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Solid Waste in the News

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Clips (July to September 2011):

City gets 5 bids for private trash collection (Toronto Star, September 30)
Toronto has received five bids from private trash and recycling haulers that want to take over curbside collection for 165,000 homes. The bids (one company submitted two alternatives) range from $17.5 million per year to $25.6 million per year over the seven-year contract.
Republic Services of Denver Converts Entire Fleet To CNG (Denver KMGH-TV, September 30)
Republic Services of Denver pledged cleaner air in the Denver skies as the company announced its decision to replace its entire fleet of 140 trash and recycling trucks with compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks by 2013, at an event at the company’s Commerce City facility. The commitment will result in a significant reduction in harmful vehicle emissions, a step toward greater domestic energy security, and support for Colorado’s natural gas industry.
Campaign Urges Safety For Trash Collectors (TheCarConnection.com, September 30)
Aside from being a dirty, tiring and often thankless job, trash collectors have one of the deadliest jobs in America. In fact, solid-waste collection employees have the fifth highest fatality rate of any occupation in the United States, due largely to impatient and distracted drivers.
Cities Struggle With Recycling Goals (Wall Street Journal, September 30)
The Bay Area is ahead of much of California and the rest of the nation when it comes to recycling. Even so, several of the region's cities are lagging far behind their neighbors. Despite a state law that required cities to divert more than half their garbage away from dumps and to programs like recycling or composting, one Bay Area municipality—Daly City—is sending more than half of its waste to landfills, according to state data. At the same time, San Carlos, Half Moon Bay, Foster City and Martinez all sent less than 55% away from landfills in 2009.
Fresno commercial trash outsourcing OK'd (Fresno Bee, September 29)
The Fresno City Council passed its final hurdle Thursday night to outsource commercial trash service. Allied Waste and Mid-Valley Disposal will split the work. The proposal has gone through a handful of votes leading up to Thursday's final vote. Each passed 5-2 with Council Members Blong Xiong and Sal Quintero voting no.
Candidates On: Assessing a Garbage Fee (Cincinnati City Beat, September 29)
As part of CityBeat's continuing election coverage, we’ve once again sent a questionnaire to the non-incumbent Cincinnati City Council candidates to get their reactions on a broad range of issues. Nine of the 14 non-incumbents chose to answer our questions. Others either didn’t respond or couldn’t meet the deadline.
From Dump to Paragon of Ecology: A First Peek (New York City Times, September 29)
As befits what used to be the world’s largest landfill, the future Freshkills Park on Staten Island may represent the planet’s greatest act of ecological atonement. The 2,200-acre site, which the Department of Parks and Recreation calls a “reminder of wastefulness, excess and environmental neglect,” will, as it evolves into a park over the next 25 years, feature every environmentally correct practice known to landscape architecture.
In a split vote, Dallas adopts controversial waste control plan (Dallas Morning News, September 28)
A controversial plan to require all commercial waste in Dallas flow to the city's landfill on the its far southern edge passed the City Council in an 9-6 vote today. Before passing the plan, the council narrowly voted 8-7 against a motion to delay the plan and set up a task force to study the issue.
Lincolnshire garbage service to cost less for homeowners (Palatine Daily Herald, September 28)
Residential garbage service will cost less in Lincolnshire starting in December, under a deal approved this week by the village board. Homeowners also will be issued standardized rolling carts in any of three sizes. That will simplify garbage collection for Waste Management, the company that has an exclusive contract for residential garbage removal in town, Mayor Brett Blomberg said.
3 firms bid to privatize Central Falls trash pickup (Providence Journal, September 27)
Three private firms placed bids on Monday to take over the city’s trash and recycling removal programs, a move designed to save the bankrupt city a significant amount of money. If a contract is signed with an outside company, eight unionized municipal workers will lose their jobs.
Garbage rates going up in Coal City (Morris Daily Herald, September 27)
Monthly garbage rates are going up in the village next week. As of Saturday, Oct. 1, residents will see a 5-percent increase in their scavenger rate, from the current $15.68 to $16.34. There is no reason to increase water and sewer rates at this time, however, the Coal City Village Council agreed at its regular monthly meeting Monday evening.
Emanuel: Too many garbage crews calling in sick to extend weekend (Chicago Sun Times, September 28)
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday turned up the heat on garbage collection crews he has accused of chronic absenteeism — by releasing records that he said show a pattern of abuse on Mondays and Fridays.
