David Bodamer, Executive Director, Content & User Engagement

April 10, 2014

4 Min Read
10 Things You Need to Know For the Waste & Recycling Industry Today (April 10, 2014)
  1. Study: Waste, Recycling Industries Contribute $4.2 Billion To PA Economy “The municipal waste collection, recycling, and disposal industry in Pennsylvania contributes more than $4.2 billion a year to the state’s economy and supports more than 26,000 jobs, according to a new research report prepared by the Philadelphia consulting firm Econsult Solutions, Inc., for the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association.” (NorthcentralPA.com)

  2. Unilever reaches "zero waste" factory milestone “Unilever has announced that all of its European factories have achieved zero non-hazardous waste to landfill status, meaning that more than three quarters of the company's global factory network no longer sends such waste to landfill. The company said the milestone, which sees Europe join North America in having only Unilever factories that have achieved ‘zero waste’ status, had been achieved with minimal capital expenditure and had reduced disposal costs by more than €17m.” (businessGreen.com)

  3. Man finds missing wedding ring in landfill “You could say it was like looking for a needle in a haystack — a disgusting, smelly haystack. Before a recent procedure, veterinarian Gary McNeill did the same thing he always did with his wedding ring — he took it off and set it on the operating table. But this time, it wasn’t there when he finished the operation. Instead, it had been swept into the trash. ‘I went out to check the dumpster and they’d dumped the dumpster,’ he said.” (NewsFix)

  4. Man sleeping in dumpster gets tossed into garbage truck “It was the case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for a man who was sleeping in a dumpster in Brevard County. According to police, Doug Hall, 47, was sleeping in a dumpster around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, at the Majestic Seas Condos at 3740 Ocean Beach Blvd.” (News13.com)

  5. Trash talk “Atascadero City Council opened a can of worms April 8 when members discussed the possibility of renegotiating a long-held contract for waste collections. The current contract for solid waste and recycling collection has been held by Atascadero Waste Alternatives Inc. (AWA), owned by Waste Management—the largest company of its kind in the United States—since 1996, when the company bought out the long-time local hauler Wil-Mar. Since then, the company has received routine contract renewals. But multiple factors, including the staggered timing of contracts with other companies for waste disposal, led the city to look to adjust the contract renewal process.” (NewTimes)

  6. Flow control put on hold by solid waste district “The brakes have been put on a measure that would have allowed the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District to designate where trash from the two counties can be taken. At a meeting Monday, the district’s board voted unanimously to table flow control. In February, the board had authorized its attorney, Garry Hunter, to do some initial work toward implementing flow control, although a final decision by the board would still have been needed. Hunter said he would be developing a timeline for taking the several steps necessary for beginning flow control.” (AthensOhioToday.com)

  7. Promenade Mall to offer new recycling options to shoppers “The Promenade Mall announced a new recycling initiative with PepsiCo Recycling and Waste Management. Recycling bins were installed at the mall to make recycling more convenient for customers.” (Fox23.com)

  8. Bath approves new recycling agreement “The Bath Board of Trustees approved an agreement for the collection of soft recyclables with Great Lakes Recycling Inc., doing business as Simple Recycling, at the April 7 meeting. According to Township Administrator Vito Sinopoli, soft recyclables include textiles such as clothing, sheets, leather goods and toys. Through this agreement, each home in Bath will be provided with two to three bags to put their unwanted recyclables in, and on a designated day, residents can place them on the curb. Simple Recycling will pick up the bags and distribute the items to the appropriate places.” (Akron.com)

  9. Pilot Program Diverts Two Tons of Food Scraps “Providence's pilot composting program has diverted two tons of food scraps from the Central Landfill during its first nineteen weeks in operation. Director of Sustainability for Providence Sheila Dormody says these efforts will help the city to implement a zero waste strategy by 2033.” (RIPR.org)

  10. Allenstown officials cut 150 units from curbside pickup “As of the end of May, any Allenstown landlords owning an apartment building of four units or more must seek a privately operated trash-disposal contractor if they choose to continue to offer waste removal to tenants. This week selectmen approved changes to the town’s Solid Waste Ordinance, effective May 31. The modification specifically dictates that the town is no longer offering curbside trash and recyclable pickup to apartment buildings with four or more units. Previously, the service was provided to residential buildings with up to six units.” (NewHampshire.com)

About the Author(s)

David Bodamer

Executive Director, Content & User Engagement, Waste360

David Bodamer is Executive Director of Content & User Engagement for Waste360 and NREI. Bodamer joined Waste360 in January 2014. He has been with NREI since September 2011 and has been covering the commercial real estate sector since 1999 for Retail Traffic, Commercial Property News and Shopping Centers Today. He also previously worked for Civil Engineering magazine. His writings on real estate have also appeared in REP. and the Wall Street Journal’s online real estate news site. He has won multiple awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors and is a past finalist for a Jesse H. Neal Award. 

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