Jeff Eager
Recycling decisions tend to be made on the local level by nonpartisan leaders, but national politics – and fundamental ideological differences – still shape the dialogue. A recent study of local government agendas showed stark differences between left-leaning and right-leaning communities when it comes to action around materials diversion.
Republic Services has purchased recycling processor ReCommunity, a move that’s in line with Republic’s recently stated goal of adding more recycling capacity in the coming year.
A recycling company planning a new MRF in a Florida county has been denied a property tax exemption in part because the business was judged to be not innovative enough.
Four companies that submitted bids to sort and sell Houston’s curbside recyclables will get another crack at it, after some city leaders cried foul on the earlier bidding process.
Robotics may come to play a large role in the MRF setting during the next decade, driven by their ability to provide high-quality output and raise bale values. But there are other important technology changes afoot in sortation lines, according to a processing expert.
The mayor of a Pennsylvania city is being charged with violating county recycling and solid waste laws after he contaminated a collection bin. He could be facing a fine or months of community service.
Funding for North Carolina’s state recycling support program has been largely preserved in a compromise budget approved by both legislative chambers last month.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (center) is joined by Inigo Sanz (right), CEO of FCC Environmental Services, and other city officials at a June 28 press conference.
FCC Environmental Services will build a $20 million materials recovery facility in Houston to sort curbside recyclables for at least the next 15 years, under a deal that still requires final approval.
Washington, D.C. will join the ranks of a select few municipalities next year when it begins accepting a wider array of food-service packaging for recycling, including paper-based coffee cups.
A state-chartered fund involving public and private interests is helping expand and improve recycling in Connecticut.