Disruptor of the Year: China's Import Policies

No actions from any one company or city, however bold or surprising, have captured the industry's attention in 2017 more than China. 

By Cole Rosengren • Dec. 4, 2017

Transformation of the Year: The Reimagine Phoenix Initiative

This year, Phoenix significantly boosted its diversion rate and entered critical partnerships to help it reach its zero waste goals. 

By Cody Boteler • Dec. 4, 2017

Sanitation Department of the Year: LASAN

This year, the Los Angeles Department of Sanitation launched the largest commercial waste franchise system in the country.

By Cole Rosengren • Dec. 4, 2017

Company of the Year: The Recycling Partnership

In an industry that is both hyper-local and globally dependent, The Recycling Partnership has become a key national convener.

By Cole Rosengren • Dec. 4, 2017

LASAN addresses franchise growing pains during tense public meeting

The ambitious recycLA transition timeframe has included missed collections, sticker shock, a nascent ballot initiative and also success stories.

By Cole Rosengren • Dec. 4, 2017

Chicago recycling enforcement seen as lackluster

The city's Department of Streets and Sanitation has new authority to levy fines on businesses and multi-unit buildings, but so far it's only relying on voluntary tips from residents.

By Cole Rosengren • Dec. 1, 2017

CalRecycle announces $9M in grants to expand domestic processing infrastructure

Three new projects focused on film, glass and PET are the latest beneficiaries of the California Climate Investments fund.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 30, 2017

Report: A garbage truck-worth of textiles are incinerated, landfilled every second

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Fibres Initiative released a report with four "ambitions" for reducing textiles waste.

By Cody Boteler • Nov. 30, 2017

EnviroMedia launches weekly social media campaign to push waste reduction

The new #WasteLessWednesday campaign, from the original creators of America Recycles Day, aims to keep the conversation going year-round.

By Cody Boteler • Nov. 29, 2017

Vancouver opens pop-up store to solicit ideas on reducing packaging waste

The Canadian city is looking for ways to cut down on the millions of to-go cups, bags and containers being disposed each week, and is not ruling out the potential for new regulations.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 27, 2017

UPDATE: Florida's Polk County approves $1.6M settlement with Republic Services

On top of a hectic post-hurricane contract transition, Polk County has been fielding angry responses about cart deliveries and a reduction of accepted materials due to market issues.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 22, 2017

Amazon touts success of recyclable packaging, some customers not convinced

The e-commerce giant is celebrating 10 years of its "frustration-free" and "100% recyclable" shipping. Though recent stories show plenty of excess material is still being used.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 21, 2017

Philadelphia ramps up community engagement with new 'Philacycle' rewards program

This program, in partnership with Recyclebank, aims to go beyond the standard recycling rewards model by incentivizing education and awareness among residents citywide.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 17, 2017

Online 'Singles' Day' shopping sprees generates more than 160K metric tons of packaging waste

China's annual online shopping "holiday" is a boon for online retailers, but a nightmare for environmentalists. 

By Cody Boteler • Nov. 17, 2017

Report: Colorado lacks recycling access and the data to track where it's working

The first-ever statewide recycling survey from Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG identifies many ways to improve the state's 12% diversion rate on a path to hit 28% by 2021.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 17, 2017

China proposes new 0.5% contamination standard with March 2018 enforcement

Newly-filed documents with the World Trade Organization confirm rumors that China intends to relax contamination standards, but not as much as some had hoped.

By Cole Rosengren , Cody Boteler • Nov. 16, 2017

Connecticut standardizes recycling rules statewide to curb contamination

The new "What's In, What's Out?" campaign comes after more than a year of coordination among stakeholders and is geared toward reducing contamination.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 16, 2017

Report: Recycling in Texas up overall, down for plastics, e-waste

Plastics recycling saw a significant drop in the Lone Star State but, overall, Texans are recycling more in 2015 than they did in 2013.

By Cody Boteler • Nov. 16, 2017

iFixit CEO: Right to Repair gaining momentum, 'just a question of when'

During the Northeast Recycling Council's fall conference, Kyle Wiens highlighted ongoing legislative efforts to improve electronics repair and said if those fail a ballot initiative is "inevitable."

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 16, 2017

Market effects vary by state, but widespread agreement is recycling needs to change

Following recent market turbulence from China, Waste Dive talked to recycling professionals around the country about the state of their local programs and where to go from here.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 15, 2017

America Recycles Day turns 20 with a full schedule of events

Organizations around the country are using the day to make announcements and educate people on the current state of recycling for all materials.

By Cody Boteler • Nov. 15, 2017

NYC offering $20K for 'creative' multi-unit recycling ideas

The tech challenge aims to fix high contamination rates among nearly 3,300 residents at a Brooklyn public housing complex with plans to scale further.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 14, 2017

ISRI assesses recyclability of K-Cups, EnergyBags and foodservice packaging

Three presentations were made at the ISRI MRF Council's recent Washington, D.C. meeting, where contamination was a top concern.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 13, 2017

UPDATE: Alaska city cuts mixed paper and plastic from recycling program, per Republic's request

Residents of Sitka will no longer be able to drop off certain plastics or mixed paper for recycling.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 13, 2017

BLS: Injury rates down for collection workers, up at MRFs and landfills

The increase in MRF injury rates is a particular challenge as more facilities staff up to meet new contamination specifications.

By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 10, 2017