San Diego City Council Moves Closer to Landfill Privatization (San Diego XETV-TV, September 27)
A sharply divided City Council Monday approved a controversial plan to accept bids for operating the Miramar Landfill, an idea that drew opposition from organized labor and environmentalists.
New Details About Deadly Crash (Portland WGME-TV, September 27)
New details are emerging about that deadly crash between the Amtrak Downeaster and a garbage truck. Police say the driver of the truck ... Peter Barnum ... was distracted by a five minute phone call from his employer just before his truck slammed into the train.
Trash plan has benefits (Wichita Eagle, September 27)
After the uproar he created last winter, City Manager Robert Layton could be forgiven for not wanting to touch Wichita’s trash again with a 10-foot pole. His revised proposal deserves a warmer response and a full debate. Under the current free-market trash system, some Wichitans pay way too much compared with those living in developments with homeowners’ associations, and with residents of suburbs that have either municipal or franchised trash service.
The pros and cons of organized trash hauling (Roseville Review, September 26)
There's no question about it -- someone has to take out the trash. But whether or not citizens should have the ability to choose their own hauler has become a point of contention among some. The Roseville Citizens League (RCL) hosted a forum last week to discuss the pros and cons of organized trash hauling.
Garbage truck ads smelling like cash (Contra Costa Times, September 26)
Although some critics might say that the idea stinks, Los Angeles may soon try to fill its coffers with revenue from advertising placed on city garbage trucks. The Board of Public Works recommended approval Friday of a pilot program that would turn 500 of the city's 774 trash trucks into mobile billboards.
Trash-collection pact could save Camden County towns nearly $1 million (Newsworks.org, September 26)
A trash-disposal deal has turned into a money saver for Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Haddon Township and five other South Jersey communities. Officials from those Camden County towns Monday announced the savings they'll reap from a new pact. Cherry Hill currently spends about $1.3 million per year to dispose of 21,000 tons of residential solid waste. Mayor Bernie Platt said the unprecedented joint bid for municipal trash-disposal services has led to big savings.
A Hundred at Harvey's (Westborough Patch, September 23)
Dumps usually don’t get to celebrate anything, even 100^th birthdays. But every dump is not E.L. Harvey’s. The venerable Westborough institution on Hopkinton Road is marking its centennial this week. To celebrate the occasion, Harvey’s held a reception for its commercial customers on Wednesday. If you thought a birthday party for a dump wouldn’t attract many admirers, you may have been in for quite a surprise. As it turns out, Westborough is home to perhaps the most beloved waste management company in the country.
Rules for Identifying Clean Dirt to Be Considered (New York Times, September 23)
Questions about the earthiest of matters — whether there is such a thing as clean dirt and, if so, does it exist in Chicago? — are at the heart of a bitter policy fight between two powerful, politically connected industries: landfill and quarry operators.
Haywood Officials Hope Landfill Deal Will Save Millions (Asheville WWNC-AM, September 23)
County Manager Marty Stamey says the deal would save the county more than $400,000 a year in operational costs. He says Santek will be looking to get a permit from the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources to accept trash shipments from outside the county. Stamey says that would lead to Santek taking over the cell development and closure responsibilities at the landfill, saving the county even more money.
"I'm Green & I Recycle"? Not So Fast (New Haven Independent, September 22)
A plan to jump-start the city’s commercial recycling business, seemingly on a fast track, hit three bumps Thursday night: Election-year politics, a staff resignation, and opposition from commercial haulers…Meanwhile, Hughes, a lobbyist and spokesman for the state chapter of the National Solid Wastes Management Association, poked holes in Smith’s plan at Thursday night’s hearing in City Hall.
Montgomery increases garbage collection fees (Aurora Beacon News, September 22)
Montgomery residents will pay $1.30 more per month for garbage collection next year. Beginning in 2012, monthly fees will increase from $15.50 to $16.80. In 2013 the rate will be $17.47; 2014 will be $18.17; 2015 is $18.90 and in 2016 the fee will be $19.65.
Commissioners Approve Garbage Collection Rate Hike (Lewiston KLEW-TV, September 21)
Trash collection in Nez Perce County is about to get more expensive. On Tuesday, commissioners approved an increase in garbage collection rates for both businesses and homes. The fee will increase 2.6%, amounting to an increase of $8 a year for residential customers. And an increase of 27 cents per unit for businesses.
