The Latest

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

    Ecowaste Solutions continued its acquisition spree with a North Texas hauler, and equipment manufacturer CP Group acquired Recycleye, which provides technology for MRFs.

    Updated April 15, 2026
  • a worker disassembles a mattress in a warehouse filled with mattresses
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    Courtesy of Mattress Recycling Council
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    Virginia Gov. Spanberger vetoes mattress recycling bill

    Spanberger criticized the proposed recycling fee consumers would pay when buying a new mattress, saying it would make the products more expensive.

  • Close up of dentist hands in white sterile gloves holding dental tools for surgical use packed in a protective foil at dental office
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    Getty Images
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    Next step in recycling more healthcare plastics: Better labeling

    Leaders of a Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council project in 2026 want to empower hospitals to divert more material through clearer, more standardized labeling of packaging flowing through healthcare settings.

  • Republic Services collection truck
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    Courtesy of Republic Services
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    EEOC settles with Republic Services for $200K in sex discrimination case

    The lawsuit alleged that a Republic affiliate in Springfield, Missouri, hired male applicants over more qualified female applicants starting in early 2020.

    Updated April 14, 2026
  • a close-up of recycled consumer batteries
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    Wisconsin, Kentucky governors latest to approve battery EPR laws

    Both plans cover certain medium-format and rechargeable batteries, including some lithium-ion types, but Kentucky’s is unique because the program is voluntary.  

  • United States map with recycling arrows superimposed on top
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    Photo Illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    Tracker

    Tracking recycling laws by state

    Virginia’s governor vetoed a mattress stewardship bill. Governors in Kentucky, Wisconsin and Oregon signed stewardship laws for certain batteries.

    Updated April 14, 2026
  • A green trash truck is parked outside a shopping complex.
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    GFL bets on oil amid Iran war in $4.6B Secure Waste deal

    The transaction would add to GFL’s offerings one year after it divested from its environmental services business. Executives detailed synergies, including routing waste to Secure’s portfolio of more than a dozen landfills.

  • A mechanical arm on a garbage truck grabs a large waste bin sitting on the street near a sidewalk.
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    Permission granted by New York City Sanitation Department
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    Mamdani commits to containerizing New York’s residential waste by 2032

    Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Sunday that the Department of Sanitation would procure enough bins and trucks to meet DSNY’s goal. But officials still face a heavy lift with budget negotiations and complex supply chains.

    Updated April 13, 2026
  • Workers hold large scissors to cut a ribbon inside a recycling facility. Bales of recycled plastics can be seen in the background.
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    Courtesy of Republic Services
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    MRF upgrades from Republic, WM and Athens target efficiency in fast-growing regions

    As state and local diversion laws get stricter, companies continue centering building plans on newer, faster automation meant to help process larger volumes and get cleaner end products.

  • An aerial photograph of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill in Roane County, Tenn.
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    Retrieved from Tennessee Valley Authority/Wikimedia Commons.
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    EPA proposes weakening power plant coal ash protections

    EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin framed the proposal as “commonsense changes” but environmental advocates say it could permit coal plant owners to minimize, delay or avoid cleanup.

  • Bales of crushed plastic bottles, most of them green in hue.
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    Getty Images
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    Q&A

    NH Recycles looks to continue recycling work with fresh leadership

    NH Recycles, the oldest organization of its kind, is designed for the long game, said Reagan Bissonnette, the outgoing executive director, and Andrea Folsom, who will take on the role in May.

  • four blue recycling carts stand next to each other
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    Getty Images
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    Oregon packaging EPR funds its first recycling improvements with cart program

    Circular Action Alliance projects spending up to $123 million from producer funding for recycling projects through 2027, including money for new recycling carts, collection trucks and facility upgrades.

  • The facade of the Oregon Capitol Building.
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    Getty Images
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    AF&PA can’t join NAW’s Oregon EPR lawsuit, judge rules

    The American Forest & Paper Association, which has noted higher-than-anticipated fees, “remains fully committed to pursuing all available legal and strategic options” to protect members.

