Zero Waste
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Reworld to shut down California’s last MSW incinerator
The decision to close the Stanislaus County facility comes two years after California removed incentives for jurisdictions to route their waste to incineration. Reworld said it will focus on business opportunities elsewhere.
By Jacob Wallace • Oct. 8, 2024 -
Notable waste and recycling conferences in 2025
Organizers have already begun planning conferences for 2025, with new locations announced for events by SWANA and ReFED. See details about next year’s events covering business trends, organics, plastic recycling and more.
By Waste Dive Staff • Updated Oct. 4, 2024 -
Sponsored by Livegistics
Connected workspaces: Waste and material management’s digital revolution
Streamline your waste management journey with connected workspaces, saving time and enhancing data for waste producers, processors and transporters.
By Scott Holliday, Head of Product, Livegistics • Sept. 9, 2024 -
Composters add pickup services for hard-to-recycle items, addressing gap
The small, independent haulers are partnering with recyclers in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and elsewhere to divert materials. They say customers are willing to pay for pickups amid distrust with mainstream recycling services.
By Jacob Wallace • Aug. 19, 2024 -
New York City inked a $7M large bin contract. Advocates want more.
The New York Department of Sanitation contract is for large, on-street shared waste containers. A proposal for small residential buildings to use individual bins instead has zero waste advocates frustrated.
By Jacob Wallace • Updated Aug. 12, 2024 -
How agencies in 6 states plan to spend millions from EPA climate pollution grants
State and local governments began applying for the $4.3 billion program earlier this year. Awardees in Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington plan to fund efforts to address their waste systems.
By Jacob Wallace • Aug. 8, 2024 -
EPA opens civil rights investigation into Baltimore waste plan
The EPA will investigate whether Baltimore City and its Department of Public Works violated communities’ civil rights with its waste plan, which preserves the city’s status quo with a WIN Waste combustion facility.
By Jacob Wallace • July 17, 2024 -
SWANA joins Canada Plastics Pact
The association, already a member of the U.S. Plastics Pact, says joining the Canadian counterpart further affirms its recent emphasis on shifting from solid waste management to resource management.
By Megan Quinn • June 28, 2024 -
Exhibit brings together waste artists-in-residency from DSNY, Recology
Artists who have embedded with waste agencies and haulers around the country are showing work together in one exhibit for the first time. The show shines a light on the civic and environmental possibilities in art.
By Jacob Wallace • May 10, 2024 -
GrowNYC compost drop-off funding runs out amid New York budget talks
The nonprofit has become a fixture in communities and at farmer’s markets for its food scrap collection program, but emergency private funding was not enough to keep the programs afloat through the current fiscal year.
By Jacob Wallace • May 9, 2024 -
Well-known circular economy specialist appointed as CalRecycle director
Zoe Heller is well-known in the industry for her work with CalRecycle and the U.S. EPA. Supporters says her skill set will help her manage the role as California works through major recycling, organics and diversion programs.
By Megan Quinn • May 8, 2024 -
EPA unveils environmental justice ‘clearinghouse’ with hundreds of resources
The online library is an "excellent start" for municipal leaders looking to center environmental justice in their work, the National League of Cities’ sustainability director said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 3, 2024 -
Q&A
ISWA says waste should become a ‘transformation industry’ as UN projects rising global tonnage
A recent UN report projects global waste volumes could reach 3.8 billion metric tons by 2050, at significant cost. Carlos Silva Filho, president of ISWA and a contributor to the report, shares his thoughts on a new vision for the sector.
By Cole Rosengren • April 30, 2024 -
Pacific Coast grocers reduce wasted food tonnage by nearly 25% over 4 years
The reductions came via a public-private partnership among stakeholders across the food supply chain to share best practices to reduce food loss and waste 50% by 2030.
By Jacob Wallace • April 17, 2024 -
State officials list batteries, tires, PFAS-containing materials as most challenging to manage
The survey found a need for more resources and infrastructure to address the challenging materials.
By Jacob Wallace • April 15, 2024 -
Green Li-ion opens battery materials recycling plant in Oklahoma
The company aims to close the loop on battery materials with the new facility, which produces raw materials from unsorted scrap.
By Kate Magill • April 11, 2024 -
Education, transparency key to improving New York City’s recycling system, experts say
Recycling capture rates declined from 2017 to 2023 in New York City. Critics say DSNY is losing its focus on waste reduction and should redouble its efforts to get recycling and organics collection right.
By Jacob Wallace • Updated April 11, 2024 -
New book tackles waste crisis at the personal and policy levels
Author Edward Humes’ new book, “Total Garbage,” aims to serve as a how-to guide for reducing waste in everyday life while advocating for changes in U.S. waste policy through EPR and other means.
By Megan Quinn • March 25, 2024 -
How 3 large states want to address waste with federal climate funding
The U.S. EPA received 45 state priority climate action plans, the first step in accessing Climate Pollution Reduction Grant funding.
By Jacob Wallace • March 21, 2024 -
Environmental justice funding and recycling resources top of mind at NRC conference
National Recycling Congress participants such as Reloop and the the U.S. EPA delved into the roles both small community groups and large federal agencies play in advancing environmental justice initiatives.
By Megan Quinn • March 13, 2024 -
LASAN putting recycLA commercial waste program out to bid, ending contract extension talks
LA Sanitation and Environment officials hope that a reconfigured “recycLA 2.0” can yield better environmental outcomes and more competitive pricing by 2027. The move affects haulers such as Athens Services, WM and Republic Services.
By Cole Rosengren • March 8, 2024 -
Q&A
How federal attention to methane and retailer relationships are benefitting Divert
Vice President Chris Thomas discusses how the U.S. EPA’s support for anaerobic digestion and Divert’s large customer base can allow the company to expand despite broader market challenges.
By Jacob Wallace • March 5, 2024 -
Negotiation stalemate pushes Los Angeles to verge of rebidding commercial waste contracts
Haulers such as WM and Republic Services say they need more time to discuss a contract amendment. LA Sanitation staff and elected officials appear ready to put the whole recycLA franchise system back out to bid.
By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 26, 2024 -
D.C. updates strategy to reach ‘zero waste’ by 2040, including many policy proposals
The plan extends the deadline for an 80% diversion rate to 2040. It calls for actions such as building a MRF, implementing commercial waste zones and banning certain items from disposal.
By Megan Quinn • Feb. 22, 2024 -
Rheaply eyes expansion plans in multiple cities to reuse more furniture amid office rethink
The Chicago-based startup aims to bring more businesses onto its reusable materials exchange platform to divert items from disposal.
By Megan Quinn • Feb. 21, 2024