By Bob Gedert, SWEEP Steering Committee Member and President of the National Recycling Coalition As the number of communities embracing Zero Waste grows to more than two hundred within the United States, a pattern can be observed from the programs that have achieved success. As new communities consider the bold step forward toward enhancing their […]
Category: Blogs
China’s Import Ban is a “Sputnik” Moment for Global Recycling
By Rob Watson, Chief Science Officer, EcoHub LLC; Founder & Co-Chair SWEEP Steering Committee China’s announcement on Tuesday July 18th that it was banning the import of mixed paper and plastic, effective January 1, 2018, fundamentally changes the structure and dynamic of the global recovered paper and plastic scrap commodities market. In a press statement […]
It’s Possible to Change the World, No Matter Where You Are
By Duncan Watson, Assistant Public Works Director, City of Keene, NH & Member SWEEP Steering Committee A running joke circulated during my graduate school days that prompted critical thinking on complex issues- Question: “how many students does it take to screw in a light bulb?” Answer: “None because you can never reach consensus.” Such is […]
Should We Recycle Everything? What is the Value System of Recycling?
Susan Robinson, Sr Public Affairs Director at WM and SWEEP Co-Chair From the earliest days of recycling we’ve seen a healthy conversation among cities, recyclers and product manufacturers over which materials to include in curbside recycling programs. Perspectives vary, and the vastly different types of curbside programs attest to the varied market conditions and priorities […]
Don’t Forget About the Workers Who Process Your Trash and Recycling
By Michael Mignano, Senior Research Analyst, International Brotherhood of Teamsters The June 2015 report, “Sustainable and Safe Recycling: Protecting Workers Who Protect the Planet,” revealed the unique and sometimes fatal hazards that recycling workers face on the job. The study detailed 17 recycling worker deaths between 2011 and 2013 and examined the high rate of […]
The Federal Budget Should Support Expansion of America’s Recycling Infrastructure
By Bob Gedert, President, National Recycling Coalition; Senior Recycling Consultant, RRS; SWEEP Steering Committee Member In the President’s proposed fiscal 2018 budget, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual budget allocation is proposed to be cut by one third, with the elimination of over 50 programs and 3,200 jobs. Two of the programs proposed to be […]
Recyclable Products Need Convenient Recycling Programs
By Adam Gendell, Associate Director Sustainable Packaging Coalition, GreenBlue & SWEEP Steering Committee Member Of all the sustainability attributes that marketing departments consider putting on a package, none are coveted so much as recyclability. And fortunately for marketing departments everywhere, many types of packaging can be called “recyclable”. Throughout the packaging community, the Federal Trade Commission’s […]
What We’ve Got Here, Is Failure to Separate (Part 3 of 3)
The Road to Sustainable Materials Management Does Not Go Through Business As Usual By Rob Watson, Chief Strategy Officer, EcoHub; Founder & Co-Chair SWEEP Steering Committee Recap and Foreword In Part 1 of this article, we discussed how landfill diversion rates are stagnant, single stream contamination is growing, waste stream composition is changing and asked […]
What We’ve Got Here, Is Failure to Separate (Part 2 of 3)
By Rob Watson, Chief Science Officer, EcoHub; Founder & Co-Chair SWEEP Steering Committee In Part 1 of this article, we discussed how landfill diversion rates are stagnant, single stream contamination is growing, waste stream composition is changing and asked the question: What can we do to make greater use of the more than 400 hundred […]
How to Ensure that Waste and Recycling Contracts Are Fair
Mike Durfor & Duncan Watson, who are, respectively, Executive Director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association and Assistant Public Works Director, City of Keene, NH As public budgets come under ever more scrutiny, it is incumbent upon Solid Waste Managers and City Councils to take the time necessary to understand all of the variables […]