Author: Emer Moreau

IRELAND’S RECYCLING RATE has fallen by four per cent in a year, with the level of plastics recycling still significantly behind 2025 targets. New figures published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that there are high levels of glass (84%) and paper/cardboard (73%) recycling, but plastic is more frequently thrown out.

Author: Caroline O'Doherty

More plastics than ever are being disposed of by incineration as Ireland’s recycling efforts dip. Just 28pc of plastic bottles, containers and wrappings are recycled according to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The remaining 72pc – almost 350,000 tonnes of plastic - is burned in incinerators along with non-recyclable waste, and that figure is growing. “Plastics present a serious challenge,” the EPA warned.

Author: Jared Paben

Recycled plastics prices are at their lowest levels in some time, putting significant strain on material processors. Meanwhile, some resin buyers are abandoning PCR to purchase virgin plastic instead.  The lower prices can be seen in the scrap bale market and, to varying degrees, in the recycled resin market. 

Author: MRW Reporter

The plastic packaging tax raised more than £40m more than expected during its first financial year, raising £276m for the Treasury. Data from HM Revenue & Customs has shown that, as of 8 August, there were 4,142 businesses registered for the tax, which is levied on manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging components which contain less than 30% recycled plastic.

Author: Jessica Roy

The goals of

Senate Bill 270, the so-called plastic bag ban, spoke to the “three Rs” of waste reduction: Reduce the number of plastic bags Californians use, reuse the ones they receive, and recycle them once their useful life has ceased (the bags, not the Californians). The thin plastic bags that used to line every bathroom trash can and litter box in California were and are made of low-density polyethylene, or LDPE. More than 30billion of those single-use plastic carryout bags used to be distributed across California every year.

Author: Pat Rizzuto

EPA regulations to control health risks from chemicals made with waste plastic are colliding against concerns about greenwashing and desires to protect people who could disproportionately face injuries. Trade associations, 15 Democratic attorneys general, and environmental groups have recently submitted comments criticizing a package of regulations (RIN: 2070-AB27) that the Environmental Protection Agency proposed in June.

Author: Paul Sanderson

Exports were up in June 2023 reaching 25,351 tonnes compared to 23,031 tonnes in May. Incredibly, this made it the best month since April 2021 when 47,850 tonnes was exported. Although EU exports were broadly stable, there was an increase to Turkey, Malaysia and Vietnam that helped the growth.

Author: Jared Paben

Exports of recovered plastics fell during the first six months of 2023, newly released federal trade statistics show. The Census Bureau recently published data for June exports, allowing Plastics Recycling Update to compare statistics from the first half of 2023 to those from the prior year.

Author: Paula Santos Ferreira

A town near Luxembourg’s border with France has been accumulating tonnes of illegal waste for the past four years, a pressure group has said, echoing previous concerns from locals that polluters from the Grand Duchy and Belgium nip across the border to dispose of unwanted stuff. More than 250 tonnes of industrial waste, household waste and rubble have been dumped at Redange since 2019, just a few kilometres from Belval, the citizens' rights group “Colletif citoyen: j'aime la forêt” told media outlet Contacto last week.

Author: Exxon KNews

The eyes of the world are on Maui, now the site of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. As of this writing, nearly 100 people have been killed in the fires — but officials fear that number will likely be much higher in the coming days. For years, Maui officials have been sounding the alarm about the impact of climate change on their communities and fighting in court to hold polluters accountable for making such devastation all the more likely.

Author: Okechukwu Nnodim

The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, an international network working towards a waste-free world without incineration, has called on the Nigerian government to ban single-use plastics in order to effectively reduce the rise in plastic pollution. It made the call in Abuja during the INC-2 stakeholders engagement workshop that involved the Federal Ministry of Environment and operators in the sector. INC is the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution under the United Nations Environment Programme. Its focus is to help manage the full life cycle of plastics, including their production, design and disposal.

Author: Hurriyet Daily News

Numerous instances of negligence frequently result in fires at recycling facilities across the nation, an expert has warned, highlighting the dangers associated with it and lack of deterrent measures that are necessary to curb the problem. Associate Professor Sedat Gündoğdu, a faculty member at Çukurova University, gave insights to local media about the causes of recently increasing fires in recycling facilities, the measures to be taken and possible penalties.

Author: Joseph Winters

Last month, the American Chemistry Council, a petrochemical industry trade group, sent out a newsletter highlighting a major new report on what it presented as a promising solution to the plastic pollution crisis: using “recycled” plastic in construction materials. At first blush, it might seem like a pretty good idea — shred discarded plastic into tiny pieces and you can reprocess it into everything from roads and bridges to railroad ties. Many test projects have been completed in recent years, with proponents touting them as a convenient way to divert plastic waste from landfills while also making infrastructure lighter, more rot-resistant, or, ostensibly, more durable.

Author: Stephen Lang

A major fire today completely destroyed the sorting plant for lightweight packaging from the dual system in Dresden. As the disposal company Veolia reported on request, the fire broke out shortly after midnight for an unknown reason. The building is in danger of collapsing and the damage to property cannot yet be estimated. The Dresden fire brigade is on duty with around 100 people. There were several vehicles and machines in the hall. Within a very short time, the flames broke through the roof of the hall. "Several explosions could also be heard," said the fire department. The main goal of the emergency services is to prevent the spread to neighboring buildings.

Author: PressPacs

Everywhere scientists look for microplastics, they’ve found them — food, water, air and some parts of the human body. But examinations of our innermost organs that aren’t directly exposed to the environment are still limited. Now, in a pilot study of people who underwent heart surgery, researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology report that they have found microplastics in many heart tissues. They also report evidence suggesting that microplastics were unexpectedly introduced during the procedures.