Waste Management's first chief sustainability officer aims to expand recycling, organics revenue

In her first Waste Dive interview since starting the new role, Tara Hemmer describes sustainability as a "growth lever" for the industry giant. She also weighs in on the landfill emissions debate, plastics and waste reduction.

By Cole Rosengren • July 26, 2021

SWEEP adds Bay Area partners to growing SMM certification pilot

Also in this week's municipal news roundup: recycling and organics program developments from Cleveland, New York City and Rochester, New York, and still more labor shortages disrupting collection services.

By Maria Rachal • July 23, 2021

Supply chain 'stretched' for cardboard boxes, wood pallets

Price indices are at record highs, but companies are still clamoring for materials as they try to keep pace with heightened e-commerce demand.

By Max Garland • July 20, 2021

Progress report: State waste and recycling policies gain notable traction this year

State lawmakers have made significant headway on laws about EPR, recycled content mandates and plastic products. Other bills are still in play, and experts anticipate even more possible changes in 2022.

By Megan Quinn • July 19, 2021

City hiring woes and solutions; New $16B pitch for recycling infrastructure

In this week’s municipal news roundup: Denver and St. Louis feel the effects of labor shortages, and leaders in Portland, Oregon, seek to widen their worker candidate pools.

By Maria Rachal • July 16, 2021

Chicago exploring organics and textile recycling, commercial waste zones through new strategy

Chicago has one of the lowest diversion rates among major U.S. cities. Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar said it would be "a big leap" to set any type of zero waste target and the city is focused on "interim steps."

By Maria Rachal • July 15, 2021

Cities tackle illegal dumping, ongoing hauler labor shortages

In this week's municipal news roundup: more methods to reduce roadside trash, plus ongoing waste collection issues and new compost initiatives.

By Megan Quinn • July 9, 2021

EPR in the US can't directly follow the European model; it must avoid a producer monopoly

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance's Neil Seldman responds to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's description of extended producer responsibility as “a necessary part of the solution to packaging waste and pollution."

By Neil Seldman • July 8, 2021

Top stories from 2021's WasteExpo

Catch up on event coverage and interviews about the labor shortage, emerging ESG pressures, fleet technology, organics recycling, PFAS and more.

By Waste Dive Team • Updated Sept. 17, 2021

What the industry is saying about 5 key topics in waste and recycling

At WasteExpo, executives, vendors and regulators were vocal on everything from policy to PFAS and plastics, to the problem of not being able to hire enough workers.

By Waste Dive Team • July 7, 2021

Waste CEOs emphasize labor, ESG and M&A as top priorities after pandemic

Leaders from Waste Management, Republic Services, Waste Connections, GFL Environmental and other groups weighed in on labor solutions, fleet technology and the economy at WasteExpo.

By Cole Rosengren • July 6, 2021

What municipal leaders discussed at WasteExpo; Northeast bag bans take force

In this week's municipal news roundup: commentary from officials in Atlanta, Austin and Phoenix. Plus, pandemic-delayed plastics laws begin taking effect.

By Maria Rachal • July 1, 2021

Oregon governor signs country's second EPR law for packaging

The law establishes a packaging EPR program by 2025. It also calls for other updates, such as a standardized material list and a labeling task force meant to evaluate items' recyclability.

By Megan Quinn , Cole Rosengren • Updated Aug. 9, 2021

Maine governor signs nation's first EPR law for consumer packaging

Along with a pending Oregon bill, this shows growing momentum for EPR policies. The programs target most types of consumer packaging and require producers to pay into state-regulated stewardship organizations.

By Megan Quinn • Updated July 13, 2021

Expanding curbside recycling after a tumultuous few years

The Recycling Partnership and Recyclops share how they're working with municipalities to expand the scope of U.S. curbside recycling. Also in this week's municipal news roundup, truck news from Alaska and South Carolina.

By Maria Rachal • June 24, 2021

Shifts in attitudes on EPR could mean quicker policy change: Circularity 21

Conference speakers pointed to the U.S. Plastics Pact road map and Ellen MacArthur Foundation's recent endorsements as signs that EPR is coming into its own — as long as state and federal policy can catch up.

By Megan Quinn • June 23, 2021

Amid rising interest in packaging policy, bottle bill changes still struggle to break through

Multiple states introduce bills each year to update their container deposit laws, but few pass. Experts say balancing competing interests and tough compromises may be the only way for them to make it to the finish line.

By Megan Quinn • June 23, 2021

Nearly 50 companies, including Waste Management, pursuing New York commercial waste contracts

The city aims to release the next part of a waste and recycling zone RFP within two months. Waste Connections, Interstate Waste Services, Winters Bros. Waste Systems and other local companies are among the high-profile bidders.

By Cole Rosengren • June 23, 2021

Atlanta and San Francisco's food waste wisdom; how the pandemic affected recycling education

SWANA's Sustainable Materials Management Summit and the NYC Food Waste Fair brought together local leaders from Florida to Maryland and Georgia to California. Catch up in this week's municipal news roundup.

By Maria Rachal , Cole Rosengren • June 17, 2021

GE announces European partnerships to advance full wind turbine recycling

"Europe may be ahead of the U.S. in requiring recyclable systems, but all will soon follow," said Paul Veers, chief engineer at NREL's National Wind Technology Center.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • June 16, 2021

2021 state waste and recycling policy highlights

Catch up on legislative coverage of EPR, recycled content mandates, product bans and market development plans from California to Maine.

By Waste Dive Team • Updated Dec. 21, 2021

Colorado governor signs bill banning plastic bags and foam containers, repealing preemption

Plastic bags and foam containers will be banned from most establishments by 2024. It also allows municipalities to pass stricter ordinances. Colorado is the first state to roll back a preemption policy.

By Megan Quinn • Updated July 7, 2021

City budget season brings new waste initiatives in DC, Baltimore, elsewhere

Also in this week's municipal news roundup: a major recycling facility fire in Phoenix, additional reports of service disruptions stemming from worker shortages, and more updates from around the country.

By Maria Rachal • June 10, 2021

Connecticut governor signs bottle bill updates into law, doubling deposit value

The law also expands the list of eligible beverage containers and allows distributors to propose a stewardship system in the future. The updates are the most significant to Connecticut's program since it began in 1978.

By Megan Quinn • Updated June 17, 2021

California eyes efforts to spur US ratification of Basel Convention

State lawmakers and activists in California want the Biden administration to prioritize a treaty to curb waste dumping in developing countries. Meanwhile, Palo Alto is struggling to account for where exported waste ends up.

By Megan Quinn • June 4, 2021