A North American recycling round-up

USA – Here’s a look at some of the latest recycling developments in North America, courtesy of our content partner Resource Recycling.

• • North Carolina-based Repreve, which makes textiles material from recovered PET plastic, has invested US$ 10 million in updating its facility and in increasing production. The company aims to consume more than 130 million pounds of recovered PET annually.
• • Phoenix in Arizona is taking steps to recover end-of-life mattresses and carpet as well as food scraps. The moves come as the city, which sits in an area where landfill tip fees are low, aims to significantly increase its recycling rate and divert 40% of its municipal solid waste stream from landfill by 2020.
• • California has named Scott Smithline as director of the state’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. His appointment comes as the state attempts to increase its recycling rate to 75% by 2020. The current recycling rate is 50% but has remained stagnant over the past couple of years.
• • A Seattle ban on putting compostable material in the refuse is at the centre of a lawsuit being filed against the city in Washington state. The suit claims the organics legislation violates citizens’ privacy rights because it gives refuse hauliers the ability to inspect kerbside containers.