Category Archives: Market Prices

Has the Cardboard Recycling Industry Fallen Flat?

Along with plastics and paper products, the demand for imports of old, corrugated cardboard (OCC/Containerboard) from the U.S. has continued to decrease this past year following import policy changes in China and other major buyers. Although the Chinese government has issued imports for more than 5.5 million tons of OCC this year, import permits do…
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Are Indonesia’s New RCP Import Requirements Breaking the Bale?

Recycling industry stakeholders have held their breath as new import bans and restrictions for scrap have gone into effect in major markets. The Indonesian government’s 0.5% contamination limit and policy to inspect 100% of incoming bale shipments of recovered paper (RCP) imports was to go into effect at the beginning of April. (more…)
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Will Recycling Burn Out For Good?

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 it can be sold. (more…)
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Reduce, Reuse, and Incinerate?

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 will help the health of the planet and public, unaware that recyclables may actually…
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