Here’s the Waste Robotics Market News including the 10 key news of this week in waste and recycling industries.
New study from EREF, in collaboration with SWANA, quantifies needlestick injury rates for MRF workers
September 4th, 2018 – Results found in a groundbreaking new report from the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF), in collaboration with the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), indicate a needlestick injury rate at material recovery facilities (MRFs) of 2.7 per 100 workers. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 2016 data, MRF injuries (including non-needlestick related) occur at a rate of 6 per 100 workers, suggesting 45 percent of MRF injuries could be attributed to needlesticks.This first-of-its-kind study surveyed MRF owners on needlestick occurrences at their facilities, an area in which little data exists. The survey, initiated online with follow-up calls and e-mails for additional information, includes responses from 35 MRFs across the U.S. and Canada.
Read more on Recycling Product News
What Will Growing Online Food Sales Mean for Food Waste?
September 6th, 2018 – Some sustainability experts project that online grocers will help cut food waste, while others believe there is potential for more problems. Online grocer venues are gaining traction. Even e-commerce giant Amazon is among those that have added food sales to their portfolio, and it has publicly stated its plans to expand operations in this market. Meanwhile, this evolving shopping trend adds new dimension to the issue of food waste management across the supply chain. A big question is will these models add to, or reduce, wasted food, which accounts for more landfilled garbage than any other material? Some sustainability experts project that overall, online grocers will help cut food waste. Others believe there is potential for more problems.
Read more on Waste 360
Baltimore is one of two cities picked for food waste management program
September 5th, 2018 – Baltimore is one of two pilot cities across the nation picked for a new food waste management initiative in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rockefeller Foundation. On Wednesday, Mayor Catherine Pugh and members of the Office of Sustainability announced the initiative, which aims to prevent food waste through better management programs and expanded composting. “For too many of our neighborhoods, healthy and affordable food is still out of reach,” Pugh said. “Composting supports local food production and food security.” Anne Draddy, coordinator with the Baltimore Office of Sustainability, said the initiative has three main goals. The first is to reduce food waste, which Draddy said they will be working on over the next few months through the Natural Resources Defense Council’s “Save the Food” educational campaign.
Read more on The Baltimore Sun
B.C. proposes changes to organic recycling regulations
September 10th, 2018 – The British Columbia government is proposing changes to the province’s Organic Matter Recycling Regulation. The government says the changes will “support the processing of organic waste, which will reduce the burden on landfills, and give transparency and clarity to British Columbians who are affected by composting and land used for this purpose.” An Organic Matter Recycling Regulation (OMRR) intentions paper has been posted for public comment. It is based on extensive consultation over the past several years, as well as the latest scientific evidence and industry best practices. The updated regulation will apply to compost facilities and land application of organic matter, and will align with the Agricultural Waste Control Regulation and the Contaminated Sites Regulation.
Read more on Solid Waste & Recycling
Reduce, reuse, rethink: How can we lift Ottawa’s lagging recycling rate?
September 10th, 2018 – Waste watchdog wants city to spend more on getting the message out to residents. A doll’s severed arm. Christmas lights. Even a kitchen sink. None of them recyclable, yet all chucked into Ottawa’s blue bins. Cascades Recovery, the company that processes the city’s recycling, believes we can do better. “You can go onto the City of Ottawa recycling website and find out exactly what’s recoverable,” said Dan Stone, the site’s general manager. “And whatever is not on that list, there’s no point in sending it here because it’s going to end up in the landfill.” The problem, according to people who understand the industry, is that most residents don’t bother to do that. “There’s a huge confusion about what’s eligible to be recycled,” said Duncan Bury of Waste Watch Ottawa.
Read more on CBC News
NA recycling markets crash, city revenue down substantially
September 6th, 2018 – In the wake of new policy in China, North American recycling markets have crashed, leaving municipalities with less-than-expected revenue. Sault Ste. Marie is no exception. The collapse of the North American recycling market as a result of new policies in China is impacting the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s revenue stream. And a three-prong attack on the recycling industry in Northern Ontario is making it even more difficult for recycling companies, said John Martella, district manager of Green For Life Environmental Services (GFL). “We had forecast that this would happen about 10 years ago,” Martella told The Sault Star. “There has never been money in recycling. It was never meant to be free or cheap. The savings is in not having to replace expensive landfills,” he said. “It’s the cost of doing business and we knew it was going to happen.”
Read more on The Sault Star
Bottle plastic packaging waste should be removed by 2030, report says
September 10th, 2018 – Plastic packaging waste from bottled water and soft drinks should be removed from the value chain by 2030, according to a new report. Published by The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability (CISL) and a group of bottled drink manufacturers, the report set out key actions to make eliminating plastic packaging waste a “strategic priority”. These include all drink packaging to be made from 100% recyclable or reusable material, a consistent nationwide recycling system, new materials with minimal environmental impact and more consumer behaviour research to support the circular economy. It was developed with input from the Future of Plastic Packaging Working Group which includes Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Nestle Waters UK and other members of the Natural Hydration Council.
Read more on Recycling Waste World
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste Challenge
September 7th, 2018 – Kroger Co. just launched its #ZeroHungerZeroWaste Donation Challenge and invites associates, customers and communities across America to participate by donating groceries to their local food bank, sharing their actions via social media using the hashtag and inviting friends to join the movement. The #ZeroHungerZeroWaste Donation Challenge runs through September, which is Hunger Action Month, and the campaign is one more step the company is taking to create zero hunger communities.”By donating a bag of food from your pantry or a Kroger store, you have the power to feed local families and communities and inspire your friends to do same,” said Jessica Adelman, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs, in a statement.
Read more on Waste 360
Live Nation Sets Zero Waste Goals, Adds New Sustainability Staff
September 10th, 2018 – The company aims to achieve zero waste in 20 of its owned and operated amphitheater venues by 2020.This summer, global entertainment company Live Nation asserted its commitment to sustainability with the creation of a new employee education program and new employee roles focused on sustainability. Live Nation aims to achieve zero waste in 20 of the company’s owned and operated amphitheater venues by 2020.In addition to a new zero waste e-learning course that has been made available to all employees, Live Nation has also instituted the seasonal position of venue sustainability coordinator at 14 venues.The company started focusing on making more targeted efforts toward sustainability about two years ago, when it did a waste sort and waste characterization study at Jiffy Lube Live (Bristow, Va.) in collaboration with GreenBlue, which is part of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Read more on Waste 360
Google Launches Interactive Waste Reduction Web App
September 10th, 2018 – “Your Plan, Your Planet” provides users with information on three types of waste: food, water and electricity. In an effort to help people understand the impact of their waste, Google has launched “Your Plan, Your Planet,” an interactive web app that aims to reduce waste. For the app, Google partnered with the California Academy of Sciences to provide useful information on three types of waste: food, water and electricity.In addition to having access to helpful information about waste reduction, users can take quizzes, keep track of their waste reduction progress and more.
Read more on Waste 360
