ISRI has partnered with the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) to provide tips to vehicle owners to fight against the epidemic of catalytic converter theft that continues amidst the high price of precious metals. In a press release the two organizations published March 18, they lay out the following tips: Engrave a marking in…
As of March 15, the United States Senate has confirmed 16 of President Joe Biden’s 23 Cabinet-level appointments, completing about 70% of the Cabinet confirmation process. Several of those Cabinet members will make decisions directly impacting the recycling industry in terms of policy, economics, strategy, and more. ISRI’s Adina Renee Adler, vice president of advocacy,…
As COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, employers—particularly employers of essential workers, like those in the recycling industry—are wondering about their role regarding the vaccines’ use. While businesses can and should create a culture of safety and ease the vaccination process for employees, they should also be aware of potential labor issues that can arise…
On March 8, CarbonLITE Holdings, which says it’s “the world’s largest recycler of plastic beverage bottles,” announced it had filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The action pertains to CarbonLITE’s three facilities in Riverside, Calif.; Dallas; and…
In a letter submitted March 8, ISRI provided feedback on measurement strategies for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed national recycling goal to attain a 50% recycling rate by 2030. Overall, ISRI supports the goal and believes it “may be attainable” with strong support and leadership from the EPA and from other recycling stakeholders. The…
On March 1, ISRI submitted reply comments to the Surface Transportation Board concerning its proposed new approach for considering class exemption and revocation issues. ISRI’s reply comments focus on “the incorrect, misleading, and self-serving assertions” railroad parties made, which ISRI argues mischaracterize the exemption revocation standard and precedent; seek to reverse the long-standing reliance by…
South Carolina is the latest state to pass a resolution to “recognize and commend” the recycling industry and its workers, joining Massachusetts, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Tennessee. On March 4, South Carolina’s state house passed House Bill 4026, recognizing the South Carolina Recyclers Association, the Carolina Recycling Association, ISRI, and the members of all three…
Los Angeles-based PreZero US completed its acquisition of Roplast Industries (Oroville, Calif.) in early March, taking another step toward its “primary business goal” of vertically integrating to “deliver closed loop solutions that support the circular economy,” the company announced in a release. Roplast, founded in 1989, manufactures polyethylene film and bags, including packaging bags and…
The deadline for ISRI’s Young Executive of the Year Award—an honor that will be conferred virtually at ISRI2021—has been extended from Feb. 26 to March 5. Selection committee members made the decision in light of difficulties caused by recent weather conditions throughout North America. ISRI’s Young Executives Council created the Young Executive of the Year…
Mark Rannie, Chairman of ISRI’s Tire and Rubber Division and vice president of Baltimore-based Emanuel Tire, submitted comments Feb. 24 on behalf of the Tire and Rubber Division on Maryland’s House Bill 857. The proposed bill was introduced Jan. 29 by Mary A. Lehman of Maryland’s 21st District and referred to the Committees for Environment…
Team Portables, a Seattle-based group partnering to address the need for increased lithium-ion battery recycling, received $357,000 from the Department of Energy (DoE) to continue its recycling incentivization program. The consortium—comprised of digital transparency company Everledger, smartphone producer Fairphone, technology company HP, and battery recycling organization Call2Recycle—will use the funding to further develop a prototype…
Atlanta-based battery recycling organization Call2Recycle collected and recycled 8.4 million pounds of batteries throughout the United States last year, it says—an 11% increase from 2019. The number is a record for Call2Recycle, beating 2017, its previous year of record collections, when the organization recycled 8 million pounds in the United States. Call2Recycle announced its milestone…