Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1325722
January 2021 / 61 US recycling rate dropped in 2018 The US recycling and composting rate dropped from 35 percent to 32 percent in 2018, according to new figures calculated by the federal government. The EPA published national waste and recycling data for 2018, which found the US gen- erated 292 million tons of waste, of which 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million tons were composted. The study found that the major increase in waste outpaced minor improvements to recycling numbers. However, part of the decline is due to how the EPA measured food waste generation, a category that increased by more than 22 million tons in 2018 due in part to the EPA considering a wider scope of food waste. According to the report, more tons were recycled in 2018 than ever before even though the recycling rate decreased to the lowest levels since 2006. The report cites China's increased restrictions on imports of recyclables shaking up the global market as a possible cause for the decrease. The full report is available at www.epa.gov. Department of Energy announces plastics recycling research The US Department of Energy announced more than $27 million in funding for 12 projects for the development of advanced plas- tics recycling technologies and new plastics that are recyclable- by- design. As part of the Plastics Innovation Challenge, these proj- ects will also help improve existing recycling processes that break plas- tics down into materials that can be used for new products. Project topics include Novel Bio- Based Plastics: Designing Highly Recyclable or Biodegradable Bio- Based Plastics, Novel Methods for Deconstructing and Upcycling Existing Plastics, Bottle Consortium Collaborations to Tackle Challenges in Plastic Waste, and more. For more information on these projects, visit www.energy.gov. goals and can be customized to fit the customer's specific needs. EPA aims to strengthen recycling programs The EPA has published a new draft of its National Recycling Strategy, which aims to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective recycling system across the coun- try. The strategy was developed with input from several recycling stakeholder groups and has three key guiding objectives: to reduce contamination, increase processing efficiency, and improve domestic markets for recycled materials. Additionally, the EPA has released a national recycling goal to boost the recycling rate to 50 percent by 2030. According to the agency, the US recycling rate has been in the low 30 percent range for the past 20 years and raising the recycling rate to 50 percent will yield economic and environmental benefits.