ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – The Anchorage Assembly’s recent decision to start fining retailers who hand out single-use disposable plastic shopping bags with each purchase puts the city on a growing list of localities using these measures to reduce litter and help the environment. The City of Lights’ bag ban – which starts March 1, 2019 – also brings up a long-standing … Read More

More than a dozen packaging and solid waste management companies recently called for an increase in the amount of cardboard that’s recovered through residential recycling programs. This comes at a time when localities are puling back on these programs and the leading source of residential cardboard waste – online shopping – continues its rapid growth. “For years, old corrugated containers … Read More

BEND, OREGON — Deschutes County’s newly formed Solid Waste Advisory Committee is looking at ways it could expand the county’s food waste collection program in hopes of extending the life of its landfill. The move would put one of the country’s fastest growing localities on a long list of places that offer both residential and commercial food waste disposal services. … Read More

    In our most recent newsletter, we looked at Seattle’s new contracts with Waste Management and Recology. Those two companies are incumbents, so the most interesting thing is not that they won the contracts – the most interesting thing is what the contracts say about the vehicles to be used in collection. Specifically, the contracts require the companies to … Read More

SEATTLE – The Emerald City’s latest set of solid waste collection contracts continue its commitment to using cleaner burning fuels. They also push two large companies – Recology and Waste Management — one step closer toward an electric-powered fleet. “It’s an exciting opportunity for all of us,” said Hans Van Duzen, Seattle Public Utilities’ contracts manager, as he presented the … Read More

It’s no secret that I think people in the solid waste and recycling business are really in the local government business (background here, here, and here). If industry members are trying to sort through the impact of China’s National Sword policy as well as broader recycling contamination issues, they’d better be paying attention to what local governments are doing. China’s decision to restrict … Read More

TWIN FALLS, IDAHO — Recycling trucks will continue to collect mixed paper, plastic, and metal cans from this city’s 48,000 residents. But rather than finish their trips at the city’s recycling center, they’ll head straight to a transfer station where the items they carry will be tossed out with the rest of the trash. This new arrangement — which the … Read More

The Florida legislature this month approved a bill, SB 1308, which requires hauler contracts executed or renewed on or after July 1, 2018, to address one of the biggest issues in recycling today: contamination. SB 1308 will become law if governor Rick Scott signs it. The language of SB 1308 is a little confusing, so I thought it would be … Read More