Our top stories from May 2023

A story that touched on Cascades’ recently retooled paper mill in Virginia drew attention last month. | Courtesy of Cascades

A mix of stories touching on fiber markets and policy proposals, especially extended producer responsibility laws, attracted ample clicks last month.

The list below shows our top stories published in May in terms of unique page views.

1 | North American paper mills discuss demand, OCC pricing

Early 2023 presented a challenging business environment for big buyers of OCC and recovered paper, with some mills taking downtime on lackluster paper product demand.

2 | Colorado picks brand-backed group to helm EPR

In a big step toward implementing one of the nation's first extended producer responsibility programs for packaging, Colorado selected Circular Action Alliance as its producer responsibility organization.

3 | Processors worry they’ll be left out of packaging EPR system

At Waste Expo last week, executives from several MRF operators and private-sector recyclers detailed concerns about material ownership and "stranded assets" as recycling policy evolves. At the same time, some MRF leaders voiced clear support for EPR frameworks.

4 | US scrap paper and plastic exports fall

U.S. companies exported 8% less recovered fiber and 10% less scrap plastic during the first quarter of 2023 than they did a year earlier, and there were some dramatic changes in where material was flowing.

5 | Aluminum exec talks bottle bill lobbying progress

The aluminum recycling industry continues to push for new beverage container deposit programs, with an executive pointing to potential in the Upper Midwest and in the nation's capital.