Scrap Collector: U.S. abstains from supporting Basel Convention plastics amendment

Plus, a New York town is fighting legal battle over transfer station's feral cat colony and a U.K. waste and recycling company calls for ban on environmentally unsustainable items.

By Rina Li • Updated May 13, 2019

Alabama city permitted to expand landfill after 5-year closure

Legal issues thwarted at least three attempts to expand the City of Dothan Sanitary Landfill, but plans now appear to be moving ahead on a 19-acre expansion.

By Cody Ellis • May 9, 2019

EPA plans to approve landfill emissions plans from multiple states

The movement comes after a federal judge largely ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by multiple states, which had challenged the agency's inaction to implement 2016 rules governing methane emissions.

By Cole Rosengren • Updated July 15, 2019

Toxins in the ground: Inside America's most polluted coal ash site and industry's struggle with federal rules

A Texas family's legal battle with an electric cooperative over contaminated land is a microcosm of a larger national debate on how to handle the toxic byproduct of burning coal.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 6, 2019

Off the Route: Documentarian Amy C. Elliott on the 'apex of consumerism'

Elliott spoke to Waste Dive about her documentary "Salvage" — starring one of the last publicly accessible town dumps in North America — and our relationship with waste and consumption.

By Rina Li • May 6, 2019

LA Sanitation director's plans to tackle organics and hit 'zero waste' targets

In the second part of a recent Waste Dive interview, Enrique Zaldivar discusses California's transformative SB 1383 regulations, a large curbside organics pilot and extended producer responsibility.

By Cole Rosengren • May 3, 2019

Casella recycling revenue rises, Boston negotiations ongoing

Despite commodity shifts, the company's recycling business is holding steady. Landfill pricing is also on the rise, and acquisition plans appear to be pacing ahead of annual goals.

By Cole Rosengren • May 2, 2019

Advanced Disposal reports two acquisitions, recycling decline

The Florida company has gone into an extended quiet period following news of a planned merger with Waste Management, but its recent quarterly report offers a snapshot of business before the news broke.

By Cole Rosengren • May 1, 2019

Covanta reports continued investments, 'early signs of interest' in new US capacity

Newly launched operations in New York, ongoing project development in the U.K. and increasingly favorable pricing trends in the U.S. delivered another positive quarter.

By Rina Li • April 29, 2019

Republic still very much 'in the hunt' for acquisitions, outpacing 2019 plan

Advanced Disposal may not have been the right fit, but executives remain actively engaged in M&A. They also covered recycling turnaround plans, rising landfill costs and more during the company's Q1 earnings call.

By Cole Rosengren • April 26, 2019

Waste Connections reports acquisitions in 7 states, with more to come

During the company's Q1 call, executives said they're ready to pick up any Advanced Disposal divestments and have stopped counting on Asian export markets for recycling.

By Cole Rosengren • April 26, 2019

Waste Management anticipates 15% customer growth from 'transformational' Advanced deal

Company executives offered insights into what's described as their biggest merger in 20 years — along with updates on recycling and E&P expansion.

By Cole Rosengren • April 26, 2019

Lakeshore Recycling Systems finalizes purchase of first landfill

Buying the site in western Illinois marks a departure from the company's previous vows to never own disposal assets. CEO Alan Handley recently explained the logic behind this move.

By Cole Rosengren , Rina Li • Updated June 19, 2019

Lincoln, Nebraska's cardboard disposal decreases dramatically following ban

Viewed as a success, the one-year-old ban has led to a 76% decrease in cardboard going to the landfill – as well as higher overall recycling rates.

By Katie Pyzyk • April 24, 2019

Uncontained: The complex link between retail and packaging

Retailers know that the environmental effects of packaging are weighing on consumers' minds. But experts say it's not just about getting rid of plastic.

By Kaarin Moore • April 22, 2019

Advanced landfill in Michigan faces growing legal and regulatory pressure

The Arbor Hills Landfill, which has been targeted with numerous complaints and state violations, faces a potential lawsuit from the Conservancy Initiative as well as legislation proposing hiked fines for ongoing infractions.

By Rina Li • Updated April 22, 2019

Minnesota court: State can prioritize WTE over landfill around Twin Cities

Republic Services sued the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency after it enforced a decades-old statute in 2017. The court's ruling leaves financial penalties unresolved, but theoretically upholds the state's preferred hierarchy.

By Cody Ellis • April 11, 2019

Scrap Collector: Does WTE have a role in NYC's 'zero waste' goal?

Plus: Entrepreneurs pitch sustainable floating city concept at UN, and Detroit lawmakers pushing for statewide incineration ban.

By Rina Li • April 5, 2019

Rumpke receives permit approval for major Ohio landfill expansion

The 240-acre expansion is projected to add an additional 30 years of capacity to a site that handles waste from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

By Rina Li • Updated Aug. 13, 2019

New regional campaign looks to boost recycling in 10 Texas cities

A recent study by Burns & McDonnell found that $122 million worth of recyclables are being sent to area landfills each year. A regional campaign led by The Recycling Partnership aims to address this gap.

By Catelyn Scholwinski • April 2, 2019

Scrap Collector: Controversial Detroit incinerator shuts down

Plus: US accused of hampering marine plastics progress at UN, and ancient trash heaps reveal Byzantine city's surprising demise.

By Rina Li • March 29, 2019

Recycling in the US will survive — despite the media narrative

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Center for a Competitive Waste Industry outline why they believe national media outlets are misleading the public on recycling's future.

By Neil Seldman & Peter Anderson • March 26, 2019

Waste Management landfill faces uncertain future after Oregon Supreme Court loss

The Riverbend Landfill is rapidly nearing capacity and losing municipal customers — and now faces a legal roadblock over expansion plans.

By Cody Ellis • March 19, 2019

10 insights from public waste company 10-Ks

We took a deep dive into the annual reports of the five vertically-integrated service providers to assess operational scale, unionization rates, landfill lifespans and more.

By Cole Rosengren , Rina Li • March 18, 2019

UN report: Rising consumption rates and 'extract-make-use-dispose' model unsustainable

The new GEO-6 report warns of "potentially irreversible" environmental degradation in the event of continued failure to meet sustainability targets, highlighting waste management improvement as an area of focus.

By Rina Li • March 18, 2019