Much has been said recently regarding the recycling commodity markets. It is common knowledge now that China shut their borders to all recyclable mixed paper and low grade plastics in January of 2018, and lowered contamination levels to almost unachievable levels on cardboard. Since then it has become considerably more difficult to market recyclables. And...Continue Reading

Life in America certainly hasn’t been boring these last few years. It’s become hard to predict what the future has in store, and a lot of industries are a little unstable right now. Metal recycling is no exception. Consumers and businesses who drop off their scrap at the local recycler may notice the prices they’re...Continue Reading

Quick: does April 22nd mean anything to you? If the date doesn’t sound significant, you’re not alone. Earth Day is held on April 22nd every year, although it’s unlikely that many Americans have committed that fact to memory. It’s not a holiday in the traditional sense; mail delivery continues as usual and kids don’t get...Continue Reading

Is the recycling industry coming to an end? Why all this talk? For the past few years you may have noticed any number of media articles addressing the downturn of the recycling markets. Some have even gone so far as to state that recycling is coming to an end.  Is the recycling industry, something that...Continue Reading

Zero Waste is a term used by many environmentalists to describe the perfect solid waste / recycling scenario. Zero Waste is achieved when virtually no waste goes to landfills, with waste elimination, reuse, or recycling taking priority. Unfortunately, 2018 has proven to be a case study as to why Zero Waste may be impossible to...Continue Reading

Although most Americans probably didn’t realize it, last month marked the beginning of a new era in the recycling industry. China’s “National Sword” policy, which was announced last year but went into effect on January 1st, has caused a ripple effect that’s already changing the way U.S. recyclers operate. The policy was enacted to put...Continue Reading

Although it may not be a hot enough story to make the nightly news, the polypropylene (PP) recycling process is evolving. That’s exciting, because any advances that allow us to improve the way we recycle this highly-prized resin are welcome. As environmentally conscious consumers ask companies to use more sustainable production methods, some of the world’s...Continue Reading

China’s recent ban on paper, plastics, and other items had stated a contamination threshold of just 0.3 percent. As most recycling industry executives would agree – this is not realistically obtainable. It looks like China has come to the same conclusion. Think about it – if you produce a 1,500 lb. bale of cardboard for...Continue Reading

China’s ban on paper, plastics and other items has the potential to impact not only the recycling industry, but also manufacturers, municipalities, and many other related industries. Obviously, the elimination of mixed paper will generate a massive oversupply of material on the market. Recycling is, and always will be, a supply and demand controlled market,...Continue Reading

There is much talk and speculation about how China’s ban on recycling imports, such as mixed paper, will affect markets and the recycling industry, not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Recyclers, material brokers, mill buyers, and others all have their opinion on how this will impact the industry. The problem is, it is all...Continue Reading