By Rob Watson, Chief Science Officer, EcoHub LLC; Founder & Co-Chair SWEEP Steering Committee The SWEEP (Solid Waste Environmental Excellence Protocol) Steering Committee is pleased to announce the formation of national standard development committees for the SWEEP Industry Standard and the SWEEP Municipal Standard. Although there are zero waste and sustainable materials management certification standards […]
Category: News
The US Waste Industry–By the Numbers
By Jim Thompson, Principal—Waste Business Journal; Member SWEEP Steering Committee For many people, their knowledge of the waste industry extends about as far as seeing their garbage and recycling bins emptied every week or so and most would be very surprised to learn that activity is part of a $70 billion industry in the United […]
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 […]
The Cost to Landfill MSW in the US Continues to Rise Despite Soft Demand
By James Thompson, Principal, Waste Business Journal; SWEEP Steering Committee member The average price to dispose municipal solid waste (MSW) has edged up to $50.60 per ton last month, up about 3.5% over the average price in 2016. The price continues to rise despite relatively flat to slightly declining landfill volumes. The rising price reflects […]
WasteDive Interview: NRRA Executive Director Mike Durfor on the realities of recycling
The Northeast is often cited as a highly ambitious region when it comes to organics diversion and other materials management policies. While much of this is decided in state capitols and city halls, a significant amount of daily assistance comes from regional associations. Started in 1981 by four New Hampshire municipalities, the Northeast Resource Recovery […]
The Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act of 2017
By Bob Gedert, SWEEP Steering Committee Member and President of the National Recycling Coalition A key driver in the redevelopment of domestic recycling infrastructure is the opportunity to attract new green businesses in America and create new green jobs, spurring manufacturing economic development. This country has the ability to develop new businesses, including reuse and […]
Talkin’ Trash: What is the key to higher recycling rates?
As more cities set high diversion rate targets that can be challenging to achieve, some industry leaders view mixed waste processing as a clear solution. Other industry professionals remain opposed to the idea on principle and the lack of actual experience in the field. Find the article on WasteDive.com, and listen to the podcast here:
SWEEP—The Solid Waste Environmental Excellence Protocol—Announces Co-Chairs of the National Steering Committee
The Solid Waste Management Environmental Excellent Protocol (SWEEP) is pleased to announce that Susan Robinson, Senior Public Affairs Director for Waste Management, and Rob Watson, Chief Science Officer of EcoHub and the Founder of the LEED Green Building Rating System have been selected as Co-Chairs of the National Steering Committee. Ms. Robinson has been with […]
Peak Packaging: the Milestone Nobody Knew to Celebrate
By Adam Gendell, Associate Director Sustainable Packaging Coalition, GreenBlue & SWEEP Steering Committee Member The U.S. generates a lot of packaging waste each year. The EPA’s most recent estimate came in at over 75 million tons for the year 2013, the highest the figure has been since before the economic downturn of 2007. That’s about a […]
Sustainability Needs Worker Safety
By Mike Williams, Vice President, Strategic Development BlueGreen Alliance, Former SWEEP Steering Committee Member Sustainability protocols often focus exclusively environmental impacts. So, when we were conceiving the initial SWEEP (Solid Waste Environmental Excellence Protocol) framework, we realized that the standard could not truly achieve sustainability if it only focused on reducing waste, while ignoring […]