In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers, and legislators.
"In our industry, we find it increasingly challenging to find a processing outlet for the compostable dishware, utensils, and one-time use compostable cups ... The consumer market for these items advanced far faster than the end-of-life processing outlets."
— Save That Stuff (STS) chief executive Adam Mitchell in a blog post regarding the company's decision to landfill compostable items from Boston-area restaurant chain Clover. While Clover ended its business with STS, the hauler claims that a lack of compost processing infrastructure is an industrywide issue.
"I never really had hostility or a lot of negativity toward me, I think it was more just the environment of garbage for so long had been men and a few women who were probably their equals or below in their eyes. So I think it was more shocking to them that they were now dealing with somebody who was in a more powerful position."
— Big Truck Rental President Jeanie Dubinski on being a woman leader in a very male-dominated industry. Dubinski, who has held many executive roles in the waste industry, was interviewed for Waste Dive's newest installment of the Women in Waste spotlight series.
“Everybody wants a little bit of respect at work, and when you disrespect your employees, then they have no other option but to hit the line to fight for the respect they deserve."
— North County Landfill equipment operator Ruben Gonzales to Lodi News-Sentinel about a strike happening throughout California's San Joaquin County. Approximately 4,000 members of Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 were on strike this week to protest unfair labor laws.
"There is a reason Maine, Illinois and Minnesota imposed restrictions or bans on this type of packaging."
— Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Executive Director Steve Alexander to Recycling Today on plastic cans with metal lids. APR urged caution over the recyclability of such cans, saying they are contaminates to the PET recycling stream.
"Until you solve what the consumer can do with this material at the end of the day, you can’t talk to the consumer or anyone else about all these great environmental benefits."
— Bridget Croke of Closed Loop Fund during a recent Global Pouch Forum in Miami, as reported by Plastics News. Croke believes that flexible packaging recycling is a "core issue" across the industry.
"Everyone is afraid of the unknown, but, on the flipside, you have these large tracts of land — frequently owned by municipalities or by people who are no longer managing them — that can be very attractive for redevelopment."
— Attorney Dennis Toft of NYC-New Jersey law firm Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi to Construction Dive regarding the opportunities for construction atop a landfill. Toft explained that, while there are challenges to such development, the benefits can often outweigh them.