by jondabach | May 28, 2019 | Market Conditions, News Brief, Recycling, Shipping and Logistics
A two-week investigation of Malaysian imports revealed that U.S. shipments of scrap plastic may be getting into the country despite rigid import regulations designed to keep them out. Malaysia is one of many Asian countries following China’s lead in raising purity...
by jondabach | May 6, 2019 | Market Conditions, Recycling
Since 2018, recyclable solid waste (such as plastics and paper that had previously found a home in China) have been buried in landfills, incinerated, or dumped where they may end up in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the foods we eat. Although China’s...
by jondabach | Apr 22, 2019 | Market Conditions, Market Prices, Recycling, Sustainability
Ever since the industrial revolution and the end of World War II, American consumption has been increasing. Single use plastics, paper products, and glass have become more common, and even clothing has become quickly disposable, entering secondhand stores faster than...
by jondabach | Apr 8, 2019 | Market Conditions, Market Prices, Recycling
For the past few months, half of dutifully collected, rinsed, and sorted recyclables have not been recycled into new products as intended, but instead sent to incinerators and landfills. Well-meaning citizens of American cities continue to recycle with hopes that it...
by jondabach | Mar 11, 2019 | Market Conditions, Recycling, Sustainability
Plastics recycling is often lauded as a progressive step towards helping the environment. But there are underlying issues with plastics production, use, and recycling that are creating what is often referred to as “the Plastics Paradox.” The creation of plastics...