Topics
chemical recycling
March 26, 2021
Updated version of bill continues to plan for nationwide extended producer responsibility scheme, minimum recycled content limits, deposit system, single-use plastic bans; new focus on promoting refillable containers, establishing three-year stop on construction of new plastic and chemical recycling facilities
Reading time: 2 minutes
February 12, 2021
Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) recommends 13 key investments for US federal action; includes funding for multi re-use facility infrastructure, Environmental Protection Agency , research, government, and educational institutions; discourages further investments in chemical recycling, waste-to-energy/fuel technologies, carbon sequestration, downcycling, production, distribution and export of plastics
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 6, 2021
The European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem) publishes an updated version of sustainable plastics report; discuss challenges, scope, technical readiness, and impact; many projects still in the pilot or research stage
Reading time: 1 minute
December 14, 2020
Rethink Plastic Alliance reviewing four commonly cited life cycle assessments (LCAs) on chemical recycling; report identifies undisclosed data, flawed assumptions, questionable accounting methods; suggests LCAs should not be used for public communication or as the basis for political decision making or investment decisions, should be improved to be “more independent,” “transparent,” “comprehensive”
Topics: chemical recycling, LCA
Reading time: 3 minutes
December 9, 2020
Investigates technologies within three categories for plastic recycling; identifies concerns regarding substantial energy use, waste plastic input quality, presence of hazardous chemicals; recommends lack of data transparency be urgently addressed before further investments are made
Topics: chemical recycling
Reading time: 2 minutes
November 23, 2020
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets target national recycling rate of 50% by 2030; stakeholders identify recycling data gaps as key limitation; call for new national standards and legislation improving reporting, use of recycled content; upcoming changes in government administration create uncertainty
Reading time: 4 minutes
November 11, 2020
Article in peer-reviewed journal provides thorough overview of mechanical recycling processes by polymer, discusses chemical additives used; concludes mechanical recycling will remain most effective method to recycle plastics
Reading time: 2 minutes
October 16, 2020
Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) article reports on significant investments being made across the plastics supply chain to scale up chemical recycling technologies, growing skepticism from critics not convinced of the technologies’ viability and unwilling to support expanded use of plastics
Topics: chemical recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
September 18, 2020
Organization reviews current chemical recycling projects, finds less than half are plastic-to-plastic recycling, none likely to become viable; criticizes labeling waste- and plastic-to-fuel technologies as ‘chemical recycling’, describes it as misleading for governments, investors and the public
Topics: chemical recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
August 25, 2020
Plastics Circularity Multiplier conference presenting Horizon 2020-funded circular economy projects to take place online on October 14-16, 2020; webinars free of charge, additional registration to open soon
Reading time: 1 minute
