Podcast - Hot Topics in Nuclear Waste
On July 1, 2025, Oregon’s Plastic Pollution & Recycling Modernization Act (RMA) will significantly change the state’s recycling system. The RMA places responsibility on “producers” to fund and manage the recycling process for...more
H.B. 177 has been submitted into the 2025 General Session of the Utah Legislature addressing recycling of glass....more
In what should be welcome news to industry and others who generate hazardous waste in California (including contaminated soil), the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Department of Toxic Substances...more
Introduction - On December 31, 2024, the Government of Canada published a guide for reporting to the Federal Plastics Registry (Registry). As discussed in our previous bulletin, the Government of Canada established the...more
The National Waste & Recycling Association (“NWRA”) and the Solid Waste Association of North America (“SWANA”) released a January 2025 Policy Statement that is stated to address what is described as the: …critical issue...more
As extended producer responsibility (“EPR”) programs unfold in several U.S. states, Environmental General Counsel is using its international connections within IR Global – a multi-disciplinary professional services network –...more
The National Association for PET Container Resources (“NAPCOR”) issued a document titled: 2023 PET RECYCLING REPORT (“Report”). ...more
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently unveiled its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (Plastic Pollution Strategy), a comprehensive document that outlines voluntary measures and regulatory...more
In an important decision regarding plastic recycling and disposal, the New York Supreme Court has dismissed the NY Attorney General's lawsuit against Pepsico for allegedly contributing to plastic pollution in New York...more
On November 21, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution: Part Three of a Series on Building a Circular Economy for All. According to...more
What Happened - On Monday, October 14, 2024, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle) opened a public comment period on changes to the previously proposed regulations implementing the...more
Countries are preparing for a new round of negotiations on an ambitious legally binding international treaty to address plastics pollution across the entire life cycle of plastics per the UNEA 5.2 mandate in resolution 5/14....more
Within the last month, California has made significant strides toward its bid to create a circular economy for certain packaging and food service ware materials. On January 8, 2024, California's Department of Resources...more
The Court of Appeals of Arkansas (“Appellate Court”) addressed in a November 29th Opinion the Arkansas Regional Solid Waste Management Districts’ (“ARSWMD”) ability to assess certain fees. See Benton County Regional Solid...more
In The Graduate, Mr. McGuire pulls aside Benjamin Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, and utters “one word” of career advice – “plastics.” Benjamin’s diffident reaction reflects his wealthy suburban character’s utter lack of...more
North Little Rock, Arkansas, will be the site of a new glass recycling plant beginning in early 2024. The companies involved in this endeavor are EPIC Glass Recycling (“EPIC”) and ACE Glass and Plastics Recycling...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) recently released a “Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution.” Depending on its ultimate composition, the final strategy could materially affect the...more
Earlier this month, a team of researchers out of the UK, Canada, and New Zealand published a first-of-its-kind study in the peer-reviewed Journal of Hazardous Material Advances, examining the microplastics pollution potential...more
On May 2, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (Draft Strategy) for public comment. 88 Fed. Reg. 27502. EPA states in its April...more
On the eve of Earth Day, the Biden Administration announced a new “White House Interagency Policy Committee (“IPC”) on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy.” The IPC is tasked with coordinating federal efforts on plastic...more
On March 29, 2023, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) held a workshop on Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) and forthcoming regulations under the Plastic Pollution Prevention...more
Three hundred million tons of plastics are produced each year worldwide. Less than 10% of plastic waste in the United States is recycled each year. With projections showing that plastics production is expected to triple over...more
California’s SB 54, or the Plastic Producer Responsibility Act, represents a substantial expansion of the increasingly popular form of legislation focused on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for plastic recycling. While...more
There has been a reasonable amount of recent activity related to management (or lack thereof) of plastic waste. Two more developments this month have me wondering whether we might be near the proverbial tipping point in our...more
While tragic global events make all news seem bad, there was some great news last week. As you may have read, on March 2, 2022 the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, with representatives from 175 nations...more