California rolls out region’s first electric refuse truck

May 28, 2019

Carson, California eventually intends to convert its entire waste and recycling collection fleet to electric vehicles in the future. Carson, California will be rolling out its first fully electric waste truck next week, which the city says is the first of its kind in Southern California. Officials from the city of Carson and Waste Resource … More California rolls out region’s first electric refuse truck

Covanta Survey: “Americans Don’t Know How to Recycle”

April 23, 2019

A survey commissioned by Covanta found 62 percent of respondents worry that a lack of knowledge causes them to recycle incorrectly. Americans don’t know how to recycle—and that lack of knowledge is the biggest barrier to being green, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 Americans revealed that 62 percent of respondents worry that … More Covanta Survey: “Americans Don’t Know How to Recycle”

In San Francisco, Making a Living From Your Billionaire Neighbor’s Trash

April 8, 2019

Trash pickers in San Francisco make a living by going through billionaires’ garbage and selling the designer jeans, vacuum cleaners, and iPads they discover Three blocks from Mark Zuckerberg’s $10 million Tudor home in San Francisco, Jake Orta lives in a small, single-window studio apartment filled with trash. There’s a child’s pink bicycle helmet that … More In San Francisco, Making a Living From Your Billionaire Neighbor’s Trash

Recycling crisis: China doesn’t want our waste. Now what?

April 7, 2019

Recycling used to be a money maker but now it’s costing us, and growing our landfills… With probes and clipboards, Chinese inspectors tour Bay Area recycling centers at least once a month, testing our trash to see if it meets their new high standards. Until recently, almost all of our vast piles of plastic and … More Recycling crisis: China doesn’t want our waste. Now what?

Recycling isn’t about the planet. It’s about profit

April 7, 2019

When you drop a bottle in a blue bin, you’re joining the unruly transglobal trash trade. If you wanted to recycle a Coke bottle, the spring of 2011 was a great time to do it. That spring, every soda bottle you dropped into the translucent blue bag in your kitchen was worth about eight times … More Recycling isn’t about the planet. It’s about profit

Supply and Demand Drives Rising Waste Disposal Tip Fees Nationally

April 3, 2019

Based on a survey of 397 landfills in the US, the national average waste disposal tip fees have been on the rise for years, though rates vary radically by region and state—as high as $151.19 per ton in Alaska and as low as $24.75 per ton in Mississippi, according to an April 2018 report by … More Supply and Demand Drives Rising Waste Disposal Tip Fees Nationally