Steve Toloken

As U.N. global plastics treaty talks get underway in Uruguay, some countries and consumer brands are pushing for an agreement that limits virgin plastic production.

The social enterprise Plastic Bank comes to K 2022 looking to build ties in the industry for its recycled, ocean-bound plastic collected by a network of more than 600 collection centers in developing countries.

Unexpected gains by Democrats in state governments — and more legislation like extended producer responsibility — is likely the biggest midterm election takeaway for the plastics industry.

At a K 2022 panel, speakers said they hoped a plastics treaty would lead to more reporting on plastic footprints, similar to carbon footprints, as well as more harmonized global recycling standards and better working conditions for people who collect waste.

Some members of a panel at K 2022 show predicted it would be very difficult to implement a European plastics industry plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

European plastics industry data says post-consumer recycled content rose 20 percent last year, but an industry group said the continent's energy crisis threatens competitiveness.

Could bar codes or other digital passports with recycling information printed or embedded in plastics packaging improve its environmental performance by making it easier to identify and sort waste for recycling?

A new study from the City College of New York says chemical recycling has climate advantages compared to virgin resin production, landfilling and waste-to-energy.

Using pyrolysis-based chemical recycling to meet plastic recycled-content targets could emit up nine times the greenhouse gases compared with traditional mechanical recycling, according to a new study from the environmental group Zero Waste Europe.

Science advisers to the United Nations Stockholm Convention want it to recommend phasing out two plastics additives, dechlorane plus and UV-328, although the advisers called for a slower approach in some uses, like cars and medical devices.

A foundation started by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending $85 million to bolster local efforts to stop petrochemical and plastics expansions in Texas, Louisiana and the Ohio River Valley.

Two coalitions, one made up of countries and a second made up of industry, came to the U.N. General Assembly session in New York to push for a stricter global plastics pollution treaty. Negotiations start in November.

A major industry effort to try to tackle plastic pollution in the developing world, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, faces charges of greenwashing and limited success. But the AEPW says the work will take time.