May 2026 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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EU plastic waste exports now need approval as digital tracking starts
Posted on May 25, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingThe rules are meant to close enforcement loopholes, curb illegal trade and prepare for a broader ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries. Source: EU plastic waste exports now need approval as digital tracking starts - Plastics News All waste...
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Soft plastics export exemptions to be wound back as recycling industry pleads to retain waste – Australia
Posted on May 22, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingThe soft plastic recycling industry wants more waste to stay here, saying too much material is being sent overseas. Source: Soft plastics export exemptions to be wound back as recycling industry pleads to retain waste - ABC News Australian soft...
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PET turmoil exposes the gap between recycling goals and market reality – Plastics News
Posted on May 22, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingA wave of PET recycling plant closures, rising imports and recent resin price spikes are exposing the growing gap between the plastics industry’s circular economy ambitions and the economic realities needed to sustain domestic recycling. Source: PET turmoil exposes the...
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Viridor says chemical recycling in UK and Europe ‘uninvestable’
Posted on May 22, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingUK-based waste management firm Viridor is considering closing its advanced plastics recycling facilities in Europe, saying policy changes are needed if investment in the sector is to continue. Source: Viridor says chemical recycling in UK and Europe ‘uninvestable’ The announcement...
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Packaging reform enters supply chain spotlight – Australia
Posted on May 21, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingSource: Packaging reform enters supply chain spotlight - PKN Packaging News The roundtable brought together representatives from the dairy, red meat, poultry, food and grocery, plastics and packaging sectors to assess the growing impact of global supply disruptions on...
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FPA: UK recycling infrastructure facing growing pressure amid policy changes
Posted on May 20, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingThe Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) says industry figures are warning that parts of the UK recycling infrastructure are coming under increasing pressure as rising operational costs, tighter regulation and new collection requirements continue to reshape the sector. Source: FPA: UK...
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Europe’s circular plastics transition experiencing “dramatic slowdown”
Posted on May 20, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingPlastics Europe warns that exporting waste while importing recycled materials weakens Europe’s industrial base and undermines the business case for domestic recycling investment. Source: Europe’s circular plastics transition experiencing “dramatic slowdown” - Plastics News Europe’s shift towards a circular plastics economy...
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Woolworths expands soft plastics return network – Australia
Posted on May 7, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingMore than 700 Woolworths supermarkets across five states are now accepting soft plastics again, marking a major expansion of Australia’s growing soft plastics recovery network. Source: Woolworths expands soft plastics return network - PKN Packaging News This is good and...
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Coca-Cola Europacific Partners spearheads circularity program for Pacific PET – Australia
Posted on May 6, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingCoca-Cola Europacific Partners Australia has launched a regional circularity program, creating a viable recycling pathway for PET. Source: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners spearheads circularity program for Pacific PET - Waste Management Review Finally! The inhabitants of the Pacific islands have been...
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$31m litter problem addressed at Summit – Australia
Posted on May 6, 2026 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsThe event gathered government and industry in Western Sydney to focus on practical, cross-sector solutions to stop litter before it enters the environment. Source: $31m litter problem addressed at Summit WSROC’s latest regional litter assessment shows the costs of litter...
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How many people today grab a takeaway coffee cup from the local cafe to drink on the go? We don’t know, but the number must be enormous.. Most every one of the above have a plastic top that will last 100s of years. Some cafes still use plastic cups that last a similar time. Is 10 minutes of coffee worth 100s of years of trash?
These items can be seen littering our gutters and on our streets all over the place. If they were all cardboard, they would still be littered, but they would, at least, be gone in a short time.
They do not need to be made of plastic.
On the way home from the gym last week, a distance of about 1 km (1/2 mile), I counted the items of plastic litter on the curb as I walked. In that short distance I counted 63 pieces of plastic litter. Plastic drink bottles, bottle tops, candy wrappers, plastic film, polystyrene fragments etc. That seemed to be a lot to me. I guess it is a generational thing. Our parents would have been horrified to see that amount, whereas it seems to go unnoticed by our youth of today. In another 20 years how many pieces will there be on this stretch, -- 200? What will today’s youth think of that new amount then when they are older? Will their children be so readily accepting of a higher amount of litter?