Bay's beaches hit by wave of trash (Wilmington News Journal, September 21)
After Saturday's coastal cleanup, Bill McSpadden, the Slaughter Beach coordinator, was feeling pretty good. Gone were the cigarette butts, the candy wrappers and the fragments of plastic cups. The beach was as clean as it gets. Then came Sunday morning.
Protest over Dallas trash plan comes to City Hall (Dallas News, September 21)
The fight over where Dallas' commercial waste should be dumped continues, with a protest this morning served up at City Hall by a group of students from Paul Quinn College and residents of the Highland Hills neighborhood in far southern Dallas.
Maximizing the Burn (Biomass Magazine, September 20)
Is construction and demolition (C&D) wood debris considered waste? Do standardized specifications like those for the paper and metal markets exist for C&D wood? How should industry streamline the C&D wood market?Answers to these and other questions can now be found in Construction and Demolition Wood-Derived Product Specifications, the result of a recent collaboration of the Construction Materials Recycling Association and the National Solid Wastes Management Association.
Solid-Wastes Association Tells Mayor: Go With Flow Control, and You Invite "Legal Challenges" (Dallas Observer, September 19)
Now that it's wrapped budget amendment talk, the council's in executive session, where one of the agenda items reads: "Legal issues regarding proposed resource flow control ordinance." And not a moment too soon. Not only is council set to return to read over those flow control Q&A's we posted Saturday, but this morning we were copied on a missive from Bruce Parker, president and CEO of the National Solid Wastes Management Association, who more or less tells Mayor Mike that if the council votes next week to okee-doke Marys Suhm and Nix's proposed ordinance rerouting all solid waste to the McCommas Bluff Landfill, then the NSWMA is going to sue.
E-waste: Recyclers, scrap haulers vie to keep U.S. computer trash home (Washington Post, September 19)
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has not taken a position but also says the government recycling mandate will have an industrywide impact. “A robust electronics recycling industry in America would create new opportunities to efficiently and profitably address a growing pollution threat,” she said in a Sept. 2 e-mail.
Supreme Court backs Horry County in solid-waste flow matter (Myrtle Beach Sun News, September 19)
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Monday morning issued a ruling affirming Horry County’s assertion that it should have the final say in where its solid waste is disposed. Private garbage haulers had filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against the county after the 2009 flow-control ordinance mandating that Horry County trash go to the Horry County landfill. The plaintiffs, including Sandlands C&D and Express Waste Haulers, are not giving up because of Monday’s ruling.
Swap gigs with Sterling Riggs: Rumpke Trashman (Louisville KDRB-TV, September 16)
From news anchor to garbage man. A local Rumpke employee took the challenge to "Swap Gigs" with Sterling Riggs. Sterling traded in his suit and tie for a neon vest and work gloves. He got to jump on the back of a Rumpke garbage truck to see what it's like to do the seventh most dangerous job in America: The job of a garbage man. Rain, shine, sleet or snow, neighborhood garbage men do what it takes to get the job done. Rumpke employee Jonnie Jaggers showed Sterling the ropes. He says, "You just have to like the outdoors and have a good strong stomach."
Two Women Make Up First All-Female Garbage Crew In El Paso (El Paso KTSM-TV, September 16)
They're two of one 100 people in their department. We're talking about the first all-female sanitation crew in El Paso. A teddy bear and a doll accompany Maria Espinoza and Sandra Puga as they quickly make their way through a central El Paso neighborhood collecting waste. "It’s a little hard, but not something we can't handle. If a container is too heavy we help each other. We can handle it," says Maria.
Erie's Denver Regional Landfill closes after 30 years (Boulder Daily Camera, September 16)
The decades-long procession of garbage trucks and semis filled with trash chugging to the top of the massive waste heap at the Denver Regional Landfill came to a halt this week. After 30 years of accepting the most unimaginable variety of filth and detritus from Front Range residents, the dump at the east end of Erie is full -- bursting with nearly 24.5 million cubic yards of garbage spread across 160 acres and stacked up to 250 feet deep.
Trash choice brings high price (La Cañada Valley Sun, September 15)
Residents of La Cañada Flintridge can choose the company that hauls their trash, but in doing so, they might be choosing higher prices. Even with Athens Services and Allied Waste Services competing, and new hauler NASA soon to be offering its services as well, La Cañada residents are paying more than Altadena residents.
