In case you missed it: Thoughtful, newsworthy comments from industry professionals, consumers and policymakers.

"If it comes to it, and they hold to this ban, if they hold to the contamination levels, there will be no market for many of the things that we collect in our curbside and commercial recycling programs right now."

— Brad Lovaas of the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association, to Oregon Public Broadcasting, about communities in the Pacific Northwest increasingly feeling the effects of China's changing import policies.

"In a quarter where two of our biggest operating areas were heavily impacted by hurricanes, our employees maintained their focus on servicing our customers, improving core price, growing profitable volume and controlling costs to produce arguably the best quarter Waste Management has had in its history."

—Jim Fish, CEO of Waste Management, during a third quarter earnings call that showed his company has been less affected by China's import policies than some expected. The Waste Management team quality control, alternative markets and the hiring of its first chief digital officer.

"There is a lot of pent-up M&A that has been awaiting tax change, that if tax change happens, and you're going to see elevated activity, because those people believe that there could be a two to three year window before tax change goes the other way again... And if it doesn't change and it is killed, you are also going to see elevated activity, because they know it's as good as it's going to get, and it's only going to get worse."

—Ron Mittelstaedt, CEO of Waste Connections, on why he is optimistic about future M&A potential one way or another before the next presidential election. Waste Connections also reported strong third quarter earnings this week.

"It's become politically charged, not because of the waste industry, not because of Browning-Ferris. It's because of McDonald's."

— Michael Harper, a law professor at Boston University, in an interview with Waste Dive about how a joint employer debate that started in the waste industry has become a national issue. Some in the industry, including the National Waste & Recycling Association, see multiple opportunities to reverse current Obama-era standards.

"Over the last few weeks, I had serious concerns about the EPA following the spirit and the letter of the RFS, which I made clear to my committee colleagues, the EPA, and the White House. Tonight, I'm pleased to see these commitments from EPA Administrator Pruitt to uphold the RFS as intended by Congress."

— A statement from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-IA, in which she shared a letter that was sent to her from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Ernst and other Midwestern lawmakers have been pushing Pruitt and the Trump administration to take the Renewable Fuel Standard more seriously.

"In the course of my 30 years I have seen probably seven different types of evolution and that will continue to only get faster. Is hydrogen anywhere in our future? Right now we're banking on electric and that's where we're going. But is that only going to be for five years until hydrogen replaces it?"

— Director Enrique Zaldivar, of the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, in an interview with Waste Dive. Zaldivar defended the recycLA franchise program, previewed food waste diversion pilots and discussed, what else, China's import policies.

"Safety is a partnership. Everybody needs to share that responsibility." 

— Bonacio Crespi, a driver for M&M Sanitation, at the third Trade Waste and Recycling Safety Symposium in New York. The event focused on how collection truck drivers can balance the challenges of a growing city with the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.