Waste Dive

The permit allows ABTC to continue operations at its critical mineral recycling facility. The company says battery collection and shredding infrastructure has developed faster than domestic downstream refining capacity.

Casella is expanding a New York landfill and closing a New Hampshire landfill early. California auditors this week gave L.A. County health regulators low marks on their Chiquita Canyon landfill response.

An Ellen MacArthur Foundation report calls for better phone design, repair options, recycling infrastructure and secondary processing locations, but opportunities are uneven.

Producer compliance costs could be roughly halved by following one framework instead of individual states’ EPR laws, according to an economic analysis from World Wildlife Fund and SC Johnson.

The Texas-based private equity firm is looking to repeat prior success with the launch of Blue Castle Waste Solutions. The regional hauler has closed three acquisitions in Iowa and Minnesota so far.

The US Flexible Film Initiative says it has moved more than 3 million pounds of flexible plastic packaging from California collection programs to reclaimers in the U.S. and Canada for processing.

Gov. Newsom signed a union-backed bill updating hauler franchise labor rules a few years after vetoing a similar bill. He also approved bills related to carpet recycling, bottle bill fees and food waste prevention. 

Waste and recycling groups support the ban to help curb vape-related facility fires caused by the devices’ batteries. Newsom also signed another vape-related bill meant to look into better disposal methods.

NW Natural invested millions into a partnership with Tyson Foods for two digesters, one of which has shut down, per a report. WM has also confirmed a proposed landfill project with the utility is not moving forward.

In another win for industry groups, the California governor said he didn’t want to “unduly burden manufacturers and suppliers” already affected by recent trade policy changes.

U.S. households’ generation of cartons surged from 2020 to 2026, while mixed paper dropped notably. The Recycling Partnership released data intended to inform simultaneous evolutions of the packaging and recycling sectors.

The agency made the change as part of a rescission of five documents that it said no longer reflected current laws and executive orders. Environmental groups fear this could have a “chilling effect” on PFAS permit language.

The MAPL-EMIT model, which the tech giant and space agency introduced in a scientific journal, was tested on 25 landfills. It was able to detect 50% more methane leaks than human experts.

The two funding rounds address a range of materials, including food waste, textiles and plastics. More than two dozen companies, including Casella and Black Earth Compost, received grants.

Other bills focused on recovering critical materials at contaminated waste sites and updating the Solid Waste Disposal Act. They are all moving to the Senate for consideration and involve new work led by the U.S. EPA.

A report from Eunomia and Delterra outlines the challenges and possibilities for scaling the market. It coincided with the launch of a demand accelerator project involving Amcor and Kraft Heinz.

The union won a vote to represent WM workers in Sacramento and secured a new contract for California Waste Solutions in San Jose. The developments come as a deadline nears for negotiations in southern California.

Attorneys now indicate they plan to subpoena MRFs and waste management companies, including WM and Republic Services, for additional information.

Sensory issues related to scent and tint pose unique hurdles for brands looking to incorporate more recycled plastic in consumer goods packaging. It’s spurring more creative applications for PCR.

GFL Environmental is hoping to add new capacity to its Arbor Hills Landfill, but must get local approval. Elsewhere, landfill expansions continue and closures advance in California and Maine.