it doesn’t go to landfill.
