The Latest

  • Heavy equipment moves material in a pit.
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    The image by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Steven Alexander is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    EPA extends coal ash landfill monitoring, cleanup deadlines

    The agency is now delaying a cleanup requirement until 2032. This is part of a broad push by the Trump administration to support fossil-fueled power plants.

  • The steps of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville.
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    Getty Images
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    Tennessee packaging EPR bill revamped with small business, county exemptions

    The bill takes a business-centric approach to recycling, a key difference from other state EPR programs. It also allows certain small businesses and counties with fewer than 200,000 residents to opt out of the program.

  • An illustration of the U.S. Capitol with recycling containers
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    Danielle Ternes/Waste Dive
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    Tracker

    Tracking the future of US recycling policy in Congress

    The House version of the Reuse Act, which calls for a study into methods for scaling reuse and refill systems across the country, was introduced Feb. 4.

    Updated Feb. 9, 2026
  • A bulldozer pushes trash on the open face of a landfill early in the morning. A town partially covered by fog is visible in the background.
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    [Photograph]. Retrieved from Lycoming County Resource Management Services.
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    Michigan OKs Republic hazardous landfill expansion; Georgia county closing site

    Republic Services received approval to expand its Wayne Disposal landfill. Public officials are facing difficult decisions due to the finances of their landfills in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania.

  • Oregon's state capitol building in Salem, Oregon.
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    Getty Images
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    Oregon judge grants wholesalers preliminary injunction in packaging EPR case

    The latest court development shields National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors members for the coming months and tees up a trial in July.

    Updated Feb. 9, 2026
  • A worker rolls a trash cart to a trash truck on the street
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    WM to acquire Waste Resources in California

    The company, which offers residential and commercial hauling in parts of Southern California, has franchise agreements in several cities that have provided approval to change contracts over to WM service.

  • Two collection bins with the Ecowaste Solutions logo
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    Permission granted by Ecowaste Solutions
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    Newly formed Ecowaste Solutions looks to double size in 3 years

    The company just announced its third acquisition, less than a month into its existence. Kinderhook Industries Managing Director Rob Michalik said Ecowaste will expand rapidly in the South.

    Updated Feb. 6, 2026
  • A person throws a bag of recyclables into a bin run by the Houston Recycling Collaboration
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    Courtesy of Cyclyx
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    Agilyx, ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell to split up chemical recycling joint venture

    The companies will restructure Cyclyx International. Agilyx will take ownership of the Dallas-area circularity center, while ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell will own the Houston location.

  • People walk by trash trucks in an exhibit hall.
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    2026 waste and recycling industry conferences

    Organizers have announced new details about several conferences, including the EHS Hazmat Summit, Organics Recycling Conference and RCon. Check out the list of key events this year.

    Updated Feb. 9, 2026
  • A road leads into a facility with a reflective sign that reads "Baldwin County Solid Waste Division Magnolia Landfill"
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    Retrieved from The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County, Alabama.
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    Treasury releases tax credit language that could spur biogas investment

    The agency released draft language guiding the credit, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act and extended by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Elsewhere, Waga Energy and others announced new projects.

  • 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

    Liberty Waste Solutions acquired AJ Disposal in North Carolina. Hoffman Sanitation Services acquired another Oklahoma hauler. Caldwell Environmental acquired industrial waste company Northern Hills Oil.

    Updated Feb. 6, 2026
  • A pink recycling bin sits on the ground and is filled with flexible plastics.
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    Courtesy of Recycle BC
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    Recycle BC rolls out curbside flexible plastic recycling to meet 50% collection goal

    The producer responsibility organization for British Columbia will offer curbside options in the Central Okanagan region, as well as dedicated bins for apartments in Vancouver.

    Updated Feb. 4, 2026
  • View of a main road through a town with mostly two- and three-story brick buildings on a sunny day. A "Welcome to Downtown Lawrence" sign is visible in a public plaza.
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    The image by Ian Ballinger is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Republic Services acquiring Hamm landfill and MRF in Kansas

    The landfill has served Kansas’ sixth-largest municipality for decades. The MRF began accepting waste in 2015 and was an early adopter of Stadler technology.

  • Lithium-ion 18650 battery, commonly used in vape devices
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    Permission granted by Call2Recycle
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    Vape waste legislation and pilots increase due to facility fire issues

    New bills in California and New Jersey, and programs in New York and Missouri, aim to reduce recycling and waste facility fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in what some are calling the “vape effect.”

  • A person tips a blue recycling bin containing a clear plastic Starbucks cup into a larger collection bin.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    New year, new label: PP cup recyclability status changes

    The new How2Recycle labels are expected to roll out on PP cups this year. Years of collaboration between Starbucks, WM and other partners resulted in meeting the 60% recycling access threshold, said GreenBlue.

  • John Deere farm equipment is seen
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    EPA says Deere can’t cite Clean Air Act to limit farm equipment repairs

    The agency’s guidance is a direct response to the tractor maker’s request last summer on how manufacturers should interpret the law when it comes to repairs.

  • A hill full of solar panels
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    Permission granted by Republic Services
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    Landfill solar projects still have bright future, but face practical limitations

    The United States now has hundreds of installations on closed landfills, though the remaining sites may be limited by shifting federal policy, remediation costs and geography.

  • A circular sign hanging above a booth at a trade show reads "Routeware."
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    Permission granted by Routeware
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    Routeware’s new CEO discusses fleet tech company’s strategy

    Routeware has served the waste industry since 2000. But with new leadership comes an opportunity to refocus on the fundamentals, CEO Jeremy Collins told Waste Dive.

  • A row of garbage trucks are lined up and parked.
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    The image by Kris Arnold is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    The 2026 outlook for the waste and recycling industry

    Economic and policy shifts could impact waste and recycling business in 2026, including M&A deals, state recycling legislation, and regulations for PFAS and landfills.

  • A financial chart indicating a rising monetary number, set across a blue background.
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    Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Is a better economy a worse environment for waste M&A?

    The industry has become a safe harbor for investors seeking stable returns over the last five years. But as it matures, sellers are getting larger and buyers are getting hungrier.

  • Bales of recycled paper sit in a MRF
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    Megan Quinn/Waste Dive
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    WM signals optimism in Q4 despite healthcare solutions integration

    WM CEO Jim Fish says sustainability investments paid off in 2025, with six more RNG projects and four recycling projects due in 2026. Improvements to its Stericycle integration should help margins.

  • Colorado State Capitol Building stands across a snow covered Civic Center Park
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    Doug Pensinger via Getty Images
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    5280 Waste Solutions prepares for Denver compost rules with 2 acquisitions

    Backed by Laurel Mountain Partners, 5280 is expanding its offerings for residential and commercial clients with the deals. The company plans to expand its organic waste processing capacity in the future.

  • A pile of textile waste.
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    Getty Images
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    Textile EPR back on the agenda in Washington, New York

    Reuse and repair provisions are part of these states' proposed textile EPR bills. Meanwhile, California is mulling three options for its PRO as part of its textile EPR implementation process.

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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Bottle bill supporters face same challenges, new economic conditions for 2026

    Bottle bills will face the same hurdles as in years’ past, but supporters in places like Maryland and Washington hope new perspectives on domestic manufacturing and EPR can help make their case.

  • Two tractors move on a field against a clear sky.
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    The image by Brad Tinker is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Worries over PFAS in biosolids spill into 2026 legislative sessions

    The federal government has been relatively quiet on the issue of PFAS contamination from sewage sludge spread on farmland. That’s led state lawmakers to propose a wide range of regulations.