Tag: plastic

February 3, 2020

U.S. plastic bag manufacturers and recyclers have signed a wide-ranging sustainability commitment for the industry and renamed their coalition the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance (ARPBA). The agreement by ARPBA members includes a target that 95 percent of plastic retail […]

January 22, 2020

In a new five-year plan, China is taking major steps to rid the nation of single-use plastic waste. On January 19, China announced its plan to ban single-use plastics across the country. The joint proposal from China’s National Development and […]

January 6, 2020

As debates around plastic pollution continue to grow, Plastics News points out that an underlying question for 2020 will be how to pay for the recycling infrastructure that industry, environmental groups and governments all say is needed. The op-ed points […]

January 2, 2020

As of January 1, Seattle Public Utilities and King County, Wash., Solid Waste are no longer accepting plastic bags or films in residential curbside recycling bins. Residents, instead, are asked to bundle thin plastic materials at home and then take […]

December 13, 2019

The 2,000-foot-long floating tube that skims the ocean’s surface to collect plastic pollution has returned after weeks navigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Fast Company reports that after months of “research, failures and reconfigurations,” The Ocean Cleanup’s device brought back […]

October 22, 2019

The city of Los Angeles is piloting a project that will use recycled plastic as a key ingredient in city roads. The city is using technology from TechniSoil and will test the method on First Street and Grand Avenue to […]

October 1, 2019

Minderoo Foundation, a global philanthropic organization, announced a $300 million commitment to a new industry-focused initiative to end worldwide plastic waste. The initiative, called “Sea The Future,” is projected to raise in excess of $20 billion annually for global recycling, […]

September 13, 2019

PepsiCo, Inc. announced a new target to reduce 35 percent of virgin plastic content across its beverage portfolio by 2025, which equates to the elimination of 2.5 million metric tons of cumulative virgin plastic. Progress will be driven by the […]

September 5, 2019

In order for the state of Utah to break away from its reliance on plastic materials, it will take a collaborative effort among consumers, companies and lawmakers. That’s according to an ABC 4 report that breaks down plastic use statistics […]

September 4, 2019

The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) recently launched a partnership with UBQ Materials, an Israeli company that has developed a patented process to convert unsorted household waste into a plastic substitute that can be made into everyday goods. CVWMA […]

August 28, 2019

Pawtucket, R.I.-based toy manufacturer Hasbro, Inc. announced that beginning in 2020, it plans to start phasing out plastic from new product packaging, including plastic elements like polybags, elastic bands, shrink wrap, window sheets and blister packs. The company’s ambition is […]

August 12, 2019

The Marquette County, Mich., Solid Waste Authority recently authorized the construction of a new $6.3 million recycling facility, which will be funded with loans and a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. The facility will […]

July 29, 2019

James Beard, Recycling Services Manager at outsourced recycling and resource management services firm, Valpak, has helped bag six tonnes of waste from the most densely-polluted beach in the world, and concluded that prevention is the only viable option to halt […]

July 22, 2019

In a letter to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) earlier this month, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler requested that the nations buying U.S. recyclables refrain from implementing trade restrictions outlined in the Basel Convention. […]

July 10, 2019

It’s hard to forget the image of a sea turtle with a plastic straw lodged up its nostril or the young whale found dead in the Philippines after consuming 88 pounds of plastic. As difficult as those images are to […]

June 28, 2019

Twenty-seven organizations have called for urgent government action to help deal with the global plastic problem. The industry-led Recycle More Bags coalition proposes using legislative action and procurement policy to drive demand for a minimum of 20 percent post-consumer recycled […]

May 23, 2019

As part of its closed loop philosophy, CarbonLITE Industries, a global recycler and producer of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET), is launching a new category: 100 percent post-consumer, ocean-diverted plastic. CarbonLITE’s newest offering will replace virgin materials for food, beverage […]

April 25, 2019

For the fourth consecutive month, U.S. exports of scrap paper and plastic continued to decline in February. U.S. Department of Commerce numbers show that exporters shipped 1.5 million short tons of recovered fiber in February, down from 1.6 million short […]

April 24, 2019

HP Inc. announced a $2 million investment to expand its ocean-bound plastic supply chain. The company will build a new plastic washing line in Haiti that will allow it to produce cleaner, higher quality recycled plastic locally for use in […]

April 12, 2019

Alabama’s Senate Governmental Affairs Committee recently voted to move forward with legislation that would prohibit cities in the state from banning single-use plastics. Newsweek reports that the bill would stop local governments in Alabama from banning the use of plastic […]