A recent webinar presented by the Northeast Recycling Council explored industry and federal efforts to improve consumer education and reduce fire risks. | Allyson-Kitts/Shutterstock
Many MRF operators cite batteries as their greatest challenge, and for good reason. Fires at waste management facilities have been steadily increasing in recent years, many traced back to improper disposal of household batteries.
The safety-focused summit came after the latest federal data showed a backslide in waste and recycling industry safety. | M2020/Shutterstock
As recycling companies seek to improve workplace safety amid an industry-wide increase in on-the-job fatalities, experts at a recent industry summit advised managers to focus their attention on — and for top executives, even to attend — the regular pre-shift safety meetings.
After a long runup, natural and colored HDPE grades saw sharp decreases in value once again in May, joined by drops in PET and PP prices. Mixed paper also declined slightly, while OCC remained steady.
Winter weather and tariffs were top of mind for five of the largest publicly traded garbage and recycling companies in North America in the first quarter of the year. | Republic Services
Bad weather in parts of the country weighed on leading recycling companies’ first-quarter earnings, their leaders said, but overall they saw revenue increases. Continue Reading
Extended producer responsibility was a hot topic throughout the three-day event held in Seattle last week. | Photo Courtesy of GreenBlue Org
A common complaint among MRF operators is that they have little meaningful contact with the packaging industry, despite dealing with headaches from that industry’s products every single day. Continue Reading
The initial recyclable materials list classifies just under a dozen material types as readily recyclable under Maine’s EPR program, but state representatives emphasized it was a first draft. | KWJPHOTOART/Shutterstock
More than 100 people showed up in-person and virtually to an informal stakeholder meeting on Maine’s draft material types list for the state’s extended producer responsibility program for packaging. Continue Reading
A Glacier robot positioned on the sorting line at Seattle’s King County MRF. | Photo by Colin Staub
A Seattle-area sorting facility operated by Recology has installed imaging and sorting equipment supplied by Glacier, adding another major MRF to the company’s two-dozen customers. Glacier also announced it has raised additional capital that CEO Rebecca Hu-Thrams said will help the company grow further and faster. Continue Reading
Among other changes, Circular Action Alliance proposed cutting down their time period to review comments on the plan from regulators to 60 days, freeing up three months. | Brandon Bourdages/Shutterstock
The Circular Action Alliance is asking for several changes to extended producer responsibility deadlines in response to the delayed rulemaking on SB 54. Continue Reading
Interstate Waste Services’ new facility has an annual capacity of 215,000 tons, the company said. | Courtesy of Machinex
Two U.S. MRFs have been on opposite ends of good and bad fortune this month, with a new $30 million facility opening in North Arlington, New Jersey, two days after a 23-year-old MRF was destroyed by a tornado in Columbia, Missouri. Continue Reading
The newly formed Kentucky Recycling Coalition plans to start a summit, do a membership drive and ultimately improve recycling access across the state. | Aspen Rock/Shutterstock
After several years of work, Kentucky is no longer the only state in its region without a state recycling organization. The new Kentucky Recycling Coalition wants to increase access, update a statewide sustainability plan and build up membership. Continue Reading