Tagged in Waste Management / SWM

Each year, another 1.3 billion tons of waste are added to this planet, and that annual amount may more than double by the end of the century. The 4% of the world’s population in the United States produces more than 30% of its waste. Americans, on average, produce 4.6 pounds per of trash every day. […]

The built environment uses roughly half of all materials mined or otherwise taken from the crust of this planet. Each year, construction (including highway construction) extracts tonnage that is equivalent to two-thirds of Mount Everest. Construction creates an estimated third of the world’s overall waste, causing no less than 40% of carbon dioxide emissions.[1] A […]

The U.S. EPA presents a compelling case for recycling. Looking back a decade, their 2020 Recycling Economic Information (REI) Report found recycling and reuse activities that produced 681,000 jobs while contributing $37.8 billion in wages. For every 1,000 tons of recycled material, 1.17 jobs were created. Construction and Demolition waste provided the greatest employment benefits. […]

Dollars and energy are being heaped onto landfills in the form of  agricultural and food waste. Composting could reduce landfill trash by 30 percent, but only 4 percent of food waste is composted. Innovative and effective use of today’s technologies can improve those numbers! Well-planned conversion of waste into renewable energy delivers significant bottom-line benefit. These clean development […]

As plastic bags pollute shorelines, landfills, and the oceans, communities and entire countries are taking action. In the U.S., some states and localities have bans or limited restrictions. Worldwide, 77 countries regulate them. Here’s an update as of Q3, 2021: China led the way more than a dozen years ago when it outlawed thin plastic […]

Sustainability returns value to organizations of all types. A sustainability assessment can reduce costs and minimize waste. It also bring market advantage. A recent survey found that 88% of respondents preferred brands that helped them, as consumers, to be more environmentally friendly. Greater sustainability can bring the benefits of  improved environmental management to manufacturers as […]

Approximately 4.5 trillion pounds of trash is generated annually, and it’s getting worse. Annual trash accumulation is expected to reach 7.5 trillion pounds by mid-century. Landfill trash pollutes water supplies and the atmosphere. Methane emissions from landfills are often overlooked yet they emit more Greenhouse Gas than 21.6 million passenger cars. To achieve the nation’s […]

Waste Expo®, North America’s leading solid waste and recycling event returns in-person with health protocols in place on June 28-30, 2021. The Las Vegas Convention Center is this year’s venue. Spotlight sessions will discuss the future of reuse (and how that is being transformed!), plus refuse fleet electrification, and more. A Wednesday session, Cart Smarts: Changing Behavior […]

In a circular economy, recycling keeps waste materials out of landfills. Instead, the materials are available for valuable repurposing and reuse. Plastic packaging is seen along grocery store aisles, worldwide. One of the largest consumer products companies, Unilever, brings familiar brands to about 190 countries. In the U.S., their Dove, Hellmann’s, and Seventh Generation brands […]