In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers, and legislators.
"Every now and then it's probably not a bad idea to take a closer look and see if there's a way to improve things."
— Barbara Lucks, sustainability officer of Springfield, MO, to the Springfield News-Leader. The city announced it will hire consultants and conduct a study to asses current waste systems.
"The actions we take now, whether it’s drinking from reusable water bottles instead of buying plastic ones or taking out what you take into the park, will make an impact for generations to come."
—Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of National Parks Conservation Association, regarding the lack of awareness surrounding proper waste disposal practices at national parks. A recent study found that 84% of park attendees are willing to reduce the amount of waste left behind.
"It can be done, but it takes commitment, and it can't just be the job of the 'safety department.' It's everyone’s responsibility, from the driver to the supervisor to the salesperson to the GM to the Sanitation Commissioner to the CEO, and everyone in between."
— SWANA CEO David Biderman in an opinion piece regarding safety practices across the industry. Biderman's piece was a response to Dr. Ken Baylor's recent piece on the industry's "inadequate" approach to safety.
"Every fire is one too many, especially when viewed in the light of the injuries sustained during these events."
—Fire Rover Vice President of Business Development Ryan Fogelman in a LinkedIn post regarding the lack of data on waste & recycling facility fires in North America. Fogelman wrote that from February 2016 to July 2016, searchable news articles only reported 150 fires across the U.S. and Canada, but he suggests many more have gone unreported.
"It’s a win-win for our industry, our customers and communities – reducing emissions and saving fuel and money."
—Waste Management CEO David Steiner to Truck News on EPA and DOT's finalized emissions standards for trucks. According to the EPA, these standards are estimated to lower CO2 emissions by about 1.1 billion metric tons.
"Many clean energy investments are profitable now, and we anticipate that over the long-term their appeal will only go up as technologies improve and more investors move away from underperforming fossil fuel companies."
— Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights and co-author of the "Clean 200" list, in a press release announcing the release of the report. The list — which ranks the top 200 companies profiting from alternative energy —ranked Republic Services 45th and Covanta 55th.