Perhaps the ultimate white privilege is simply being able to look away. I am a white middle-class male, brought up in a white middle-class suburb in New England. I was educated early on about the importance of the civil rights movement. I was exposed to and moved by the powerful words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And I’ve been...

Harry Hayes' journey to the top of Houston's solid waste department in many ways began over 40 years ago, when he confronted fears about being the only Black kid in French class. Hayes, in the early 1970s, was set to enter seventh grade in rural Magnolia, Ark. When it came time to decide on his course load, he initially signed...

The coronavirus has forced e-scrap companies to navigate material supply shifts, tackle new safety concerns and confront wider economic uncertainty. Another complication to add to the list: certification audits. All operators certified to the R2 or e-Stewards standards are required to have their sites audited at least once a year. And in normal times, that would mean one or more...

Harry Hayes' journey to the top of Houston's solid waste department in many ways began over 40 years ago, when he confronted fears about being the only Black kid in French class. Hayes, in the early 1970s, was set to enter seventh grade in rural Magnolia, Ark. When it came time to decide on his course load, he initially signed...

At this point, no informed person can honestly deny the world’s plastic waste issue. Researchers have delivered sobering statistics about the amount of plastics ending up in waterways. Media outlets have offered a regular stream of stories and imagery, mobilizing consumers and nonprofit groups. Today, the plastics industry itself is quick to acknowledge the severity of the problem. “We cannot...

This article appeared in the May 2020 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.   As the coronavirus pandemic has swept across North America, recycling operators have generally been deemed part of their communities' essential infrastructure. That's been good for business but also brought a major question: How do facilities keep their workers healthy? At Portland, Maine-based...

This article appeared in the May 2020 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.   What does it take to truly transform a specific material type from "recycling problem" to recycling-friendly? Building end markets for the material can help, of course. So can the development of new recycling technologies. But, often, the key to making an item...

For white decision-makers in recycling and other sectors, it's always been easy to acknowledge racism without actively addressing issues. Now we have a chance for change.

For white decision-makers in recycling and other sectors, it's always been easy to acknowledge racism without actively addressing issues. Now we have a chance for change.

For white decision-makers in recycling and other sectors, it's always been easy to acknowledge racism without actively addressing issues. Now we have a chance for change.