This Week in Waste: Top Stories July 4-8

1. Episode 156: Reducing Food Waste with Technology & Forecasting
Liz Bothwell

Listen to this week’s NothingWasted! episode with Matt Wampler, founder & CEO of ClearCOGS. We spoke with Wampler about the power of data analytics in addressing food waste, his advice for fellow entrepreneurs and more.

Listen here.

2. Modular Plant Solutions Hopes to Open up Methanol Market With New Plant Model
Arlene Karidis

A new model for a methanol plant is expected to change the way we produce methanol in a positive way. A typical plant of this type produces 300 metric tons per day while taking up a large space and being a massive project. The updated model is promising as it is capable of producing the same amount of methanol while taking up a fraction of the space.

Read the story here.
 

3. The Challenges with Starting a Glass Recycling Program in a Rural Area
Jonathan Pierron

Starting a recycling program is a tremendous feat. In this article, two leaders from different glass recycling plants in Maine discuss the specific challenges associated with beginning a facility in a rural area. While challenging, it is not impossible, and these two share different methods for overcoming the hurdles in their way.

Read more here.

4. Flow Control and Collection and Transfer of Locally Generated Garbage
Barry Shanoff

"Flow control" or the idea of legally mandating haulers to transport local waste to specified sites was a debate for many years. With a number of different rulings impacting the legality of flow control, the issue became convoluted over a two-decade-long alternation between perspectives on the issue. Read this story to understand how the most decision was made and where the state of the matter currently stands.

Click here to read more.

5. When Does Trash Collection Cause Emotional Distress?
Barry Shanoff

Housing and our environment play an extremely large role in our lives. When hunting for a place to live, many people consider the number of bathrooms, appliances, and amenities, but not many consider the impacts trash collection might have on their wellbeing. This was exactly the case for Min Sun Cho.

Read the story of Min Sun Cho here.