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

"Today’s announcement reinforces the immediacy and relevancy of the work done by Keep America Beautiful for nearly 65 years — along with the efforts of many others — to bring people together from all walks of life to create positive environmental, economic and social impact in communities across America and beyond."

— Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Helen Lowman in a press statement following President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Lowman and many other industry leaders have responded to this decision with a strengthened commitment to environmental policy, despite the Trump administration's agenda.  

"We must avoid excessive hardship for truck drivers and ensure the gains from the technology are fairly shared across society [as] self-driving trucks threaten to disrupt the careers and lives of millions of professional truck drivers."

— Steve Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITWF), as reported by Fleet Owner. A recent report from the International Transport Forum found that autonomous trucks may reduce the demand for new drivers in the U.S. and Europe anywhere from 50-70% by 2030.

"It's not single-stream, it's us. We're the problem. We don't put the right stuff in the right bucket."

— Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) Executive Director Mike Durfor in a recent interview with Waste Dive. Durfor discussed the economic challenges of single-stream recycling and organics diversion, and explained NRRA's industry involvement. 

"It’s amazing how much food Americans waste ... like mind-boggling amounts."

— New Jersey Sen. Bob Smith, chairman of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, as reported by NJ Spotlight. This week, the New Jersey Senate approved three food waste reduction bills to set reduction targets and clarify guidelines for food donations. 

"So when you talk about moving the needle, you talk about putting your money when your mouth is, this is something we're pretty serious about."

— Republic Services Vice President of Recycling and Sustainability Pete Keller in an interview with Waste Dive regarding the company's commitment to renewable natural gas (RNG). Republic recently announced an expanded agreement with Clean Energy to utilize its Redeem brand of RNG across the company's entire fleet, which is intended to reduce emissions by 110,000 metric tons of CO2e over three years.