BIR expresses serious concerns over news on China’s intention to implement an import ban on a number of scrap materials, including certain types of scrap plastics, mixed paper, slags and drosses, waste wool, ash, cotton and yarn. Yesterday 18 July, China has notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that it will stop accepting certain imports […]
One day, Apple’s products could be manufactured entirely from recycled materials. The US-based concern released this aim in its Environmental Responsibility Report 2017, covering 2016. According to the information, the company is working on a “closed-loop supply chain“ that would allow it to stop mining the earth for rare minerals and metals. “To preserve precious […]
Qatar’s Modern Recycling Factory (MRF), based in Mesaieed Industrial City, came on stream in February. The development is part of Qatar’s aim to develop sustainability and support green technology under its National Vision 2030 campaign. At 20,000 square meters, MRF is one of the largest Greenfield recycling projects in the country. The plant, supplied by […]
PETCO, the organization responsible for fulfilling the South African PET plastic industry’s role of Extended Producer Responsibility, has announced their 2016 recycling figures which indicate an increase in their annual PET recycling rate from 52 percent of post-consumer bottles PET in 2015 to 55 percent in 2016. The organization recycled 90,749 tons of post-consumer bottles […]
According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), a record 67.2 percent of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2016. As reported, the annual paper recovery rate has doubled since 1990 and U.S. paper recovery has met or exceeded 63 percent for the past eight years. The industry has a […]
The US-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has launched a new International Scrap Trade Database providing information on international scrap trade flows. The data tables illustrate the trade of recyclables across the globe by major commodity and importing/exporting economies, and show the total amount of scrap traded globally. The initial offering of international scrap […]
According to a new report by Morgan Stanley’s Sustainability Equity Research team, new technology and increasing climate-based legislation around the world is creating new business opportunities based on the circular economy. As the New York based investment research firm stated, pioneering companies in a number of sectors were already shifting in that direction. “The advantages […]
With less than one year to go before the 8th World Water Forum takes place in Brasilia in March 2018, the World Water Council (WWC) calls on all governments to focus on water issues and prioritize water resources and management. “This is in accordance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to make water and sanitation […]
As raw materials are scarce worldwide and are becoming increasingly expensive, companies that save resources or produce gently do not only contribute to a cleaner environment but actually have a real competitive advantage. The European Commission, which is currently working on the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, estimates that waste prevention, eco-design, reuse and similar […]
According to analysis, micro-pollutants from treated waste water affect the function of river ecosystems. In Switzerland, more than 30,000 different substances are used on a daily basis in innumerable products – pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cleaning agents or industrial chemicals. Many of these substances find their way – via waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) – into surface […]