Vicinity Energy takes over first WTE facility with $120M Michigan contract

Covanta opted out of the site after 30-plus years, creating an opening for Vicinity, a Veolia spinoff focused on district heating systems. Kent County plans to invest more than $40 million in upgrades to preserve the site.

By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 8, 2023

Minnesota renewable energy bill that could boost landfill gas, anaerobic digestion heads to governor’s desk

If the bill gets enacted, power from incinerators operating in environmental justice areas would not count toward the state’s renewable energy goals, but that from landfill gas and anaerobic digestion would.

By Megan Quinn • Feb. 7, 2023

Federal lawmakers reintroduce bills calling for billions in food waste recycling and prevention grants

Sponsors of the COMPOST Act and Zero Food Waste Act say an injection of federal funding over 10 years will help scale up local projects. These bills failed to pass last session.

By Megan Quinn • Feb. 3, 2023

WM boosts planned MRF and RNG spending by $590M, sees signs of inflation easing

Volumes may be flat, and recycling values are down, but executives hope cost control measures and long-term investments will offset headwinds. They said federal regulations are driving an attractive environment for RNG projects.

By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 1, 2023

WTE trade group reemerges with backing from Covanta, WIN Waste and local governments

The sector’s two largest companies, plus notable public sector facility owners such as Florida’s Miami-Dade County, hope the Waste-to-Energy Association can help them reframe environmental discussions.

By Cole Rosengren • Jan. 31, 2023

Vermont mulls EPR, bottle bill improvements to catch up on recycling goals

A report from the Department of Environmental Conservation recommends adopting EPR for hazardous waste, reducing PFAS and updating the state’s bottle bill to help reach its waste reduction, recycling and composting goals.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 27, 2023

Covanta CEO promises ‘vastly different’ approach for the company

Azeez Mohammed, who joined the company as part of its 2021 sale to EQT Infrastructure, talks through a wave of strategic changes in his first extended interview on the job. 

By Cole Rosengren • Jan. 26, 2023

Connecticut governor backing EPR for packaging and other policies to increase state’s ‘self-sufficiency’

Gov. Ned Lamont said a combination of EPR, waste diversion and improved organics management will help Connecticut reduce a growing amount of waste exported to other states in the wake of a major WTE facility closing.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 25, 2023

Carlton Waterhouse, EPA’s solid waste office nominee, to leave agency in February

Waterhouse’s nomination by President Biden for an EPA assistant administrator role has been stuck for a year and a half.

By Megan Quinn • Updated Jan. 25, 2023

EPA proposes further leachate regulations after study finds PFAS at 95% of surveyed landfills

The agency is assessing new effluent limitation guidelines and pretreatment standards, but their effect on daily operations is not clear. WM, Republic Services and waste trade groups have weighed in on the potential changes.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 24, 2023

Clean Harbors says it can destroy more than 99% of PFAS at incinerator facility

A third-party study commissioned by Clean Harbors said the company’s incineration process can destroy 99.99% of PFAS compounds. The U.S. EPA says research on using incineration for PFAS management is still limited.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 23, 2023

The Waste Dive Outlook on 2023

What you need to know on industry trends to watch, the hiring landscape, fleet maintenance and more to come as the new year gets underway.

By The Waste Dive Team • Updated Feb. 15, 2023

VLS Environmental sees hazardous waste and PFAS opportunities after latest acquisition

VLS, a private equity-backed company, intends to keep growing in the hazardous and non-hazardous waste sectors. Its latest purchase of Texas Molecular may also open up new opportunities for PFAS disposal.

By Cole Rosengren • Jan. 18, 2023

Some landfills will begin treating PFAS on-site as regulators move to adopt new limits

Companies such as Casella Waste Systems and Waste Connections are building their own wastewater treatment plants for leachate and testing a range of technologies as the industry awaits federal standards.

By April Reese • Jan. 17, 2023

CalRecycle ramping up SB 1383 compliance efforts as it kicks off $155M grant program

Jurisdictions can expect compliance reviews within four years as the state looks to increase progress on a target to cut organic waste disposal 75% by 2025. Additional grant funding for local governments is also being planned.

By Cole Rosengren • Jan. 13, 2023

New York governor signs environmental justice law to reduce cumulative pollution impacts

The state’s environmental permitting process will now require applicants to consider how their projects might contribute to cumulative environmental impacts on disadvantaged communities.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 13, 2023

6 waste and recycling trends to watch in 2023

The effects of ongoing M&A, the biogas boom, and regulatory and financial debates around plastics are among the most complex topics on Waste Dive’s radar in the new year.

By Cole Rosengren , Megan Quinn , Maria Rachal • Jan. 12, 2023

The fragile ecosystem of Massachusetts C&D recycling

The state’s construction recycling requirements have spurred a wave of new infrastructure investments and led to more acquisitions. Some say they’ve also constrained capacity, all while the region’s building boom continues.

By Cole Rosengren • Jan. 11, 2023

What environmental justice mapping tools mean for the waste industry

A review of reports from WM, Republic Services and Waste Connections shows an increasing level of data from tools such as EPA’s EJScreen about the potential effects of waste sites on surrounding communities.

By Myisha Majumder • Jan. 5, 2023

By the numbers: 2022 waste and recycling trends with implications for 2023

Key data points on some of the top issues — M&A, ESG, inflation and policy — that illustrate another eventful year for the industry.

By Megan Quinn , Cole Rosengren , Maria Rachal • Jan. 4, 2023

Where recycling and waste laws changed on Jan. 1

California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, New York and Washington, D.C., are among the jurisdictions enforcing new recycling and waste laws as of Jan. 1, including bag fees, bottle bill updates and organics diversion mandates.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 4, 2023

BP completes $4.1B acquisition of Archaea

The transaction positions BP as a major developer of renewable natural gas projects at U.S. landfills and caps off a rapid rise for Archaea since it became a public company in 2021.

By Cole Rosengren • Dec. 28, 2022

Tracking PFAS developments in 2023 and beyond

Discussions about how to safely manage PFAS, as well as how they should be disposed of or regulated, have gotten more complex in recent years.

Updated Aug. 17, 2023

Top interviews with waste and recycling leaders in 2022

Read some of the year’s most popular conversations with CEOs from Republic Services, WIN Waste Innovations, LRS and Vanguard Renewables, as well as leaders from WM, the U.S. EPA and other organizations.

Dec. 22, 2022

In PFAS fight, U.S. Composting Council calls for science over ‘unsound policies’

Executive Director Frank Franciosi says federal agencies can help shed light on how these persistent chemicals affect compost and crops while ensuring that new policies don’t hinder progress on organics recycling.

By Megan Quinn • Dec. 19, 2022