In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers and legislators.
"Frequently, to make change you have to have things fall apart. Because right now, the person we need to get it, didn't get it."
— Association of New Jersey Recyclers Executive Director Marie Kruzan in response to two recycling bills that Gov. Chris Christie recently vetoed. Senate Bill 1420 would have improved paint recycling in the state, while Assembly Bill 4763 would have updated the state's struggling e-waste program.
"This is not the first time there has been an incident like this involving a refuse truck using natural gas. As the use of NG-fueled trucks becomes more common, we need the manufacturers and users of these vehicles to take all necessary precautions to prevent these incidents."
— SWANA CEO David Biderman on the potential dangers of trucks that run on CNG fuel. On Tuesday, a garbage truck running on natural gas caught fire in New Jersey and exploded "like a missile," destroying four homes.
"Our communities are facing a challenging obstacle in the form of contamination ... the universal nature of this program should unite our state’s recycling efforts in powerful new ways, reducing resident confusion and enabling more participation in local programs."
— Brooke Nash, branch chief of the MassDEP Municipal Waste Reduction Program, on MassDEP's collaboration with The Recycling Partnership to develop a contamination reduction toolkit.
"There is a real disconnect between the FDA and other federal agencies about the proper way of disposing unused medications."
— Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council, on a request for the FDA to eliminate its "flush list" recommendation, and instead mandate a single national disposal system for pharmaceuticals.
"With greater adoption of this sustainable packaging option by manufacturers and consumers, continued progress by The Carton Council and increased education, and awareness of carton recycling, we are optimistic about the future of carton recycling access."
— JUST President and CEO Grace Jeon on the national increase in carton recycling programs. 67.1 million households across 48 states can now recycle cartons through curbside and drop-off programs.
"I think a lot of people are looking to search, and I don't know if search is really the best way to handle recycling education. I believe in putting it out there and making it visual."
— Recycle By City Founder Tracy Bugh on the organization's mission to make recycling education easy and digestible for consumers. RBC's sites — which inform residents from coast to coast how to recycle in their respective cities — offer colorful graphics and recognizable images to ease consumer confusion.