In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers, and legislators.
"It doesn't really take much effort to do the right thing."
—Micah Speir, a Seattle-area garbage truck driver for Waste Management, in response to returning a bank bag with $12,000 of checks to a local elementary school. Speir was featured in Waste Dive's Hauler Hero story for his integrity, however Speir told ABC News that it was "no sweat" off his back.
"The commitment and resolve of our 40,000-strong team to being safe, every day, is as strong as ever."
—Waste Management VP of Corporate Communications & Community Relations Toni Beck in response to a Philadelphia facility worker being fatally crushed on-site by a bale of paper. The incident occurred during a routine inspection of a forklift.
"The bottom line is — the data confirms that we can and must do more on methane."
—Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy during a speech on methane emissions, in which she explained that levels are expected to rise by 25% by 2025 unless action is taken to reduce them.
“Ultimately we know age is a problem right now, and it will continue to be an issue. We are not recruiting our children and grandchildren to do this job."
—National Transportation Institute (NTI) COO Leah Shaver on issues facing fleet management. NTI predicts that new and pending industry regulations are expected to result in a 15% loss in productivity among truck drivers.
"The economy faces relatively big downward pressures and some firms face difficulties in production and operation, which would lead to insufficient employment."
—Yin Weimin, minister for human resources and social security in China, during a news conference regarding layoffs in the steel and coal industries. China is expected to lay off 15% of its workforce in these areas, or 1.8 million workers, in an undetermined amount of time.
"Decades of experience with European recycling equipment have introduced us to great technologies, but these intelligent waste-sorting robots represent a new era in recycling."
—Marcel Vallen, ML Environmental CEO, in a statement regarding the company's partnership with Finnish robotic waste-sorting technology firm ZenRobotics. The companies will work together to distribute robotic waste sorters to the U.S. market.