In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers and legislators.
“We have a major problem that we don’t even see."
— Author Jonathan Bloom regarding the nation's food waste crisis. According to a recent USDA study, 133 billion pounds of food were wasted in 2010, which amounts to 429 pounds of food per American.
"A cow — as you remember from high school biology — has four stomachs, eats hay and out the back end comes methane and fertilizer ... So we use the exact same microbes, but we’re commercializing it."
— Mike Silva, a civil engineer with CR&R, regarding the waste and recycling company's anaerobic digestion project in Perris, CA.
"This incident in California is obviously devastating to all involved. Intersections are one of the most challenging road features any driver encounters. A task as commonplace as a right turn requires skill and attention to detail in a large truck."
— NWRA Safety Director John Haudenshield in an e-mail to Waste Dive, regarding a collision between a pedestrian and trash truck in Los Angeles that resulted in the pedestrian's death. A lawsuit filed by the pedestrian's family was just settled for $5 million.
"We are challenging apparel manufacturers to be more sustainable and restructure their supply chain to divert waste from landfill."
— Giulio Bonazzi, chairman and CEO of Aquafil, on the company's partnership with Speedo. Together, the companies have developed a swimwear line made of recyclable materials, such as old carpets and abandoned fishing nets.
"These disposable wipes seem to have grown and multiplied ... If we were to say the city should be paying for [damages], then that’s money coming from taxpayers."
— Bob Cockriel, utilities superintendent in Bloomington, MN, on the issue of "flushable" wipes causing sewage clogs in Minnesota homes.
"This cup is accepted in the District of Columbia’s municipal recycling program, which means it can be diverted from local landfills if the guest properly disposed of the cup in one of Washington D.C.’s recycling receptacles ... We will continue to evaluate and test all available cups until we believe we have found the best solution based on cost, performance, commercial viability and environmental impacts."
— Lindsay Cronin, a Dunkin’ Donuts spokeswoman, on the company's compliancy to the new Styrofoam ban hitting D.C. on January 1. Dunkin' Donuts will instead serve coffee in #5 recyclable polypropylene cups.