The Latest
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Tracker
Tracking the future of US recycling policy in Congress
The Senate passed both the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, bills meant to fund recycling pilots in rural and underserved areas and collect more data.
Updated March 13, 2024 -
Vanguard Renewables charts progress in new regions with growing portfolio
Ten years after its founding, the anaerobic digestion company is plotting expansion "like an amoeba” thanks to the financial backing of BlackRock and its pipeline of more than 60 projects.
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Tracking the waste and recycling industry’s M&A activity
Waste Pro purchased a hauler in Louisiana; IWS purchased Oak Ridge Waste & Recycling; Mid Valley Disposal expanded in California; and Superior USA Waste grew in Oklahoma.
Updated March 12, 2024 -
Environmental justice funding and recycling resources top of mind at NRC conference
National Recycling Congress participants such as Reloop and the the U.S. EPA delved into the roles both small community groups and large federal agencies play in advancing environmental justice initiatives.
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Deep Dive
How a new wave of clean fuels bills could spur a biogas boom
New Mexico just became the fourth state to enact a program, which has the potential to give biogas projects from landfills and on-farm digesters a boost. Could more states soon follow?
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DOE’s $4M e-scrap recycling prize seeks recovery and reuse innovations
The three-phase competition aims to bolster critical materials recovery from electronics. The DOE will offer technical support as well as a $50,000 cash prize for the first round of winners.
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Biden’s FY25 budget proposal aims to boost funding for waste-related EPA programs
The budget would set aside money for PFAS-related actions and bolster funding for compliance enforcement, which put landfill emissions in the crosshairs last year.
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Stakeholders call for more details on Maine’s latest EPR rules draft
Ameripen, AF&PA, Aroostook Waste Solutions and others called for a more comprehensive needs assessment, technical assistance for municipalities and flexibility for producers.
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New Georgia Composting Council chapter aims to improve zoning, other rules
As their work becomes more prominent in the state, composters like CompostNow are hoping to make it easier for future facilities to develop and receive feedstock from community partners.
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Tracker
Tracking notable recycling laws by state
Maine enacted a law to regulate chemical recycling as solid waste, while Oregon’s legislature approved a right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics.
Updated March 6, 2024 -
LASAN putting recycLA commercial waste program out to bid, ending contract extension talks
LA Sanitation and Environment officials hope that a reconfigured “recycLA 2.0” can yield better environmental outcomes and more competitive pricing by 2027. The move affects haulers such as Athens Services, WM and Republic Services.
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Rubicon reports further progress on profitability plan during 2023
The company reported improvements in metrics such as adjusted gross profit and adjusted EBITDA due to higher-margin business with multiple clients, but it did not provide financial guidance for the year.
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Heritage Environmental Services gets new CEO after EQT acquisition
HP Nanda, a veteran of DuPont, will take over the industrial waste and environmental services company. Current CEO Jeff Laborsky is transitioning to a role on HES’ board of directors.
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5 themes from the Senate hearing on packaging EPR
The Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works gathered comments from SC Johnson, Ameripen and World Wildlife Fund.
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Low-energy chemical recycling method could offer solution for mixed and biobased plastics
Scientists at a federal lab recently released the results of a project, funded by Google, that looked at handling a mixed stream of PET and PLA. Figuring out how to scale this concept beyond the lab is an ongoing discussion.
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MRF robotics company Glacier raises $7.7M, partners with Amazon
The funding round will help refine the company’s AI-enabled robotics technology, which Amazon says could identify “novel packaging materials” it might be able to recycle or repurpose.
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Washington legislature passes bill expanding food waste donation and recycling requirements
The bill establishes a multipronged approach to help Washington achieve its food waste reduction goals, echoing the U.S. EPA’s latest Wasted Food Scale priorities. It also updates standards for compostable packaging.
Updated March 6, 2024 -
Largest public waste companies spent an estimated $4.2B on M&A in 2023
Spending by WM, Republic Services, Waste Connections, GFL Environmental and Casella Waste Systems didn’t surpass recent records, but the companies still did dozens of deals throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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Q&A
How federal attention to methane and retailer relationships are benefitting Divert
Vice President Chris Thomas discusses how the U.S. EPA’s support for anaerobic digestion and Divert’s large customer base can allow the company to expand despite broader market challenges.
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RNG hits transportation milestone, plus news from Clean Energy Fuels, Waga Energy and Republic
Renewable natural gas continues to overtake petroleum-based gas in the transportation fuels sector, per a new report. February also saw multiple announcements of RNG production across feedstocks.
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NWRA, partner’s new safety program aimed at smaller haulers
NWRA and Together for Safer Roads are partnering to offer online training for companies with less than 100 trucks, which often don’t have the same resources as bigger competitors.
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Composters spend about a fifth of operating costs on contamination, including plastic
The Composting Consortium report, which analyzed feedstock and finished product from 10 facilities around the country, aims to address common assumptions about plastic and other contaminants in compost.
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‘We are behind’: NYC’s new sanitation chair presses for better organics funding, transparency
The New York City Council Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management teed up its concerns ahead of the upcoming budget cycle, including support for composting and other waste infrastructure.
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Solarcycle to build $344M recycled solar glass plant in Georgia
The manufacturer will produce up to six gigawatts of recycled solar glass annually, starting in 2026.
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Enviri sees ‘best quarter in many years,’ awaits regulations to estimate PFAS opportunities
Enviri reported positive growth in its Clean Earth and Harsco Environmental segments as the company continues shifting to focus solely on environmental solutions.