The Latest
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Danielle Ternes / Waste Dive
Tracking the future of US recycling policy in Congress
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) recently said there's "very bipartisan support" around circular economy issues in Congress, expressing hope more funding can be allocated for recycling and organics processing in the federal budget.
UPDATED: June 9, 2021 at 9:45 a.m. -
GE announces European partnerships to advance full wind turbine recycling
"Europe may be ahead of the U.S. in requiring recyclable systems, but all will soon follow," said Paul Veers, chief engineer at NREL's National Wind Technology Center.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
EPA explores aligning 2030 food waste goal with UN target, official says
Preventing food waste at the source remains a priority over simply diverting it from disposal, panelists said during a discussion on setting and reaching national food waste targets, part of this week's NYC Food Waste Fair.
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Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Employers may relax COVID-19 measures in fully vaccinated workplaces, OSHA says
Updated guidance encourages employers to give paid time off for vaccinations. The agency also published a long-awaited emergency temporary standard, but only specific to healthcare employees.
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The image by Steve Gerner is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Colorado bill banning plastic bags and foam containers, repealing preemption, heads to governor
The bill bans plastic bags and foam containers by 2024 and imposes a 10-cent bag fee in the meantime. It also allows municipalities to pass stricter ordinances, making Colorado the first state to repeal a preemption policy.
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Cole Rosengren/Waste Dive
City budget season brings new waste initiatives in DC, Baltimore, elsewhere
Also in this week's municipal news roundup: a major recycling facility fire in Phoenix, additional reports of service disruptions stemming from worker shortages, and more updates from around the country.
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Contested California packaging bills stalled, other recycling bills survive
SB 54, a bill requiring single-use packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032, has stalled for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, bills on labeling, recycled content, exporting and container deposits are still in play.
UPDATED: June 9, 2021 at 10:54 a.m. -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
California eyes efforts to spur US ratification of Basel Convention
State lawmakers and activists in California want the Biden administration to prioritize a treaty to curb waste dumping in developing countries. Meanwhile, Palo Alto is struggling to account for where exported waste ends up.
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Danielle Ternes/Waste Dive
Tracking ESG climate targets from US waste and recycling companies
Recology recently reported a 9% reduction in fleet emissions between 2019 and 2020, with 80% of vehicles now running on "renewable or alternative fuels." Catch up on emissions disclosures from other major companies here.
UPDATED: June 7, 2021 at 4:45 p.m. -
Brian Tucker / Waste Dive
Where curbside recycling programs have stopped in the US
Numerous curbside programs are facing temporary disruptions due to driver shortages, with communities from New Jersey to Florida seeing the impacts.
UPDATED: June 9, 2021 at 10:12 a.m. -
Stefani Reynolds / Stringer via Getty Images
Roundup: 'Recycling is infrastructure too,' Twin Cities poised for landfill expansion
Plus: Driver shortages impact garbage, recycling, yard and bulk pickups in multiple states, and Georgia, South Carolina and Colorado see legislative actions on single-use plastics, tires and recycling access.
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Courtesy of Waste Management
Waste Management looks to surpass 80% CNG collection fleet
With 70% of its routed fleet already there, that goal is for the next five to seven years. “We're going to continue to buy predominantly CNG where the opportunity exists," said COO John Morris, following a new fleets report.
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Mario Tama via Getty Images
Coronavirus vaccine requirements, incentives get federal OK — with some limits
The long-awaited U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission document may answer some of the questions employers have had, but other areas remain less certain.
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Mark Wilson via Getty Images
Maryland governor allows organics diversion mandate to become law
The policy is set to take effect for large generators in 2023, after years of attempts. Proponents hope it will spur development of new regional composting and anaerobic digestion infrastructure.
UPDATED: June 1, 2021 at 9:07 a.m. -
Moving from value to values: an ESG assessment
CFOs should create a new agenda around "the three R's": risk, regulation and returns, in an effort to better understand the trade-offs between economic outcomes and broader value outcomes, panelists said at Gartner's CFO & Finance Executive Conference.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Roundup: Boston mayoral candidates talk up curbside organics, litter differs in bottle bill states
Plus: recycling updates in Atlanta, Milwaukee and Louisville, Kentucky, and tips on building community support for waste reduction initiatives from Texas.
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Paula Bronstein via Getty Images
Plastic resin makers launch $25M recycling fund for PP, PE plastics
Dow, LyondellBasell and Nova are working with Closed Loop Partners to invest up to $100 million in projects meant to develop markets for polypropylene and polyethylene, two resins that face market and recycling challenges.
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Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
What Biden's worker organizing task force could mean for non-union employers
The group's recommendations are due to come later in the year, but its establishment could provide clues about how the administration will approach key labor issues.
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Courtesy of Republic Services
Republic shareholders reject ESG-linked pay proposal while industry sees another year of rising CEO compensation
A recent Teamsters-backed effort to tie executive compensation to environmental performance was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the pay gap between solid waste CEOs and median employees continues to widen.
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With landfill emissions regulation, EPA enforces once-delayed methane pollution rule
The EPA's final rule on municipal solid waste landfill emissions starts the clock for operators to comply with federal requirements as the Biden administration and activists urge swifter climate action.
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Roundup: Driver shortages hamper local waste collection, US recycling infrastructure begs $17B expansion
Plus: California's budget surplus yields $130 million proposal for recycling infrastructure, New York City progresses on solutions for its curbside trash problem, and more municipal news from around the U.S.
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Scott Olson via Getty Images
Waste Management offering no-cost education for employees' dependents to improve retention
The program will expand in 2022 to include employees' nearly 34,000 benefits-eligible dependents, and will be a "key differentiator" for the company, said Chief People Officer Tamla Oates-Forney.
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Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Q&ALeading plastics reduction lawyer sees single-use policies as 'gateway' to bigger change
Jennie Romer – a key player in creating plastics policies from coast to coast – talks about her new book "Can I Recycle This?" and why she's now looking to take on the whole recycling system.
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Mario Tama via Getty Images
Florida recyclers take a 'back to basics' approach to public education
To achieve Florida's 75% recycling rate goal, clear, consistent messaging to residents must be part of the effort, speakers at a Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation event said.
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Maryland governor signs recycling market development bill
The legislation, met with broad bipartisan support, aims to connect more recyclables with end markets, bolster efforts to use recyclable products and help reduce contamination.
UPDATED: May 19, 2021 at 8:49 a.m.
