Latest News

Product Care rebranding stewardship services

Product Care Association of Canada (PCA), a nonprofit offering stewardship services across nine Canadian provinces, is rebranding as Product Care Recycling, as of January 2019.

Why stop at plastic bags and straws? The case for a global treaty banning most single-use plastics

Feb. 7, 2019, The Conversation: "One attractive strategy is pursuing a legally binding phase-out of most single-use plastics at the global level.

Founders of plastic waste alliance investing billions in new plants

Jan. 21, 2019, The Guardian: "A majority of the firms which announced this week they were collaborating to try to help tackle plastic pollution are likely to be at the heart of a global boom in plastic production over the next 10 years.

Despite the crisis, don't lose faith in recycling

Feb. 23, 2019, Sydney Morning Herald: "China’s National Sword policy, last February, to restrict imports of some recyclables set off a chain reaction that exposed how vulnerable our system is, and should have delivered an important wake-up call to governments. Unfortunately, 12 months on, we are in the midst of another recycling crisis.

Oregon bottle deposit system hits 90%

January 18, 2019, Oregon Public Broadcasting: "Oregon’s bottle deposit system is recycling more containers than ever before despite major disruptions in global recycling markets. Last year, Oregon recycled 90% of the beverage containers covered by its bottle deposit system... from 64% just two years ago and the total number of bottles recycled reached an all-time high of 2 billion in 2018.

Industry-funded program increases recycling and frees up resources

"The city has seen a number of benefits from transitioning over to Recycle BC-managed collection. The financial burden for managing collection was relieved... the department was able to redirect staff and resources from recycling into other programs and expand services in litter, abandoned waste and street cleaning collection. Municipal officials no longer have to spend so much time worrying about the effects of global shifts on commodity values.

Washington Legislature begins January 14 and Oregon's begins Jan. 22, 2019

Washington's legislature will consider plastic packaging stewardship, paint stewardship, and right to repair (fair repair) legislation – watch the NWPSC's new video (YouTube) on the problem with plastic packaging and how EPR

EU agrees to unprecedented cuts to single-use plastics

Dec. 19, 2018 Zero Waste Europe: The European Union has agreed upon laws to slash single-use plastics, including bans on "single-use plastic cotton buds, straws, plates, cutlery, beverage stirrers, balloon sticks, oxo-degradable plastics, and expanded polystyrene food containers and beverage cups."

UK packaging producers to pay full recycling costs under waste scheme

Dec. 17, 2018 The Guardian: "Retailers and producers of packaging will be forced to pay the full cost of collecting and recycling it under the [UK] government’s new waste strategy...

The answer to plastic pollution is to not create waste in the first place

Dec. 26, 2018 The Guardian: "Even before China’s waste ban took effect, only 9% of plastic in the US was actually recycled. No matter how diligently Americans sort their plastic waste, there is just too much of it for the US, or any other country, to handle...

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