In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers, and legislators.
"We’ve got an image issue and we know that."
— National Waste & Recycling Association CEO and President Sharon Kneiss to The Kansas City Star. Kneiss recognized that the waste industry isn't always attractive to potential employees due to the nature of the work, and noted that this is an issue when trying to recruit drivers and other workers.
"You cannot let stress get the best of you ... Having that CDL means a lot more than you think it does."
— Paul Zambrotta, safety director for Mr. T Carting, at the NYC commercial waste safety symposium held last week. Zambrotta reminded drivers that their commercial driver's license (CDL) comes with many responsibilities, and staying alert on the road needs to be a top priority.
"It is important that we promote the conversation of how organizations pursue the tenets of a circular economy."
— Call2Recycle CEO and President Carl Smith on the value of a closed-loop supply chain. Call2Recycle recently released a white paper to guide organizations into implementing the circular economy.
"When it is a success, philanthropists will be standing in line asking to join us."
— Dutch Environment Minister Sharon Dijksma to The Guardian on a project that aims to clear the ocean of plastic debris. The Ocean Cleanup, founded by Boyan Slat, plans to deploy a 62-mile barrier into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in order to capture trash and dispose of it properly.
"Plastic bags and other film packaging are recyclable and have real value — just not in our curbside bins."
— Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee on the state's efforts to divert plastic film from the landfill. Connecticut just became the third state to join the American Chemistry Council's Flexible Film Recycling Group Wrap Action Recycling Program (WRAP).
"One big fire in the wrong place will become very big, very fast ... I’m afraid people are going to die."
— Randy Hanvelt, a supervisor in Tuolume County, CA, to the San Francisco Examiner on the state of California's forests. Officials are debating how to dispose of millions of dead trees that have been killed due to drought and a bark beetle epidemic.