Labor

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday

Legislation sailed through Congress this week and was signed by President Joe Biden in time for the day's celebration.

By Emilie Shumway • June 18, 2021

Atlanta and San Francisco's food waste wisdom; how the pandemic affected recycling education

SWANA's Sustainable Materials Management Summit and the NYC Food Waste Fair brought together local leaders from Florida to Maryland and Georgia to California. Catch up in this week's municipal news roundup.

By Maria Rachal , Cole Rosengren • June 17, 2021

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The Waste Dive Outlook on 2021

Entering a second year of operating during a pandemic, the waste and recycling industry is poised to see further corporate traction on ESG goals, tech upgrades and M&A activity, as well as key policy developments from the Biden administration.

By Waste Dive staff

States active on recycling and waste legislation in the first half of 2021

Lawmakers have tackled legislation aimed at cutting single-use plastics, reducing materials headed to disposal and increasing recycled content use but in some cases missed the chance to pass other high-profile EPR bills.

By Waste Dive Team • UPDATED: June 22, 2021 at 9:42 a.m.

Employers may relax COVID-19 measures in fully vaccinated workplaces, OSHA says

Updated guidance encourages employers to give paid time off for vaccinations. The agency also published a long-awaited emergency temporary standard, but only specific to healthcare employees.

By Ryan Golden • June 10, 2021

Roundup: 'Recycling is infrastructure too,' Twin Cities poised for landfill expansion

Plus: Driver shortages impact garbage, recycling, yard and bulk pickups in multiple states, and Georgia, South Carolina and Colorado see legislative actions on single-use plastics, tires and recycling access.

By Maria Rachal , Cole Rosengren • June 03, 2021

Coronavirus vaccine requirements, incentives get federal OK — with some limits

The long-awaited U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission document may answer some of the questions employers have had, but other areas remain less certain.

By Ryan Golden • June 01, 2021

What Biden's worker organizing task force could mean for non-union employers

The group's recommendations are due to come later in the year, but its establishment could provide clues about how the administration will approach key labor issues.

By Ryan Golden • May 26, 2021

Republic shareholders reject ESG-linked pay proposal while industry sees another year of rising CEO compensation

A recent Teamsters-backed effort to tie executive compensation to environmental performance was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the pay gap between solid waste CEOs and median employees continues to widen.

By Cole Rosengren • May 25, 2021

Roundup: Driver shortages hamper local waste collection, US recycling infrastructure begs $17B expansion

Plus: California's budget surplus yields $130 million proposal for recycling infrastructure, New York City progresses on solutions for its curbside trash problem, and more municipal news from around the U.S.

By Maria Rachal , Cole Rosengren • May 20, 2021

Waste Management offering no-cost education for employees' dependents to improve retention

The program will expand in 2022 to include employees' nearly 34,000 benefits-eligible dependents, and will be a "key differentiator" for the company, said Chief People Officer Tamla Oates-Forney.

By Emilie Shumway • May 20, 2021

OSHA to review safety guidance, directs employers to follow CDC mask update

Employers can still voluntarily opt to require social distancing and masks for their workers, attorneys say.

By Kathryn Moody • May 18, 2021

Waste companies putting pandemic behind them, anticipate more economic rebound coming

Outside of Canada, the majority of local economies have reopened and volumes are bouncing back. Catch up on results and takeaways on the first quarter of 2021 from the industry's largest solid waste operators.

By Waste Dive Team • May 10, 2021

GFL Environmental reports positive volume outlook despite Canadian lag, closes 10 acquisitions

While Canada's pandemic restrictions continue to affect GFL's business, U.S. recovery trends and past acquisitions are providing a boost. Ample M&A opportunity remains due in part to potential tax changes, the company said.

By Cole Rosengren • May 06, 2021

Environmental justice and diversity should be priorities for recyclers, ISRI panelists say

Speakers at ISRI's annual convention stressed the importance of fostering meaningful relationships in environmental justice communities where they operate, both to mitigate harm and to prepare for potential regulation.

By Megan Quinn • May 04, 2021

As litter balloons, local governments and residents try new approaches

Litter and city cleanliness issues seemed to worsen during the pandemic, prompting numerous solutions. “When it's sort of everybody's responsibility, it's nobody's priority,” one anti-litter specialist said.

By Maria Rachal • May 03, 2021

Waste Connections Q1: Landfill volumes 'above pre-COVID levels'

Amid pandemic recovery, in March the company had its largest hiring levels since September 2019. It reported better commodity pricing and solid waste volumes even in regions hit hardest by COVID-19.

By Megan Quinn • April 29, 2021

Waste Management raises guidance as pandemic recovery accelerates, predicts possible labor headwind

Pricing and the Advanced Disposal acquisition were key first quarter boosts. Executives also announced a new chief sustainability officer and weighed in on the Biden administration's infrastructure proposal.

By Cole Rosengren • April 27, 2021

Roundup: Stimulus funding for city waste initiatives, DC and NY inch toward zero waste goals

The week of Earth Day saw news on zero waste plan reassessments, organics program expansions, reuse pilots and more. Catch up on updates from New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston and other cities around the country.

By Maria Rachal , Cole Rosengren • April 23, 2021

Waste and recycling sector encourages coronavirus vaccinations as barriers fall

All U.S. adults are now eligible to receive a vaccine. Still, the need for PPE and other protections remain: "we've got to keep our head down until we have a significant portion of the population vaccinated," said Casella's CEO.

By Maria Rachal • April 20, 2021

Roundup: Local governments continue to fight illegal dumping, adapt curbside recycling

Catch up on the latest local waste and recycling headlines from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and numerous other municipalities around the country.

By Maria Rachal , Cole Rosengren • April 09, 2021

Roundup: How cities are bucking privatization, fighting contamination via smartphones

A Washington city explains ending its 15-year relationship with Waste Connections, Waste Pro plans to walk from contract troubles in Memphis and more local stories from around the country.

By Cole Rosengren , Maria Rachal • March 26, 2021

Attorneys anticipate EEOC vaccine incentive guidance 'soon'

The news follows recent efforts by business groups to extract more clarity from the EEOC. The lack of federal guidance has resulted in a "gray area" for employers.

By Ryan Golden • March 18, 2021

Racial justice scorecard says waste companies fall short on providing detailed workplace equity metrics

Waste Management and Republic Services were listed in an As You Sow report calling on S&P 500 companies to acknowledge racism and provide details related to pay equity, promotions, recruitment and retention numbers.

By Megan Quinn • March 17, 2021

PPP funds for waste, recycling companies slow to roughly $41M in early 2021

Widening COVID-19 vaccine access and commercial customers reopening portend recovery from some of 2020's unprecedented challenges. Still, seven companies secured loans of over $1 million in January.

By Maria Rachal • March 03, 2021

Workers split on coronavirus vaccine mandates, incentives, survey shows

Employers should engage with employees "at a deep level to understand their views and align decisions with employee preference," said Eagle Hill Consulting's president and CEO.

By Kate Tornone • March 03, 2021