Article discusses the challenges of recycling TetraPak food and drink containers due to the composite of paper, plastic, and aluminum; few recycling facilities can handle the containers; only 16% of beverage cartons recycled in the US; calls for legislators to incentivize use of more recyclable containers
April 29, 2021
US considers new chemical recycling legislation
US states Oklahoma and Arizona pass bills to support chemical recycling facilities; at the same time, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers whether to include chemical recycling in national recycling calculations
April 28, 2021
Survey gauges consumers’ interest in recyclable packaging
Boston Consulting Group survey interviews 15,000 consumers across Europe, North America, South America; finds consumer environmental awareness and preference for recyclable packaging unaffected by pandemic, young consumers willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, miseducation exists about real recycling rates
April 22, 2021
Studies investigate circular economy barriers, consumer perceptions
Recent set of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals review current barriers in flexible plastics to achieving circular economy, recommends regulatory policies be tailored to individual steps in supply chain; consumers easily confused by plastic waste management system, recycling processes, biodegradability claims; researchers instead propose food system shift towards decentralization, shorter supply chains
April 20, 2021
Australia releases National Plastic Plan
Australian government announces National Plastic Plan; outlines approaches to plastic recycling, replacing unnecessary plastics, reducing plastics’ impact on the environment; proposes investments in prevention, recycling, consumer education, research, and development
April 14, 2021
Waste Dive resource helps track US recycling policy
New webpage publishes overview tracking current bills affecting the recycling system under consideration by the United States Congress; provides overviews of ‘bills to watch’ and related developments
April 6, 2021
Report compares US state recycling rates
Ball Corporation commissioned report compares recycling rates across US states for rigid plastics, glass, aluminum and steel cans, and cardboard for 2018; best overall recycling rates found for Maine (72%); results based on multiple data sources including US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states, municipalities, waste processors; finds high recycling rates correlate with presence of deposit return systems, curb recycling, extended producer responsibility schemes
March 31, 2021
Greenpeace advocates reuse over plastic recycling
Greenpeace Switzerland publishes statement and report, criticizes increasing focus on plastic collection and recycling; argues this misleads consumers, hinders implementation of reuse and extended producer responsibility, recommends providing necessary infrastructure, adaptation of logistics, implementing reuse and return models
March 26, 2021
Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act reintroduced in US
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
March 24, 2021
France to harmonize packaging recycling labels
Ruling aims to simplify and harmonize labels placed on packaging within the country; plans to abolish “Green Dot” label and revise “Triman” label to provide specific sorting information to consumers; label guidelines to be released in second half of 2021, potentially come into force January 1, 2022
