The Latest

  • Illustration of heavy equipment at a landfill
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    Danielle Ternes/Waste Dive
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    Tracker

    Tracking GHG emissions of US waste management companies

    WM improved its scope 1 metrics but pushed back its landfill gas reuse timeline by a year. LRS reported a reduction in its scope 1 emissions and plans to invest $33 million in compressed natural gas vehicles. 

    Updated July 18, 2025
  • Republic Services collection truck driving
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    Courtesy of Republic Services
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    Republic, Teamsters fail to reach labor agreement as officials push for resolution

    Three municipalities have notified the hauler it’s not meeting its contract, while the Massachusetts secretary of state questioned private companies’ ability to perform sanitation services. 

    Updated July 16, 2025
  • A large pile of discarded fruits and vegetables, including watermelons, tomatoes, leafy greens, and root vegetables, lying on damp soil.
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    Alamy
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    Massachusetts’ organic waste ban is good for business, state finds

    The state found that headcounts across the organics recycling supply chain have increased both at individual companies and across the sector since 2016.

  • Aerial view of a collection truck picking up waste or recyclables in a residential area
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    RichLegg via Getty Images
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    Tracking the waste and recycling industry’s M&A activity

    A ReSource Waste subsidiary acquired a Massachusetts hauler; Synagro acquired Dahm Enterprises; FCC Environmental Services acquired a Win Waste Innovations facility; Veolia North America acquired Ingenium.

    Updated July 15, 2025
  • A trash truck leaves a material recovery facility.
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    Casella Waste acquiring Mountain State Waste in West Virginia

    The acquisition, representing about $30 million in annualized revenue, opens the door for Casella to operate in new regions of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky while expanding its Pennsylvania footprint. 

  • Close up of food scraps
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    futurewalk via Getty Images
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    Re:Circle Solutions revamps organics recycling facility in California

    The company, which recently overhauled its systems, is producing animal feed from depackaged organic waste at its Ontario, California, facility.

  • A low-slung concrete building with a smokestack in the back pictured from across a pond. Palm trees line the front of the building.
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    Permission granted by Win Waste Innovations
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    FCC Environmental completes acquisition of Win Waste WTE facility in Florida

    The Broward County site is the company’s first such U.S. facility, though it operates a dozen WTE sites internationally. FCC also has a large presence in Florida via services for commercial and residential customers.

    Updated July 14, 2025
  • View of a stepped butte in foreground on left of image with landfill rising behind it and a snow-capped mountain in the background
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    The image by Bigcran is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Oregon governor signs law targeting Republic landfill as expansion advances

    The state joins Hawai’i and Ohio in setting new restrictions on landfills in recent weeks. Elsewhere, WM took a step toward expanding a Pennsylvania landfill and a publicly owned Montana site broke ground on new capacity.

    Updated July 14, 2025
  • The Toyota logo on a sign at a dealership.
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    Tomohiro Ohsumi via Getty Images
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    Toyota subsidiary closes deal to acquire Radius Recycling for $907M

    The deal expands Toyota’s closed loop system for materials like steel, precious metals and batteries used by automotive manufacturers. 

    Updated July 11, 2025
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    Photo Illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    Tracker

    Tracking recycling laws by state

    Maine’s governor approved an EPR for packaging update while Rhode Island’s governor approved an EPR study bill. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approved a right-to-repair law.

    Updated July 11, 2025
  • Workers stand in a group outside with signs that read "Employees of Republic Services On strike - Unfair Labor Practice - Teamsters Local No. 25"
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    Permission granted by Teamsters Local 25
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    Teamsters declare ‘war’ with Republic Services, escalating strikes

    The union says more than 2,000 Republic Services workers are striking or honoring picket lines nationwide. The escalation comes a week after Local 25 went on strike against the company in the Boston area. 

  • Close-up of plastic packaging in the trash
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    ZWIA updates zero waste hierarchy to account for chemical recycling concerns

    The Zero Waste International Alliance’s recent update adds new details to its “do no harm” and “do not export harm” principles, driven in part by member input about plastics processing facilities.

