Organics
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Viridi, Casella say expanded AD facility can help address Maine’s biosolids issues
The companies tout their partnership at an anaerobic digester in Brunswick, Maine, as a way to reduce volumes of biosolids that contain PFAS. The facility will also produce power and RNG for the community.
By Jacob Wallace • March 27, 2024 -
NYC containerization
Otto selected for contract to provide 3.2M ‘NYC Waste Bins’
The company would provide rolling bins for roughly 765,000 residential buildings across the city. The contract would take effect after a hearing scheduled for April 8.
By Jacob Wallace • March 25, 2024 -
Trendline
The Waste Dive Outlook on 2022
Get up to speed on what may be coming next around M&A, labor solutions, ESG investment trends, federal regulation, state policy, environmental justice, local programs and more.
By Waste Dive staff -
Florida composters look to grow operations despite regulatory barriers
Amid increased interest in organics recycling on multiple fronts, as well as new municipal and academic partnerships, the Florida Composting Council and other groups say regulatory updates are needed to advance this work.
By Cole Rosengren • March 22, 2024 -
How 3 large states want to address waste with federal climate funding
The U.S. EPA received 45 state priority climate action plans, the first step in accessing Climate Pollution Reduction Grant funding.
By Jacob Wallace • March 21, 2024 -
Q&A
SWANA CEO envisions collaborative environment to build safety, culture
Amy Lestition Burke, SWANA’s new CEO, says building partnerships can make the industry and the organization stronger and better resourced to take on climate change and an evolving workforce.
By Megan Quinn • March 19, 2024 -
Vanguard Renewables charts progress in new regions with growing portfolio
Ten years after its founding, the anaerobic digestion company is plotting expansion "like an amoeba” thanks to the financial backing of BlackRock and its pipeline of more than 60 projects.
By Jacob Wallace • March 13, 2024 -
Deep Dive
How a new wave of clean fuels bills could spur a biogas boom
New Mexico just became the fourth state to enact a program, which has the potential to give biogas projects from landfills and on-farm digesters a boost. Could more states soon follow?
By Jacob Wallace • March 13, 2024 -
Biden’s FY25 budget proposal aims to boost funding for waste-related EPA programs
The budget would set aside money for PFAS-related actions and bolster funding for compliance enforcement, which put landfill emissions in the crosshairs last year.
By Jacob Wallace • March 12, 2024 -
New Georgia Composting Council chapter aims to improve zoning, other rules
As their work becomes more prominent in the state, composters like CompostNow are hoping to make it easier for future facilities to develop and receive feedstock from community partners.
By Jacob Wallace • March 11, 2024 -
LASAN putting recycLA commercial waste program out to bid, ending contract extension talks
LA Sanitation and Environment officials hope that a reconfigured “recycLA 2.0” can yield better environmental outcomes and more competitive pricing by 2027. The move affects haulers such as Athens Services, WM and Republic Services.
By Cole Rosengren • March 8, 2024 -
Washington legislature passes bill expanding food waste donation and recycling requirements
The bill establishes a multipronged approach to help Washington achieve its food waste reduction goals, echoing the U.S. EPA’s latest Wasted Food Scale priorities. It also updates standards for compostable packaging.
By Jacob Wallace • Updated March 6, 2024 -
Largest public waste companies spent an estimated $4.2B on M&A in 2023
Spending by WM, Republic Services, Waste Connections, GFL Environmental and Casella Waste Systems didn’t surpass recent records, but the companies still did dozens of deals throughout the U.S. and Canada.
By Cole Rosengren • March 5, 2024 -
Q&A
How federal attention to methane and retailer relationships are benefitting Divert
Vice President Chris Thomas discusses how the U.S. EPA’s support for anaerobic digestion and Divert’s large customer base can allow the company to expand despite broader market challenges.
By Jacob Wallace • March 5, 2024 -
Composters spend about a fifth of operating costs on contamination, including plastic
The Composting Consortium report, which analyzed feedstock and finished product from 10 facilities around the country, aims to address common assumptions about plastic and other contaminants in compost.
By Jacob Wallace • March 1, 2024 -
Enviri sees ‘best quarter in many years,’ awaits regulations to estimate PFAS opportunities
Enviri reported positive growth in its Clean Earth and Harsco Environmental segments as the company continues shifting to focus solely on environmental solutions.
By Megan Quinn • Feb. 29, 2024 -
‘We are behind’: NYC’s new sanitation chair presses for better organics funding, transparency
The New York City Council Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management teed up its concerns ahead of the upcoming budget cycle, including support for composting and other waste infrastructure.
By Jacob Wallace • Feb. 29, 2024 -
Negotiation stalemate pushes Los Angeles to verge of rebidding commercial waste contracts
Haulers such as WM and Republic Services say they need more time to discuss a contract amendment. LA Sanitation staff and elected officials appear ready to put the whole recycLA franchise system back out to bid.
By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 26, 2024 -
D.C. updates strategy to reach ‘zero waste’ by 2040, including many policy proposals
The plan extends the deadline for an 80% diversion rate to 2040. It calls for actions such as building a MRF, implementing commercial waste zones and banning certain items from disposal.
By Megan Quinn • Feb. 22, 2024 -
Deep Dive
5 issues to watch as New York reshapes its commercial waste system
Many questions remain about how companies were selected, how much recycling investment will occur, how soon companies get electric vehicles, when implementation will begin and more.
By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 16, 2024 -
Long Beach, California, advances Bioenergy Devco plans in shift from WTE to digestion
Following negotiations, an anaerobic digester is set to replace a mass burn facility in Long Beach. The transition occurs amid significant regulatory shifts for such facilities in California over the past decade.
By Jacob Wallace • Feb. 15, 2024 -
CalRecycle director stepping down in March
Rachel Machi Wagoner will leave her role after three years in the position. The director job will be challenging to fill, industry experts say, as the agency is in the middle of implementing several high-profile laws.
By Megan Quinn • Updated Feb. 15, 2024 -
Maryland bill proposes waste disposal surcharge to fund organics recycling
The $2 surcharge would apply to each ton of waste disposed of in the state. The local chapter of the NWRA opposed the bill, arguing those costs would be passed on to consumers.
By Jacob Wallace • Feb. 8, 2024 -
Generate Upcycle stops accepting organics at Michigan anaerobic digester amid permit issues
The organics company and Michigan regulators are at odds over permits for the Fremont Regional Digestor’s product. The facility provides 150,000 tons of annual organics processing capacity.
By Jacob Wallace • Feb. 1, 2024 -
NYC containerization
New York to pilot automated collection of large containers for high-density buildings
DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch described this as the biggest advance for local waste collection technology in decades as the city continues its push toward containerization and limiting manual collection.
By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 1, 2024 -
Senate hearing puts landfill methane reduction strategies in the spotlight
Experts from the NWRA, RMI and Carbon Mapper discussed actions EPA could take, including updating emissions standards for landfills and contracting with satellite emissions tracking firms.
By Jacob Wallace • Feb. 1, 2024