  • A hand brushes organic materials like vegetable scraps off a plate and into a bin
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    Getty Images
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    Food waste began to decline 4 years after the pandemic, Refed finds

    An analysis of surplus food generated in 2024 looked across the supply chain, from production to consumers. The residential sector made the most headway in reducing waste, and investment has increased.

  • One person stands at a podium, with three seated, in front of a crowd of attendes at a MassRecycle event.
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    Permission granted by Charles Tyler
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    What’s next for Massachusetts waste reduction funding, EPR and organics

    MassRecycle’s annual conference included updates about industry-backed efforts to pass a battery EPR law. MassDEP also recently previewed its policy, program and funding plans to help achieve a 2030 waste reduction goal.

  • A damaged lithium-ion battery is displayed on a table.
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    Courtesy of City of Seattle
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    Oregon Gov. Kotek signs battery EPR bill

    The law will establish a producer responsibility program for certain batteries and products by 2029. It had backing from many of the state’s major haulers and recyclers due to fire safety concerns.

    Updated April 8, 2026
  • A Maas Energy Works anaerobic digestion lagoon
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    Courtesy of Maas Energy Works
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    USDA extends anaerobic digester funding pause as review continues

    The federal agency's pause on loan guarantees for new on-farm projects will extend past the 90-day deadline and will now go through the end of the year.

  • stacks of used hard drives
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    Courtesy of HyProMag
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    Rare earth magnet recycler plans US facility openings with new separation tech

    HyProMagUSA aims to open a recycling facility in Texas in 2027, with locations in Nevada and South Carolina to follow. It aims to make a name for itself with robotics-assisted separation tech.

  • A close-up of several round metal discs ringed by bolts, most of which are hooked up to a tube, at an industrial facility.
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    Permission granted by Anaergia
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    Biogas companies report strong 2025, plus RNG news from Waga, Nopetro

    In their fourth quarter and full-year 2025 earnings releases, the companies reported expanding infrastructure amid continued demand and support for RNG.

  • President Donald Trump
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Trump’s 2027 budget again aims to halve EPA spending

    The president envisions steep cuts to environmental programming and waste-related activities in an echo of his proposal last year. The final tally will likely change following negotiations with Congress.

  • A line of speakers sit side by side underneath a decorative map
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    EPA proposes adding microplastics to list of drinking water contaminants

    At an EPA event on Thursday, Administrator Lee Zeldin called the proposal a “major step forward” for providing regulators with better research into microplastics’ health impacts.

  • Landfill
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    Getty Images
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    Global waste generation could rise 50% by 2050: World Bank

    Inequities in waste collection and funding are a major global issue, according to an updated report. Upfront investments today will mitigate future expenses that impact climate change and global health, the report states.

  • Red garbage truck in parking lot with Boston Carting Services logo
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    Permission granted by Boston Carting Services
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    Casella acquires Boston-area Star Waste Systems

    The purchase of private equity-backed Star is worth an estimated $100 million in annualized revenue. The company comes with multiple municipal hauling contracts and hauling locations, plus a C&D facility.

    Updated April 6, 2026
  • Paint cans sit on shelves
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    Courtesy of PaintCare
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    Maryland rolls out new paint stewardship program

    The state plans to collect 350,000 gallons in the first year. The program comes a few months after Illinois launched its own PaintCare system and New Hampshire vetoed a plan for a similar program.

  • Several people stand in front of a dirt pile wearing hard hats and holding shovels. Behind them, a banner includes the Dem-Con and Kanadevia Inova logos, amid several others. It reads "Groundbreaking Ceremony, DCHZI Anaerobic Digester Facility."
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    Courtesy of Kanadevia Inova
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    Overlapping regulations help boost a Minnesota food waste digester

    The forthcoming plant in the Twin Cities area is backed by a family company with ties to composters that believes anaerobic digestion can complement the region’s organic waste toolkit.