A War Against Food Waste (New York Times, September 15)
A food industry alliance is planning a three-year initiative to reduce the tremendous amount of food that Americans still throw in the garbage even as they grow somewhat more conscientious about recycling paper and yard trimmings. The effort, announced by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, an alliance of food, beverage and packaging makers, aims both to reduce the amount of food sent to landfills and to increase donations to food banks for the poor. The effort is being carried out and financed in concert with the Food Marketing Institute.
Man dies after car hits back of garbage truck near Cocoa (Melbourne Florida Today, September 15)
A garbage collector was killed and another was seriously injured this morning when they were struck by a car west of Cocoa. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two men were picking up brush and yard waste behind a Waste Management truck on Citrus Boulevard, a residential street north of the Beachline that crosses over Interstate 95.
State waiving some garbage rules to get rid of flood debris faster (Allentown Morning Call, September 14)
The state Department of Environmental Protection is waiving some rules for garbage haulers and landfills to expedite the flooding cleanup. The following waivers were approved for the duration of the 90-day emergency proclamation Gov. Tom Corbett signed Aug. 26.
Lincoln to use contractors to collect garbage during city worker strike (Sacramento Bee, September 14)
Lincoln officials say that contractors will be used for garbage collection in place of city workers after a key labor unit went out on strike today. The city and the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39 have reached an impasse in contract negotiations. Union officials said members were willing to accept a two-year pay freeze, pay more of their retirement costs and pay up to 5 percent of their healthcare premiums, but were not willing to accept the full 10 percent shift in healthcare costs sought by the city. The city currently pays 100 percent of their healthcare costs.
More recycling, more jobs? (Columbia The State, September 14)
South Carolina could create hundreds of new jobs by redoubling its recycling efforts, the chief executive of Hartsville-based Sonoco, one of the world’s largest packaging companies, told a “green” conference in Columbia on Tuesday. The state only recycles about 22 percent of its municipal solid wastes, from soda cans to glass bottles, Harris DeLoach told the SC Green is Good for Business conference. The national average is 33 percent.
Fed safety agency recommends banning cell phone use, texting by truckers, commercial drivers (Washington Post, September 14)
No cellphones while driving, period. That’s the rule the National Transportation Safety Board wants for millions of truckers and bus drivers. The change proposed Tuesday would be among the most sweeping highway safety measures since the push for mandatory seat belts decades ago, but many truckers think it goes too far, especially because it would bar not only hand-held but hands-free devices.
Republic trash transition smooth, financially responsible (Toledo WTOL-TV, September 13)
Collecting garbage and recycling in Toledo is now being handled by a private enterprise. Despite the protests that muddied this process, it has been a smooth transition.Best of all,the city has gotten out of performing a service thatit found difficult to manage and hard to control costs.Republic Services, headquartered in Phoenix,is now responsible for the task.
Polk Commission Approves Fire, Garbage Hikes (Lakeland Ledger, September 13)
County commissioners voted Tuesday to approve increased fire and garbage rates for next year that will be part of next year's county budget.
Impeded Flow (Recycling Today, September 2011)
West Nyack, N.Y.-based C & A Carbone first made headlines in the early 1990s when the recycling company took its case against the flow control law in Clarkstown, N.Y., to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Clarkstown flow control law was designed to help finance a new transfer station in the town and guaranteed a specified amount of material would flow to the facility, which was built by a private contractor. The ordinance required all nonhazardous solid waste within the town to be deposited at the transfer station at a higher tipping fee than open market rates.
Lawmakers eye options to battle illegal dumping (State College Centre Daily, September 13)
Mandated trash collection in Pennsylvania could help reduce the number of its illegal dumps, state lawmakers were told Tuesday, but townships worry that curbside pickup may never be economically feasible in some of the state's more rural areas. The Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee's public hearing Tuesday, the second it has held on the topic in the past month, suggested there may not be a solution that satisfies everyone.
Police's trash needs special handling (Salem Statesman Journal, September 13)
About every three weeks, Salem police clean out the evidence room, sorting through items such as drug pipes, abandoned backpacks and broken knives. They hauled one such load of 24 boxes holding 920 pounds of items to its final destination Monday: an incinerator in Brooks. Items taken to be burned at Covanta Energy run the gamut and can include seized evidence as well as unusable police property, such as old uniforms and cleaning rags.
