Readers in February were drawn to coverage of an upcoming MRF with a mixed-waste line, as well as stories exploring export trends, producer responsbility organization movement, California’s definition of “recyclable,” and responses to a recent report criticizing plastics recycling.
The list below shows our top stories published in February in terms of unique page views.
1 | Details on Oregon’s $150M trash-sorting MRF
An upcoming facility in Lane County, Oregon, will process mixed waste, commingled recyclables and organics and is projected to boost the county’s diversion rate by as much as 20 percentage points.
2 | Fiber exports drop 17%, plastic shipments hit record low
U.S. recovered paper exports in 2023 reached a 19-year low, driven by major multi-year declines in shipments into key overseas markets. Recovered plastic exports dropped slightly year over year, bringing a record low for another consecutive year.
3 | GreenDot ends North American operations, RLG shifts focus
Producer responsibility organization GreenDot has ceased operating in North America, citing a strategic alignment to focus on more mature regulatory markets.
4 | Stakeholders respond to California recyclability report
California regulators released a preliminary report on which commodities the state might consider recyclable, with promising results for many materials but a handful of low scores that drew criticism from manufacturers and others earlier this month.
5 | Report lays out recycling history, ‘fraud’
A new report, “The Fraud of Plastic Recycling,” argues there has been a “decades-long campaign of fraud and deception about the recyclability of plastics.” In response, recycling groups highlighted current plastics diversion successes and technology investments.
