The Latest
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Notable waste and recycling conferences in 2025
The Resource Recycling Conference originally planned for Aug. 4-6 has been canceled. It will now be co-located with the Plastics Recycling and Textile Recovery Conference, happening Feb. 23-25, 2026, in San Diego.
Updated June 11, 2025 -
Tracker
Tracking recycling laws by state
The Texas legislature sent a right-to-repair bill to the governor’s desk, Oregon’s governor signed a law creating “alternative” redemption center locations and Colorado’s governor signed a battery EPR law.
Updated June 6, 2025 -
BTS Bioenergy charts new path, scraps California digester project
The company, formerly named Bioenergy Devco, has been retooling its strategy amid problems at its Maryland facility and shifting fortunes in California. CEO Nick Thomas said he’s hoping to begin a new era.
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‘A wild ride’: California EPR regulatory revision process advances
After reviewing new comments on SB 54, “while I can see we did some things well, there's some components of our regulations that are still going to need work” prior to formal rulemaking, said CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller.
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The image by Jimmy Emerson, DVM is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Where 3 key waste and recycling bills stand in California
Bills managing marine flares, establishing a tax exemption for certain Chiquita Canyon compensation payments and expanding composting regulations for certain farmers are still in play after a legislative deadline.
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A recipe for disasters: The art of bird flu composting
The multiyear spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has resulted in a significant number of animal carcasses. Compost experts travel to farms around the country to deal with the problem.
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Honeywell, Samsung subsidiary, others create SAF Technology Alliance
The SAF Technology Alliance will create an end-to-end integrated solution to turn waste from a feedstock into sustainable aviation fuel to help scale the industry.
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EQT could acquire majority stake in landfill RNG company Waga Energy
EQT has entered negotiations with the intention of taking Waga private. The firm says the investment is key to accelerating Waga’s position in the global renewable natural gas market.
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Oregon governor signs bottle bill update for ‘alternative’ redemption centers
The law aims to offer more redemption points in an effort to reduce the strain on Portland-area retailers and support canners who make an income from collecting containers.
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Trump’s EPA budget would cut funds appropriated for waste offices
The budget would cut certain waste and recycling grant programs and enforcement related activities. It would also transition Superfund remediation work to a revenue source boosted in recent years through legislation.
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Déjà vu? New York EPR bill unpopular with packaging groups awaits fate in Assembly
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act has again passed the Senate. A host of trade groups that dislike the bill’s material restrictions and recycled content requirements have voiced support for an alternate bill.
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Planned West Virginia pyrolysis plant misses payments on $44M in bonds
The plant, commissioned by a subsidiary of Empire Diversified Energy, was set to convert waste plastic to electricity. Its future is unclear.
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Tracker
Tracking GHG emissions of US waste management companies
Montrose Environmental Group released a new sustainability report featuring data from last year.
Updated June 6, 2025 -
Tracking the waste and recycling industry’s M&A activity
Redbox+ Dumpsters of Greater Austin acquired a roll-off hauler; Casella acquired Gerber’s in Maryland; Hoffman Sanitation acquired Wildhorse Waste; GFL recently acquired a Michigan hauler.
Updated June 4, 2025 -
GFL Environmental Services acquires OSI, one of first deals since spin-off
OSI offers hazardous and non-hazardous waste services across several states. GFL executives have said they expect the newly spun off environmental services division to be aggressive on acquisitions.
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Archaea to have positive cash flow in 2026; RNG news from Rumpke, Veolia and more
BP reported three new Archaea projects came online in the first quarter, including two at Rumpke landfills. Elsewhere, Opal Fuels reported a strong quarter and a new project with Republic Services, among other projects.
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(2025). Retrieved from Flickr.
Hawai’i governor signs packaging EPR study bill
Lawmakers in Hawai’i have been introducing EPR proposals for years. The study funded by the newly signed law is due to the state legislature by the end of 2027.
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Waste industry calls on manufacturers, policymakers to help prevent facility fires
Speakers at a recent webinar hosted by the Solid Waste Association of North America and the National Stewardship Action Council offered tips on coordinating programs and policy to deal with this issue.
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Amp grows focus on custom MSW sortation offerings
The company, known for AI-enabled robotics tech, is ramping up its MSW-focused services meant to help extract recyclables and organics to divert material from disposal in landfills-constrained areas.
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Retrieved from Brightmark on March 18, 2025
Brightmark retains Indiana chemical recycling facility through bankruptcy auction
The Ashley pyrolysis facility is expected to remain in operation after Brightmark acquired it from a subsidiary. The facility was only at 5% capacity, according to recent court documents.
Updated May 29, 2025 -
Will surge in GLP-1 medications lower food waste?
Early research suggests the amount and composition of wasted food changes when consumers begin using medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
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Tracker
Tracking the future of US recycling policy in Congress
Lawmakers reintroduced the Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act, aimed at restricting certain exports due to security concerns, as well as the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, meant to tackle single-use plastic sales.
Updated June 4, 2025 -
NERC notes slight commodity value improvements, while MRFs announce significant upgrades
Northeast MRFs reported blended commodity prices rose up to 9% in Q1. Meanwhile, Casella, Eureka and the City of Phoenix announced MRF upgrades in part to help fetch higher commodity prices.
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Congress revokes Advanced Clean Trucks waiver, creating ambiguity for refuse fleets
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution revoking waivers allowing California to implement several zero-emissions truck policies. The change will ease requirements even as a transition continues.
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Will 2025 EPR laws pave the way for more packaging policy?
After Maryland and Washington recently adopted packaging EPR laws, leaders from Ameripen and the National Stewardship Action Council expect to see more policy action, including on bottle bills, in 2026.