Bullard trash rates to rise (Jacksonville Daily Progress, September 13)
The city council approved a slight increase in trash collection rates for Bullard residents at Tuesday's meeting. Garbage pickup rates are currently $12.93 per month for residents and will increase to $14.98 for one trashcan from and $17.80 for two. City manager Larry Morgan said residents will not be able to opt out of the service.
Eugene raising garbage rates (Eugene Register-Guard, September 12)
Starting next month in Eugene, it will cost more to tote garbage and recyclables to the curb or to trash bins. On Oct. 1, residential refuse collection rates in the city will increase 3.8 percent, with commercial collection rates rising 4.9 percent, said Nancy Young, a city solid waste analyst. Part of the commercial rate increase will help pay for a soon-to-be-started voluntary food composting effort geared for restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses that discard large amounts of food.
Talking About Waste With P&G (Wall Street Journal, September 12)
Last year, the Cincinnati-based company generated more than one million metric tons of waste, about equal to the waste almost two million Americans together produce annually. But P&G says it has been able to cut in half the amount of material it sends to landfills, thanks to sustainability programs launched over the past five years. Indeed, some 63% of the waste P&G produced in 2010 was recycled or reused.
More answers to questions about Portland's new curbside composting plan, including cost (Portland Oregonian, September 12)
Portland Mayor Sam Adams, announcing a curbside food-composting program last month, called it smart and efficient. "We are working hard to keep the cost at status quo for as many people as possible," he said. But is that true? And how will other aspects of the program work when it rolls out Oct. 31? Will residents get used to weekly food-scrap pickups but only every-other-week garbage pickup? How has curbside composting worked in other cities?
The Urban Quest for 'Zero' Waste (Wall Street Journal, September 12)
After years of burning or burying their waste, some cities are getting serious about garbage. Across the country, a handful of municipalities are radically reducing the amount of refuse they send to landfills, with the eventual goal of reaching "zero waste." Seattle recycles or composts more than half of what its residents toss out. San Francisco diverts 77% of its waste from landfills. Even sprawling Los Angeles recycles or composts about two-thirds of its garbage.
Lee County mobile home parks find issue with trash fee (Ft. Myers News-Press, September 10)
Residents from 23 mobile home parks are talking trash to the Lee County Commission, demanding the county keep its hands off their recycling money. The parks claim they are being strong-armed into having the county pick up their recyclables, instead of allowing residents to use private companies to haul away the recycling, then keep the revenue from selling them. If the parks opt to continue their own recycling, a revised ordinance passed by the commission May 31 requires the parks to start paying a fee for pickup of bulk items, which they don't do now.
Talking Trash in Chicago (Governing Magazine, September 2011)
There's nothing like a fiscal crisis to promote government efficiency. But don't expect elected officials to give up patronage opportunities and the power that goes with them without a fight, even in the midst of financial stress. Witness a story unfolding in Chicago, where Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff, wants to change the way the city collects trash as part of an effort to make good on his promise to wipe out a deficit of over $635 million without raising taxes.
Tons of trash left on NJ curbs in wake of Hurricane Irene and floods (Newark Star Ledger, September 9)
Leroy Campbell’s three-man garbage hauling crew has a combined 65 years of experience among them, but what they’ve seen at the curb in the last two weeks has been heart-rending. Water-logged photo albums and ruined family heirlooms hurt the most.
Corpus Christi Disposal employee killed Thursday after falling from truck near Gregory (Corpus Christi Caller, September 9)
A 62-year-old waste disposal employee was killed Thursday near Gregory after falling off a garbage truck, the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office reported. Emergency responders were called about 11:45 a.m. to Farm-to-Market Road 2986 about a mile south of U.S. Highway 181 after a resident called authorities, San Patricio County Sheriff Leroy Moody said.
Gov. Jerry Brown signs California apartment recycling bill (Los Angeles Times, September 9)
You want to recycle, but maybe there are no bins at your apartment complex and you can't -- or don't want to -- go to a recycling center on your own. You have plenty of company, but starting next year most landlords will be required to change that. Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed the Renter's Right to Recycle Act, which requires that recycling services be provided for paper, plastic and cans in buildings with five or more apartments.
