This Month in Waste: Top Stories for June 2024

#10 - Recycling is BS: Combating Myths and Altering Perceptions

Eight out of 10 Americans report recycling is worth the effort, yet even in neighborhoods with curbside recycling collection, more than half of recyclables end up in the trash. A correlation exists between confidence and positive recycling behaviors.

Read the full article here.

#9 - Legal Cannabis Needs ‘Greener’ Packaging to Nip Waste in the Bud

The legal cannabis market is growing nearly 14% a year. This is providing many new opportunities for retailers, but competition is also fierce. That means that successful retailers will need to stand out from the crowd, not just with their products and value, but also with their packaging. Often the first things consumers see, packaging can indeed influence purchase decisions.

Read the full article here.

#8 - Balcones Recycling Celebrates Grand Opening of New San Antonio Recycling Facility

On the verge of opening its bay doors to recyclable material sourced from San Antonio residents, Balcones welcomed members of the waste industry to check out its latest recycling campus: a whopping 145,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art facility that looks to build on the company’s success.

Read the full article here.

#7 - Brightmark to Build Chemical Recycling Plant in Thomaston, Georgia

Brightmark calls its technology “plastics renewal,” which it bought from RES Polyflow who developed it to convert plastics to fuel. Bob Powell, Brightmark founder and CEO, says his team finetuned it to be able to make new plastic products from plastic waste (considered a higher-value use than fuel). He says it can process plastic nos. 1 through 7—even if they are mixed with food, paper, dirt, or other contaminants.

Read the full article here.

#6 - Element Fuels Completes Site Preparation and Pre-Construction for Hydrogen-Powered Clean Fuels Refinery

Expected to be operational in 2027, Element Fuels’ first of its kind refinery combines advanced, commercially proven technologies, provided by best-in-class partners. Designed to process exclusively high gravity domestic shale oil, the refinery will produce low-carbon intensity fuels that will materially reduce carbon emissions.

Read the full article here.

#5 - WM to Acquire Medical Waste Services Provider Stericycle for $7.2 Billion

Houston-based WM (formerly Waste Management) has announced the purchase of Illinois medical waste services provider Stericycle. The move allows WM to offer its customers more comprehensive solutions, leveraging its focus on logistics and technology-enabled cost optimization.

Read the full article here.

#4 - How Greensboro, NC Cut Recycling Contamination Nearly 40 Percent in a Few Years

Greensboro, North Carolina’s waste reduction supervisor Tori Carle Emerson was in for a shock when she saw the telling results of a recent recycling characterization study.

Read the full article here.

#3 - Coldplay Encourages Concert Goers to Recycle LED Wristbands by Making it a Competition Between Cities

Coldplay is known for its high energy concerts that are packed full of more lights than you can see at once, including LED wristbands that the band hands out and wants concert goers to recycle.

Read the full article here.

#2 - A Safety Discussion with Industry Vet Shawn “Doc” Mandel of Waste Connections

This week marks the first official day of summer, which means the “summertime spike” is officially here. During this season, we must be more mindful about the waste and recyclables we’re picking up and processing as more hazards are bound to be in our waste and recycling streams. As we kick off the summer, I recently sat down with one of the industry’s most seasoned safety experts to discuss how we can prepare for these fire risks and ensure our facilities and employees remain safe.

Read the full article here.

#1 - DeKalb County Solid Waste Truck Driver Struck, Killed by Garbage Truck in Tragic Accident

A tragic accident occurred Monday morning at a DeKalb County Solid Waste Transfer Station in Tennessee, taking the life of a garbage truck driver.

Read the full article here.