  • Plastic film packaging
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    The image by Carol VanHook is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Chemical recycling sector renews push for manufacturing status amid EPA rule changes

    The plastics industry renewed calls for the U.S. EPA to formally acknowledge chemical recycling as a manufacturing process after the agency declined to consider certain pyrolysis facilities in recent air emissions rules.

  • A person standing in a kitchen pours dehydrated food grounds into a 5-gallon bucket labeled with "mill" and "r.city"
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    Courtesy of Mill
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    Food waste device maker Mill is hungry to expand beyond home kitchens

    The company revealed new data from its partnership with Phoenix area compost hauler R.City as it explores additional markets.

  • A worker dumps trash into the back of a trash truck
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    Jeff Fusco via Getty Images
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    Philadelphia sanitation strike ends with tentative pay agreement

    AFSCME and Philadelphia officials confirmed the strike has ended, though the union must still ratify the terms of the deal before it becomes official. Between 1,200 and 1,300 sanitation workers were part of the strike.

    Updated July 9, 2025
  • A rendering of an industrial facility with several cylindrical towers and sheds.
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    Permission granted by Viridi Energy
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    The LCFS faces a new political reality, plus RNG news from Viridi, Opal Fuels

    Amendments to California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard took effect July 1, but new legislation may threaten the credit program’s status quo. In other states, some legislation advanced while a few projects saw setbacks.

  • A crowd of people surround President Donald Trump outside as he raises a gavel at a podium in a celebratory fashion.
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    Eric Lee via Getty Images
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    Plastics, biofuels groups praise signing of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    The newly signed bill includes favorable provisions for alternative fuels and manufacturers broadly. It’s been criticized by environmental groups for cuts to other key programs.

  • PFAS treatment equipment inside a facility
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    Courtesy of Montrose Environmental
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    Q&A

    Montrose Environmental looks to ‘future-proof’ PFAS remediation amid regulations

    Montrose aims to offer customizable R&D and treatment options, especially for emerging concerns over leachate, biosolids and drinking water.

  • workers at a recycling facility
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    Q&A

    Amazon releases waste diversion metrics as part of larger sustainability plan

    The company says it reached an 85% waste diversion rate in 2024. Amazon’s waste and biodiversity director, Justine Mahler, says that’s driven partly by organics diversion programs and ongoing data collection investments.

  • The state capitol in Augusta, Maine
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    aimintang via Getty Images
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    Maine becomes last New England state to mandate organics diversion

    The requirement kicks in July 1, 2030, for institutions that generate over two tons of organic waste per week and are within 20 miles of a recycler.

  • A bald man with glasses stands in front of a microphone.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Teamsters expand strike over Republic Services contracts

    Teamsters Local 179 in Ottawa, Illinois, announced it would also strike Republic Services on Wednesday. The chapter joins roughly 450 Republic workers represented by Teamsters in Massachusetts already on strike.

    Updated July 2, 2025
  • Numerous pieces of waste on a computer screen with red digital boxes around certain objects.
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    Permission granted by Greyparrot
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    4 collaborative projects that aim to advance packaging recycling

    Speakers at the Packaging Recycling Summit detailed scenarios in which brands, manufacturers, recyclers, academics and others across the supply chain are working to improve how packaging is managed at end of life.

  • Person in hard hat and safety vest stands over fast-moving conveyor belt with recyclables in Oregon
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    Natalie Behring via Getty Images
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    Oregon EPR program delays ‘responsible’ end market provision until 2026

    Circular Action Alliance said “more time was needed” to work out kinks in the provision meant to determine responsible end markets for recycled materials. CAA plans to propose an updated verification process soon.

  • Styrofoam containers
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    Genevieve Isabelle via Getty Images
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    Where new recycling laws are taking effect in July

    Multiple states are banning EPS foam food containers, and Oregon’s packaging EPR program begins. Elsewhere, there are bottle bill and hotel product updates.

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    Mark Wallheiser via Getty Images
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    Gov. DeSantis vetoes bill calling for Florida recycling plan

    The recycling industry had backed this bill to revive the conversation about progressing toward the state’s 75% recycling goal. Meanwhile, DeSantis also acted on other industry-related bills.