Salem County Improvement Authority receives green light from state for expansion of landfill in Alloway Township (Salem Today’s Sunbeam, September 8)
The Salem County Landfill has garnered all the necessary approvals from the New Jersey Department of Environment Protection to expand its McKillip Road site here. The NJDEP approved the authority’s application for a 30-foot vertical expansion and also a horizontal expansion, which will ensure additional capacity at the facility for the next 25 years.
Owners reject role of trash cop (Halifax Chronicle-Herald, September 7)
The Truro and District Chamber of Commerce is concerned that new clear garbage bag rules in Truro, Stewiacke and Colchester County will force apartment and restaurant owners to monitor the garbage their tenants and clients generate in order to avoid fines.
Garbage Man Run Over By Own Truck Dies (Denver KMGH-TV, September 6)
A driver run over by his own garbage truck last week has died, the Douglas County coroner said Monday. Brian Rojas, 40, died from multiple traumatic injuries at Swedish Medical Center on Saturday, Douglas County Coroner Lora Thomas told 7NEWS. The death was ruled an accident.
Young worker dies on Labor Day (Muncie Star Press, September 6)
A 17-year-old worker died instantly on Labor Day when he fell off of the front end of a moving garbage truck. Another worker who also fell suffered a fractured leg and was transported to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie.
City trapped in vicious recycle (Philadelphia Daily News, September 6)
If the city really “requires” commercial recycling, how come it seems that many businesses don’t recycle? Take the Gallery at Market East. Very few plastic bottles from the food court or outdated magazines from Books-a-Million will make it to a recycling facility.
Tiny parks are on a roll in San Francisco (Los Angeles Times, September 6)
Two dumpsters full of greenery, with four more to come, add a bit of nature to the streets of a paved-over downtown neighborhood. Some scoff, but others are willing to give the 'parkmobiles' a go.
St. Louis County to pay fine to trash haulers (St. Louis Post Dispatch, September 5)
St. Louis County has been ordered to pay $1.16 million to three trash haulers in a dispute over trash collection. The three firms, American Eagle Waste Industries, Meridian Waste Services and Waste Management of Missouri, sued the county in 2008 when the county hired a single hauler for each of eight trash districts. The firms, which had previously served the areas, had sought $23 million damages.
Minneapolis makes recycling mandatory for all (Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 2)
Mandatory recycling in Minneapolis now covers all businesses, workplaces and even houses of worship. "Wherever you live, work, learn, worship, play or do business in Minneapolis, you will be able to recycle," Mayor R.T. Rybak said in a statement. "This ordinance gives recycling the normal, routine status it deserves. Now it's up to all of us to do our part to recycle."
City's New Deal: Let Us Dump All the Trash at McCommas, and We'll Create "Stimulus Fund" (Dallas Observer, September 2)
On the other side is a letter Tom Brown, the Texas Chapter Chair of the National Solid Wastes Management Association, sent to Mayor Mike Rawlings earlier this week. In it, Brown again makes his case that sending all of the city's trash to the landfill near Paul Quinn College will have a "negative financial impact on businesses throughout Dallas including businesses in Southern Dallas.”
Irene Cleanup Workers Get Tetanus Shots Amid Mucky Cleanup (New York WNBC-TV, September 2)
As Irene's floodwaters recede throughout the tri-state, cleanup crews are discovering muck, debris, garbage, and in one case, a skeleton. Tons of hazardous garbage has washed up along flooded streets throughout the area. In Wallington, N.J., workers are being warned not to touch the stuff. They're even getting tetanus shots before heading out to work on the cleanup.
U.S. Waste Worker Fatalities Rise (Waste Management World, September 1)
David Biderman, the Safety Director for the National Solid Wastes Management Association, the national group that represent garbage and recycling collectors, reacted to this BLS report, saying, "NSWMA will be exploring the reasons for the increase in reported fatalities. NSWMA will redouble its efforts to prevent fatal accidents, including the release of an updated Safety Manual in 2012."
Legislators suggest DNREC should temporarily suspend burning ban (Newark Post, September 1)
Four Sussex County legislators are asking the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to temporarily lift the seasonal burning ban so residents can deal with downed trees and fallen limbs left in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Late on Monday, DNREC officials said they were temporarily allowing Delaware residents to dispose of storm-related yard waste along with their household trash through Tuesday, September 6. Normally, yard waste is banned from household disposal.
