Daily Digest: Food waste investment boom, PFAS in New Hampshire

Plus updates from Vietnam, industry associations, Waste Management and more in our daily roundup.

By Cole Rosengren , Jordan Schultz • Aug. 15, 2018

Blockchain boom hits waste industry

Waste and recycling businesses are proving blockchain isn't a fad and can improve program participation. Companies like Goodr and Plastic Bank are using blockchain to verify pickups and incentivize recycling programs. 

By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 10, 2018

Daily Digest: Quarterly recycling recap, Trump signs Perkins Act

Plus news on the latest plastic talking points, a new curbside organics pilot, bike-share waste and more in our new daily roundup.

By Cole Rosengren , Jordan Schultz • Aug. 6, 2018

Organics now generating more revenue than recycling for Casella

The situation is unique due to a large sludge contract, but it still highlights ongoing drag for what was otherwise reported as a successful second quarter.

By Cole Rosengren • Aug. 6, 2018

EPA reports static recycling rate, framing changes for Trump era

Newly released 2015 data indicates a 34.7% recycling rate for the U.S. The benefits of increasing that rate further are now being framed in terms of job creation rather than greenhouse gas reduction.

By Cole Rosengren • July 31, 2018

Portland, Oregon regional government approves commercial organics mandate

The Metro regional government is actively working to expand processing capacity, and is willing to offset transfer costs, ahead of full implementation by 2022.

By Katie Pyzyk , Jordan Schultz • Updated July 30, 2018

Boston consultants identify 19 initiatives to make it a 'zero waste' city

Organics collection, a SMART residential fee system, new commercial separation mandates and potential city-owned facilities are among the list of draft options being considered ahead of a fall plan.

By Cole Rosengren • July 17, 2018

Food waste still a priority in latest Farm Bill

The latest Senate version still includes $25 million for composting and food waste reduction pilots, along with a biogas task force and multiple other provisions.

By Cole Rosengren • July 11, 2018

CalRecycle awards $25M in organics grants

The funds will go toward 10 projects — with backers including Waste Management, Recology and Athens Services — to build or upgrade infrastructure for various food waste programs.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 10, 2018

Rochester, New York examines adding organics collection

The city will determine an action plan after conducting a waste stream analysis as part of a broader review of its recycling plans.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 5, 2018

Denver partners with NRDC for new food waste plan

The city aims to significantly reduce residential food waste by 2030 through upstream reduction and expanded access to organics recycling.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 29, 2018

3 key areas to watch in the national organics conversation

Among many topics at the 2018 U.S. Food Waste Summit, infrastructure development, packaging and policy tools emerged as some of the most relevant for the waste and recycling industry.

By Cole Rosengren • June 28, 2018

Where the US stands on federal food waste policy

Day one of the U.S. Food Waste Summit included updates from the EPA, USDA and Congress on the status of this national conversation.

By Cole Rosengren • June 27, 2018

2 Midwestern cities advance composting programs

Iowa City, Iowa and Ann Arbor, Mich. are both hoping to boost resident participation and divert more organic waste from landfills.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 22, 2018

New technology to reduce food waste at grocery retailers

Apeel Sciences is debuting its plant-based film to slow the rate of spoilage at the warehouse club and Harps Food Stores — a discovery that could help curtail food waste.

By Krishna Thakker • June 19, 2018

Vermont temporarily eases recycling and organics requirements

The state will allow mixed paper disposal until 2019 and has pushed back implementation of a residential organics collection requirement yet again.

By Cole Rosengren • June 14, 2018

Hungry Harvest to deliver 'ugly' produce to 30 new markets

The company's expansion shows that consumers are growing hungrier for services that reduce food waste. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 7, 2018

Tyson Foods' new innovation lab to tackle waste, food deserts

The lab is looking to address issues that resonate with the consumers most likely to use platforms like crowdsourcing.

By Christopher Doering • May 31, 2018

Entrepreneur proposes mixing sludge, yard waste to create compost in Omaha, Nebraska

What to do with yard waste has been a major point of contention in Omaha, creating difficulty with a current waste collection contract bidding process.

By Katie Pyzyk • May 25, 2018

In victory for biogas industry groups, farm bill fails in House

The ABC, AgEC and BPA argued the bill failed to provide funding for programs that are designed to fuel capital investment and job creation while converting waste into energy.

By Jake Thomas, Kristin Musulin • May 21, 2018

Maryland county to build largest organics composting facility on East Coast

Officials in Prince George's County this week announced the expansion of its Western Branch Organics Composting Facility, which will quadruple capacity to 57,000 tons annually. 

By Catherine Plume • May 18, 2018

DSNY suspends expansion of organics collection program

About 3.5 million residents currently have access to the program, which is available to all Manhattan residents and some districts of Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens.

By Kristin Musulin • May 18, 2018

World Biogas Association touts benefits of AD in new report

The report, which was presented to the mayor of Rotterdam on Wednesday, outlines the sources and impact of food waste and an overview of treatment technologies for city leaders.

By Kristin Musulin • May 17, 2018

USDA brainstorms food waste solutions with stakeholders

Participants included Reps. Chellie Pingree and David Young, as well as representatives from Feeding America, WRI, the National Consumers League and the Food Recovery Network.

By Kristin Musulin • May 9, 2018

Washington, DC approves bill to incentivize residential composting

The Residential Composting Incentives Amendment Act of 2017 establishes a rebate of up to $75 for residents who install a home composting or vermicomposting system.

By Catherine Plume • May 8, 2018