I have spoken with many recycling plant owners lately. Same complaint. Equipment is aging. Energy costs are rising. Margins are tightening.
Policy windows do not stay open forever. I have seen many recycling companies hesitate, delay paperwork, or misunderstand requirements—only to miss
The pressure is real. Labor costs rise. Environmental regulations tighten. Margins shrink. I’ve seen too many factories stuck in the low-end
I have been in this industry long enough to recognize a pattern before it becomes obvious. Orders start quietly. A few
Governments are tightening plastic regulations.Retailers are eliminating single-use bags.Brands are announcing sustainability roadmaps. Yet soft plastics continue to pile up. Flexible
Carbon neutrality is no longer a slogan.It has become a cost item.And, increasingly, a survival issue. I visit plastic processing plants
For many plastic processors in Europe, the pressure is no longer coming from competitors.It is coming from Brussels.New regulations demand higher
Plastic waste does not fail suddenly.It fails slowly.Piles grow.Costs rise.Regulations tighten. I have watched many companies chase fashionable solutions.Chemical recycling.Pyrolysis.Gasification. They
Plastic pollution in the United States is no longer an abstract concept.It is visible.It is measurable.And it is expensive to ignore.