Suhm should detail community benefits in garbage plan (Dallas Morning News, September 1)
The summer recess has given Dallas City Council members plenty of time to consider City Manager Mary Suhm’s “flow control” plan to redirect commercial waste dumping to the main McCommas Bluff Landfill in southern Dallas. What might not be as clear when the proposal comes up for discussion next week is that no urgent action is required. It’s not part of the current budget process, which means the council can — and should — take its time to make sure southern Dallas doesn’t get dumped on again.
FALLBROOK: State Assembly passes bill to stop Gregory Canyon landfill (Sacramento North County Times, September 1)
A bill that would prohibit the construction of a landfill in Gregory Canyon near Pala was passed by the state Assembly on Wednesday. It now needs the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown to become law.
Getting Rich on Garbage? Adding Up the Dollars and $ense of Saginaw's New Rubbish Fee (Saginaw Review Magazine, August25)
The news hit through a press release sent August 11th by the City of Saginaw announcing that residents would be receiving bills in the mail reflecting a new annual ‘flat fee’ for rubbish removal in the amount of $165.00.The move took both residents & the media by surprise, as the last time talk of this surfaced was back in 2009 when City Council attempted to remove the property tax cap and told citizens that if they voted to remove the fee, a total of 4-mils would come off their property tax bill. Voters declined to lift the property tax freeze, so it appears Council went ahead and approved the new flat fee anyway on May 23rd of this year.
IESI gets 'Keep Texas Beautiful' award (Plano Star Courier, August 31)
IESI-Texas Region, the McKinney-based branch of the nationwide waste disposal company, is the recipient of KTB's 2011 Ebby Halliday & Maurice Acers Business/Industry Innovation Award.
Hernando County will relocate gopher tortoises before landfill work (St. Petersburg Times, August 31)
One of the first steps in a multimillion-dollar project to close two sections of the Hernando County landfill is to find new homes for dozens of hard-shelled critters that live nearby. The plan to cap garbage cells One and Two calls for a plastic liner covered by a 6-inch-deep layer of dirt across a total of 19 acres, said Scott Harper, Solid Waste Services manager.
Fancy Batteries in Electric Cars Pose Recycling Challenges (New York Times, August 31)
With fleets of electric cars starting to hit the roads, the next big mother lode for salvage companies is expected to be the expensive, newfangled batteries powering them. Yet even as automakers vaunt the ways these cars can benefit the environment, they are divided over how best to handle the refuse: recycle or repurpose.
Pinellas County will require private trash haulers to offer curbside recycling after all (St. Petersburg Times, August 30)
Pinellas County commissioners will move forward with a plan to require garbage haulers to carry a county license and offer curbside recycling, breaking with a staff recommendation. After researching the issue, the county staff had concluded there was no benefit to licensing because haulers already offered curbside recycling.
Solid waste fee increase approved (Miami County Republic News, August 30)
Once again, Paola residents will see a bit of an increase in their city utility bills. The Paola City Council last week agreed to increase the monthly fee for solid waste collection by 50 cents — a change that takes effect next month. City Manager Jay Wieland said that because of a contract agreement with Louisburg-based L&K Services, the base service charge to the city will increase by 3 percent in September.
Garbage rate in Frostproof going up (Winter Haven News Chief, August 30)
Residents will be paying more for garbage service. The Frostproof City Council had to approve an adjustment to the Florida Refuse garbage contract when the hauler raised its rate to meet the Consumer Price Index. Under the city's contract, Florida Refuse is entitled to have the city increase in the monthly rate if it can show the Consumer Price Index has risen.
Grid vs. ward garbage collection: Why are we still debating? (Chicago Tribune, August 30)
The city could go even further and let private contractors do the work in that grid if they can do it more cheaply. Emanuel already set up a "managed competition" between private recycling companies and city workers to see which is most cost-effective. It makes sense to do the same for garbage pickup.
From the Food Court to the Compost Pile (New York Times, August 26)
At sporting events like the United States Open, garbage is garbage, whether it organic or inorganic: at the end of the day, it has to be hauled away. Of course, recycling can save tens of thousands of dollars in disposal fees and even produce some income from recyclers. That is why the Open has an ambitious program to recycle glass, plastic, aluminum and cardboard.
