Envision Plastics has had success integrating marine plastics into the supply chain. But if more brand owners don’t step up to purchase the material, the whole effort may have to scale back, an executive at the reclaimer said.

Reidsville, N.C.-headquartered Envision Plastics has processed millions of pounds of plastic at risk of entering the Caribbean Sea, calling the recycled resin OceanBound Plastic.

Companies from throughout the plastics value chain have committed more than $1 billion to reduce plastic waste by improving waste management systems and cleaning up existing pollution.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste will focus its significant resources on developing waste collection infrastructure, innovating in recycling and product design, educating consumers about waste, and cleaning up plastic in the environment.

When the city of Seattle recently put out an RFP for a 10-year hauling contract, it included a noteworthy request: primary fleets that leverage energy-saving fuel sources. 

Over 32,000 used milk cartons were thrown away each year at Silverton Middle School, the equivalent of 25 cubic yards of trash.

At Scotts Mills School, about 477 gallons of milk were poured down the drain each year.

By replacing milk cartons with milk dispensers and washable cups, the schools in the Silverton School District produce a fraction of the trash they once did. 

With a $76,000 grant, Marion County will roll out similar waste reduction programs at schools throughout the county over the next two years

Phoenix has plans to upgrade equipment at one of its recycling facilities to adapt to market changes, and hopefully get more recyclables back out of the landfill. “Most of the United States and Europe over the last 30 years have developed a recycling system based on the fact that China has been the country that has bought most of these recyclables,” said Joe Giudice, assistant Public Works director for Phoenix. “The market shifted when they changed policy, so we are all in a position where we are responding to the new market signals.”

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Washington, has announced some items that top its 2019 advocacy priority list.

Rob Watson, who founded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard, began developing a new standard that aims to push the solid waste industry toward sustainability.

The Solid Waste Environmental Excellence Protocol (SWEEP) is a market transformation standard that will identify and reward public and private sector leaders in sustainable materials management, similar to what LEED did for buildings.