In This Issue:

1 | EPA releases municipal solid waste report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its annual report on municipal solid waste in the United States, which includes a trove of information on national recycling and composting trends. Based on data collected between 1960 and 2009, the 2009 Municipal Solid Waste in the United States report says the country generated 243 million tons of MSW in 2009 — 8 million fewer tons than the previous year.

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2 | PRC 2011: Should plastics packaging be labeled for recovery?

Plastics reclaimers continue to report that some packagers label their plastic containers as recyclable when they are not. "We need a uniform labeling system on recyclability," they say. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition agrees and SPC's Anne Bedarf will report on the organization's Labeling for Recovery Project. Some of the key components of this effort are to produce a label design for on-package recyclability labeling by component and to collect data on the percentage of consumers having ready access to plastics packaging recycling opportunities.

The Plastics Recycling Conference — to be held March 1-2, 2011 in New Orleans — is lauded as the biggest and best in the world by past attendees, and is a must-attend event for the industry's most influential, best and brightest. From in-depth industry assessments and educational sessions to the extensive trade show floor, it is an event not to be missed. To register, go to www.plasticsrecycling.com or click on the banner below.

3 | Casella sells off some recycling assets

In a move intended to reduce the debt load on one of the of country's largest publicly-traded waste firms, Casella Waste Services sold its "non-integrated recycling assets" for $130.4 million to CE Holdings, a new company created by Pegasus Capital, LLC and Intersection LLC, in partnership with MissionPoint Capital Partners LLC, HarbourVest Partners LLC and Ares Capital Corporation.

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4 | RockTenn buys Smurfit-Stone

Two massive producers of paperboard packaging have become one, with the Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. now a fully-owned subsidiary of RockTenn Co. The deal, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, will create a $9 billion company specializing in the paperboard market.

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5 | Shipping costs to rise for recycling businesses

The recycling industry can expect to pay more this year to move material.

Several key cost elements are on the rise. Energy analysts predict that diesel fuel and gasoline will become more expensive, due in part to a diesel shortage in China. At the same time, the economy is improving, especially in the manufacturing sector, and bookings will become more scarce.

6 | Survey: 87 percent of U.S. population can recycle paper

According to a survey from the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), 87 percent of the U.S. population — equal to 273 million people — has access to curbside and/or drop-off paper and paperboard recycling programs. The findings are from the 2010 AF&PA Community Survey, funded by the association and conducted by R. W. Beck.

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7 | Game Day Recycling scores big touchdown

The Game Day Recycling program, a competition between college football programs to see which can collect the most recyclables during games, set a new record for the program by diverting 21 tons of glass, aluminum, cardboard, plastics and other recyclables from landfills. The amount collected by participating schools amounts to 19 percent of the total waste generated during the fall's six home games, and a 9 percent increase from the previous year.

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8 | Greenstar claims fraud from ex-employees

In a civil lawsuit, Houston-based recycling firm, Greenstar Recycling, says that it was defrauded by two ex-employees in a disposal-diversion scam, according to a story in the Houston Chronicle. Greenstar Recycling, a subsidiary of Dublin, Ireland-based NTR, is accusing the two ex-employees of steering disposal of residue from the Greenstar's San Antonio MRF to a company that the two allegedly had an ownership stake in.

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9 | The wide world of recycling

Scotland's northern region wants to crack down on scofflaws who mix rubbish with recycling, Africa's second largest city wants to make it easier for scavengers to cash in recyclables and researchers at a Georgia University seem to have found a use for the mounds of rubble left in the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake.

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10 | NewsBits

Hotels made of recycled trash, a recycling firm goes public and the Nebraska DEQ hands out over $1 million in recycling grants — all in this week's NewsBits.

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11 | Upcoming conferences

Click here for a complete directory of upcoming conferences!

12 | Jobs Available & Sought

Project Program Manager II, King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks - Solid Waste Division (Seattle, Washington).
Details are available online.

Plastics Business Development, Continental Waste Management LLC (Raleigh, North Carolina).
Details are available here.

PET Procurement Specialist, Perpetual Recycling Solutions (Richmond, Indiana).
Details are available here.

New Business Development Inside Sales Representative, Sims Metal Management (West Chicago, Illinois).
Details are available here.

New Business Development Field Sales Representative, Sims Metal Management (West Chicago, Illinois).
Details are available here.

Account Executive, Sims Metal Management (West Chicago, Illinois).
Details are available here.

Outside Account Representative, Global Green Solutions of Indiana (Indianapolis, Indiana).
Details are available here.

Organics Recycling Operations Manager, Waste Management, Inc. (Southern U.S. Region).
Details are available online, search for job number 102782.

Materials Recovery Facility Manager, Waste Management, Inc. (Minneapolis).
Details are available online, search for job number 102790.

Sales Engineer/Project Manager, WM Recycle America (Western U.S. Region).
Details are available online, search for job number 102510.

Asset Recovery/Recycling Operation Manager, WM Recycle America (Round Rock, Texas).
Details are available online, search for job number 102697.

Regional Manager, Steinert US.
Details are available here.

Equipment Inside Sales Support, Steinert US.
Details are available here.

VP Sales and Marketing, Omni Resource Recovery, Inc..
Details are available here.

Jobs Sought
Database of job seekers available here.

If you would like to submit a job available or job sought listing, send an email to managing editor Dylan de Thomas at [email protected].