In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers, and legislators.
“The impact of the presidential election on the waste industry and local governments is unclear. However, I believe that managing America’s waste and recyclables is not a partisan issue. Local governments and their private sector partners work together to provide this essential service, regardless of who is living in the White House."
— SWANA CEO David Biderman in an emailed statement to Waste Dive regarding the results of the 2016 presidential election. While Donald Trump was elected president, a recent Waste Dive survey shows that 70% of respondents are not happy with the outcome in terms of what it could mean for business.
"This type of special interest giveaway cloaked in false environmentalism sets a terrible public policy precedent – one that Californians will likely soon regret at the checkout."
— American Progressive Bag Alliance Executive Director Lee Califf in response to California voters' decision to ban plastic bags statewide (Prop 67), as reported by Plastics in Packaging. Prop 65, which would have prohibited retailers from keeping fees on paper or reusable bags, officially failed.
"Never think that what you do is too small. We live in a connected world. What we do here in the United States impacts people in Asia, what they do impacts us."
— EPA Director of Resource Conservation and Sustainability Cheryl Coleman in an interview for Waste Dive's Women in Waste series. Coleman explained that everybody — from the consumer to the CEO — has the opportunity to "champion for change" in respect to climate and the environment.
"At this point, it’s no longer just about raising awareness ... It’s about taking action and implementing strategies that can end the cycle of plastic pollution for good. Eco-innovation is an open playing field."
— Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, in a statement as reported by Quartz. Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans to produce the "UltraBoost Uncaged Parley" shoe made of 95% plastic marine debris.
“You are talking about changing entire business models and ways companies do business."
— US Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) Corporate Citizenship Center Senior Director Jennifer Gerholdt in an interview with Environmental Leader regarding USCCF's efforts to launch a circular economy pilot. USCCF will partner with RRS, Republic, Wal-Mart, Target and others to focus on the reuse of valuable materials and spreading a "closed-loop" system across the industry.
"It has boggled my mind the number of times I have seen trash cans so full that you can't open them or trash being left on trash cans because people couldn't throw them out."
— Pete Werner, a travel-agency owner who also works on Disney-focused online projects, to the Orlando Sentinel regarding Disney World's new initiative to track the movements of custodians and make trash cleanup more efficient. The "Custodial of Tomorrow" pilot began on Nov. 5 and will run through Jan. 14.