Megan Quinn

Harris County says USA Waste has failed to keep methane emissions at safe levels. The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, calls for the landfill to close and for WM to remediate the site, including its groundwater.

Excessive methane emissions and contaminated soil and water could threaten public safety, according to the lawsuit seeking closure and permanent capping of Hawthorn Park Landfill.

Administrator Lee Zeldin said the private sector is motivated to hone PFAS management offerings, which could bring down compliance costs for PFAS mitigation and spur more collaborations with EPA and university researchers.

Container redemption fraud happens across many North American programs, but Oregon and Alberta experts at a CRI webinar said auditing, enforcement and education interventions make a significant difference.

The U.S. Green Building Council has updated its TRUE standard to streamline requirements and make it easier for companies to document, track and reduce waste. Sports stadiums and major brands have the certification.

Automation is key for recycling projects in Missouri and Florida, with Sarasota’s MRF adding Glacier tech. Meanwhile, communities weigh in on the fate of a Michigan facility, and recycling drop-offs expand in Oregon.

Waste Connections is managing fuel costs and pricing decisions amid an “on again, off again” war in Iran, CEO Ron Mittelstaedt said. Better-performing commodities and M&A rollover are balancing out the headwinds.

Speakers at the virtual National Zero Waste Conference said solutions for hard-to-recycle materials like batteries or textiles are possible with transparent systems and processes

The Carton Council has developed an open-source photo library of carton photos as they appear in MRF environments. They aim to grow the collection to help operators train AI on accurate identification.

Analysts cite headwinds such as ongoing integrations and higher-cost Northeast operations, but say but key M&A changes may help.