Recycling has many positive environmental impacts such as reducing pollution and reducing the need for brand-new materials. Recycling goes far beyond the environmental benefits, though. Recycling creates many positive impacts on communities and those who live in them for several reasons including health benefits, savings, and creating jobs to help stimulate the economy. With all […]

In the US, we often throw all of our recycling in one bin and put it out on our curbs to be picked up. In other countries, though, recycling is picked up in different ways, but which way is the correct way to recycle? Recycling is often seen as a very straightforward process: you place […]

November 15th is National Recycling Day, also known as America Recycles Day, which is a day that celebrates and recognizes efforts across the country. This is a day for not only participating in recycling but also educating on the importance of recycling and what can and cannot be recycled. This day is a time for […]

Last month, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy announced that Massachusetts was going to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic water bottles under 21 ounces, being the first state to do so [1]. While many cities and municipalities have banned other types of single-use plastics like shopping bags and straws, this would be the first […]

Reducing Plastic Pellet Loss Even though plastics have a lot of sustainability benefits, they are often seen as the enemy in the sustainability story. One big reason for that is how much plastics end up back in the environment [1]. With photos circulating the internet of animals ingesting bottle caps and soda can rings floating […]

A new campaign to show the positive impacts of recycling! Last month, the Plastics Industry Association launched the new “Recycling is Real” campaign defending and promoting plastic recycling across the country [1]. Recently, there have been many campaigns and groups that have been attacking plastics recycling, ignoring that plastics and plastics recycling play a key […]

Companies and businesses have been looking to cancel out their emissions, and often look towards carbon offsetting. The idea of carbon offsetting is that any carbon-emitting process can be offset by paying someone else to do so [1]. This can include reforestation, renewable energy projects, carbon capture and storage, and energy efficiency initiatives to name […]

As sustainability has become a growing concern to consumers and stakeholders, demand for reporting sustainability information has grown in recent years. While many companies voluntarily report their sustainability information, some choose not to, and there isn’t much consistency in what is reported between companies. Due to this, the European Union adopted the Non-Financial Reporting Directive […]

How do Plastics Play a Role in Everyday Life? Back in March of 2022, representatives from UN Member States supported a treaty to end plastic pollution globally, which is to be created by 2024 [1]. To create this treaty, members have been coming together to negotiate, including a meeting in Paris in June [2], but […]

Since 2017, 24 states have passed legislation focusing on increasing advanced recycling infrastructure in those respective states [1]. Advanced recycling, also known as chemical recycling, has been thought to help fix the recycling problems in the country [2]. In contrast to mechanical recycling which is our current system, advanced recycling can handle contamination and lower […]

What are the effects of this ban? Back in December of 2022, Canada’s ban on single-use plastics began as part of their plan to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030, including the manufacture, import, sale, and export of many single-use items [1]. This ban restricts the production of many single-use plastics that fall under six […]

As sustainability is growing in importance to consumers, compostable plastic packaging has gained popularity in recent years. This compostable packaging is made with bio-based materials, having the ability to break down and create nutrient-rich soil [1]. Compostable packaging does have its benefits: just like with recycling, it can decrease the waste that ends up in […]

Unveiling the Hidden Truths of Other Wastes Sustainability has become more important to consumers and businesses, especially since the pandemic [1], as 75% of consumers in a Boston Consulting Group study say they consider sustainability an important part of what they buy [2]. With that in mind, consumers must know as much as possible when […]

Plastic recycling in the US needs a boost as it has one of the lowest recycling rates among developed nations. One reason that would explain this occurrence is the lack of knowledge on what plastics are recyclable and which ones are not. If the stream contains any items that aren’t recyclable, then it becomes contaminated, […]

How can MRFs help plastic recovery rates Recently, more states and cities have been looking to increase recycled content in plastic products to lessen the need for virgin material. To do this, though, there needs to be enough material to fulfill this increased demand. Recovery rates of plastic are very low, only about 28% [1] […]

Updates on New Federal and State Regulations Recycling has been an issue in the US for a long time which is reflected in the low recycling rates. Due to this, state and federal governments have been working on legislation to try and boost recycling rates. Along with boosting recycling rates, state governments have also been […]

Why has recycled content become more important, and what are we doing to meet those goals? By: Catherine Haub Flimsy plastic packaging seems to be a thing of the past due to its low recyclability, and many are switching to other options such as PET that are just as effective as flexible materials but are […]

Looking into ways to reduce emissions. By Catherine Haub With sustainability at the forefront of many consumers’ minds, businesses are working towards changing their operations to reduce their negative impact on the planet, and a way of doing so is by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There are several ways to do this, such as taking […]

What caused these kits to grow, and how to make them better! 2020 was a year of change: from working in the office to working from home, wearing masks when going to the store, and restaurants only being accessible via drive thru or delivery. 2020 also saw many new trends arise, including the famous whipped […]

Recently, more states and countries are requiring recycled content in plastic packaging to reduce plastics’ environmental impact. This is very important as we want plastics to be a part of a circular economy, but how do we ensure that the claims about recycled content in products are real? Greenwashing is a common tactic used by […]

Why is the bottle bill important? By Catherine Haub As we know, recycling in America isn’t pretty; many flaws within the system lead to the country having extremely low recycling rates. This is an indicator that something needs to change, but there hasn’t been action to do so. The US is currently last when it […]

What we Achieved this Past Year, and What our Goals are for the Future By: Catherine Haub This past year, we released our first-ever sustainability to showcase what we have been able to accomplish this year and what our goals are for the upcoming year. In this article, we will go through the different parts […]

By: Catherine Haub One important factor to determine the sustainability of a product is the effects of product manufacturing on the planet, meaning what comes from the manufacturing process affects the product’s sustainability. With this in mind, it is key to find ways to lower the environmental impact of the manufacturing process. There are many […]

How to Track Your Impact By Catherine Haub As sustainability is becoming more of a factor when it comes to purchasing an item, it is important to know what impact your product has on the environment as a study shows that 78% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product that is labeled as […]

Introducing Circular Plastics By: Catherine Haub New Year means new terminology! As we move towards the future, some things are better left in the past. The term “single-use plastic” is used broadly to define plastics as a whole, but it sheds a bad light on recyclable plastics! As we move towards a more circular economy, […]

Could this be the solution to the plastic pollution problem? Recycling plastic is a complicated process due to the different kinds of plastic and how they all can’t simply go into a recycling bin. Wouldn’t it be a lot easier if we threw every piece of plastic into a recycling bin and did not have […]