GP Harmon is now Georgia-Pacific Recycling

 

GP Harmon Recycling announced this week it is changing its name to Georgia-Pacific Recycling. The change directly reflects the business being part of a large, stable and respected organization.

Changing the name comes at a time of significant disruption in the recycling industry.

"While the Harmon name is well-known in the marketplace, more formally adopting the Georgia-Pacific name reflects that we are committed to being a preferred partner in the recyclable commodity industry," said Marc Forman, president – Georgia-Pacific Recycling. "To say that the recycling industry is experiencing a lot of change is an understatement; our new name reflects that we are a stable company with a commitment to innovative solutions."

The most impactful change has been China’s decision in 2018 to significantly lower the allowable limit of imports of contaminated recycling materials, such as greasy pizza boxes or paper mixed with plastic. China has long been the world’s largest importer of recyclable materials. The strict change has created issues to solve, like what to do with material China will no longer accept, and opportunities for new innovations for players in all aspects of the industry.

Given the disruption in this export market, industry experts believe this will be a long-term issue. The U.S. will need to seek out new markets for recyclables and find ways to reduce contaminants in materials.