This Week in Waste: Top Stories June 19 - June 22, 2023

#5 - Keter Environmental Services to Merge With Waste Harmonics

Keter Environmental Services (“Keter”), a leading recycling and waste management company owned by global alternative asset management firm, TPG, and Waste Harmonics, a national technology-enabled managed waste service provider backed by global alternative investments firm Arcapita, today announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement to combine the two companies.

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#4 - Circulate Capital Bolsters Portfolio Companies in 2022, Tackling Plastic Pollution in Southeast Asia

Investment management firm Circulate Capital recently published its 2022 Year in Review, detailing progress across its portfolio. The firm highlighted key figures and milestones in its mission to find solutions for the ocean plastics crisis in South and Southeast Asia.

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#3 - Colorado Hires PRO for its EPR Program and Gears Up Beyond

A year after passing its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, Colorado has made a few monumental moves to be able to put the plan into play.

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#2 - There’s Something in the Water, but Where Else? Part One

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals that have infiltrated nearly every aspect of modern life, from nonstick pans to water-repellent clothing, firefighting foams, and food packaging. Their unique properties, such as resistance to heat, water, and oil, have made them desirable in various industries, however, PFAS are not without controversy. As "forever chemicals," their persistence in the environment and adverse health effects have raised concerns among scientists, policymakers, and communities worldwide.

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#1 - United Nations Says Cutting Plastic Waste by 80 Percent by 2040 is Doable

A new United Nations report lays out a path that could cut plastic pollution by 80 percent by 2040, the authors contend. It calls for a “system change” with three key focuses: accelerating reuse; recycling; and reorienting and diversifying to sustainable alternatives to plastic. And it analyzes opportunities, impacts, and barriers associated with all three focuses.

Read the full article here.