America Recycles Day 2022: Updates from around the country

This year’s event was marked by the U.S. EPA opening up $375 million in grant funding, President Biden calling on manufacturers to better support reuse and recycling, Colorado’s governor weighing in on EPR and more.

By Cole Rosengren • Updated Nov. 17, 2022

What analyzing National Sword can teach us about optimizing US plastics recycling

The dust has yet to settle from the major reckoning the U.S. plastics recycling system faced, but three notable factors have the potential to change the status quo going forward, write researchers from the University of California, Berkeley.

By Jessica Heiges and Kate O’Neill • Nov. 16, 2022

Tracking recycling laws by state

An EPR for packaging bill continues to advance in Washington. A similar bill was recently approved in Maryland and awaits the governor’s signature.

By Megan Quinn • Updated April 16, 2025

EPA promises recycling infrastructure funds, new reports coming soon

During the National Recycling Congress, the U.S. EPA’s Nena Shaw said the infrastructure grant funding process is almost ready and previewed work on batteries, data collection and future reports on plastics and food waste.

By Megan Quinn • Nov. 15, 2022

The next frontier in e-commerce packaging: reusable bags and boxes

Online ordering spiked during the pandemic — and so did the waste it creates. As Cyber Monday approaches, startups such as Returnity and Trashless are developing ways to offer consumers and retailers an alternative.

By Lela Nargi • Nov. 15, 2022

Closed Loop launches new recycling company, Circular Services, with $700M investment

Combining the operations of Sims Municipal Recycling, Balcones Resources, Retrievr, HomeBiogas and more, the new company, to be led by Closed Loop CEO Ron Gonen, is being touted as a “holistic” service provider.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 15, 2022

PureCycle touts upcoming PP facility in Ohio but reports challenges at Georgia and Florida locations

During its Q3 earnings call, the polypropylene recycler said its flagship location will open next year, but funding or environmental justice concerns could complicate plans at other locations.

By Megan Quinn • Nov. 11, 2022

Rubicon pledges ‘progress to profitability’ and shares plans to grow company’s earnings potential

In Rubicon’s first earnings call since going public and seeing its founder step down, CEO Phil Rodoni named “profitability as the core tenet of our strategy and corporate culture going forward” and announced a new company president.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 10, 2022

Injury and illness rates for waste workers hit ‘historic’ low in 2021

SWANA says the decreased rates for workers on collection routes, as well as in MRFs and at landfill sites, are at their lowest since 2006.

By Megan Quinn • Updated Nov. 11, 2022

Holiday shopping season won’t save weak prices for OCC, mixed paper

Analysts and recyclers expect low prices for recovered fiber could persist through year’s end as e-commerce gains fade, exports fall and Amazon’s efforts to reduce packaging continue.

By Megan Quinn • Nov. 9, 2022

Elections 2022: Denver greenlights recycling expansion, a close decision on San Diego trash fees and more

Voters in California, Colorado, Michigan, New York and Vermont weighed in on a range of state and local initiatives with implications for waste and recycling as part of Tuesday’s election.

By Maria Rachal • Nov. 9, 2022

Waste execs pull back the curtain on inflation-driven pricing strategies

Leaders from LRS, Casella Waste Systems, Waste Pro, Denali Water Solutions and more shared their strategies during the Corporate Growth Conference.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 8, 2022

Upstream CEO talks about the role of EPR in expanding reuse-refill, ‘golden opportunity’ for recycling industry

The reuse-refill sector has become increasingly mainstream, as shown by the nonprofit’s Reusies award event. Matt Prindiville shares his latest outlook on where it’s going next and how the traditional waste industry can be involved.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 7, 2022

Facing falling recycled commodity prices, waste companies pivot in Q3

After enjoying increasing recycled commodity values for the first half of 2022, industry operators faced major commodity price declines.

By Megan Quinn • Nov. 4, 2022

Top waste companies spent $1.1B on Q3 acquisitions, with more to come

Here’s what executives at the industry’s largest companies had to say about the M&A environment this year — and how much each has spent.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 4, 2022

GFL Q3 revenue jumps, ESG targets to come this month

GFL Environmental’s revenue bump came amid economic headwinds and notable costs related to fuel, trucks and MRF fires, as discussed on its earnings call Thursday.

By Maria Rachal • Nov. 3, 2022

Waste Connections says pricing strategy helped achieve solid Q3

Higher activity in waste treatment services related to oil and gas, up 52% from last quarter, was a strong point amid inflation and “precipitous” declines in recycled commodity prices, especially for OCC, CEO Worthing Jackman said.

By Megan Quinn • Nov. 3, 2022

Plastic markets fall, EPA urged to update policies and other top recycling stories from October

The month’s notable recycling headlines include recent plastic market trends, questions about the United States' long-held waste hierarchy and calls to standardize recycling bin labels.

By Megan Quinn • Nov. 2, 2022

Is EPR an answer to compostable packaging’s contamination and labeling hurdles?

Extended producer responsibility laws can and should encompass compostable packaging, industry players at a recent Product Stewardship Institute webinar said. 

By Megan Quinn • Updated Nov. 15, 2022

Where voters will consider waste and recycling initiatives

San Diego and Denver are among the localities with ballot measures, which range from affecting waste fees to recycling facility funding to more access to composting.

By Maria Rachal • Nov. 1, 2022

Mattress, textile, organics disposal bans begin in Massachusetts

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection is now requiring local governments and businesses to keep certain materials out of the waste stream.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 1, 2022

Waste Connections reports a decline in GHG emissions despite acquisitions, sets new ESG targets

The company plans investments in RNG facilities, MRFs and electric collection vehicles as well as new goals to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 15%, building on a recent decline of 7%, it said in its 2022 sustainability report.

By Cole Rosengren • Oct. 31, 2022

Q3 earnings results for major waste and recycling companies

Follow the latest round of financial results from WM, Republic Services, Casella Waste Systems, Waste Connections, GFL Environmental and more.

Updated Dec. 1, 2022

Casella reports 13 acquisitions in 2022, sees M&A opportunity in potential recession

The Vermont-based company said its pricing and fee strategy have worked well in a tight economic environment. Executives also previewed upcoming plans for acquisition and landfill expansion spending.

By Cole Rosengren • Oct. 28, 2022

Environmental justice voices in the waste and recycling industry

Catch up on these Q&A conversations with experts from the U.S. EPA, Ya Fav Trashman, Detroit Dirt and others on how the waste and recycling industry can play a role in environmental justice efforts.

By Megan Quinn • Updated March 14, 2023