City of Dallas Plays Unfairly in Competition Over Trash Dumping (Dallas Observer, August 25)
When Dallas City Hall decides to compete with you in your business, watch out, because they don't really have to compete. They just pass laws. The controversy over so-called "flow control" is a great example. Flow control is a move to force trash-haulers to stop taking trash to commercial landfills outside the city and use only the city's landfill at McCommas Bluff instead. Why would the city want to keep the trash? They have a cover story to the effect that it's all about green recycling, but their own internal memorandums betray that the green recycling thing is bullshit. There is no recycling technology available or on the visible horizon to handle this much trash and turn a profit.
Palm Beach County garbage rate increase gets final approval (Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, August 25)
Palm Beach County garbage rates will go up about 5 percent to pay for a new trash burning incinerator, according to the $262 million Solid Waste Authority budget given final approval Wednesday.
Oswego garbage rates rising to $40.88 for two months (Aurora Beacon-News, August 25)
Garbage rates are increasing in Oswego in accordance with the contract between the village and Allied Waste, its contracted waste hauler. The new two-month regular garbage rate has risen to $40.88, of which $1.38 is a fuel surcharge. The two-month senior garbage rate has increased to $31.32, including a $1.06 fuel surcharge.
City of Ottawa’s downtown garbage collection better value than private sector service (Ottawa Citizen, August 24)
Having city crews pick up garbage downtown has saved money and resulted in good service, city staff say, and they now recommend council allow in-house bids for waste collection in other parts of the city. Based largely on financial savings and success the city has had since 2006 with its own collection staff picking up garbage downtown, staff say city crews should be awarded a new contract to continue working in that zone after their current contract expires next year.
Methane Fuel Trove Brings New York $12 Million a Year as Dump Becomes Park (Bloomberg, August 24)
Fresh Kills has been generating five million cubic feet of usable methane every day for more than 10 years, enough energy to heat 25,000 to 30,000 homes. The city says it takes in around $1 million a month from the sale of the gas.
City Cracking Down On Recycling Scavengers (San Diego KGTV-TV, August 24)
The City of San Diego is cracking down on scavengers who are stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of recyclables from the city every year. Before city recycling trucks empty the blue bins in the morning, scavengers are going through the bins looking for anything of value.
Harnessing landfill gas in Erie for power production (Boulder Daily Camera, August 22)
Capturing 1,200 cubic feet of methane per minute to generate 4.8 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power half of Erie's 6,700 households for decades into the future -- is a pretty tall order. But with two landfills on the east side of Erie practically bursting with the combustible gas -- methane is a naturally occurring byproduct of solid waste decomposition -- numbers on paper will soon become reality for the town of 19,000.
Trash Talking, Part 392: City of Dallas Launches Its Own Website Pushing Flow Control. Hard (Dallas Observer, August 22)
When City Manager Mary Suhm proposed dumping all of the city's trash at the McCommas Bluff Landfill as a revenue-generating brainstorm last summer, few imagined it would become such a hot-button issue this summer. Because in 2010, the idea came and went nowhere, along with that suggested transportation user fee and that proposal that nonprofits pay the city something since they're not coughing up property taxes. But here we are, with solid-waste disposal companies and Paul Quinn College and some southern Dallas residents lined up on one side and City Hall on the other, all ready to go to war over dumping trash at McCommas -- a proposal, the city says, that'll generate millions in methane gas revenue and tipping fees.
Carter: The remarkable lives on Newark sanitation truck No. 2646 (Newark Star-Ledger, August 21)
There is no worse time to work on a garbage crew than July and August, when the heat withers you into a dishrag and the garbage ripens in the noon sun and everything aches by day’s end. Unless it’s January, when the cans are covered in snow and each step grows more leaden than the last.
Garbage fee ban qualifies for ballot (Cincinnati Enquirer, August 21)
Supporters of a proposed Cincinnati charter amendment that would prevent City Hall from imposing a monthly trash collection fee have gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the November ballot. The local NAACP, whose volunteers have been circulating the garbage fee petitions for months, Friday turned in 7,497 valid signatures of registered city voters, 31 more than needed.
Loss of trash aid hurts South Jersey counties (Cherry Hill Courier-Post, August 19)
There was a time when New Jersey tried to solve a stinky, statewide problem -- trash disposal. More than 20 years ago, it ordered counties to solve disposal issues within their borders, to combat illegal dumping and unsanitary landfills that had led to groundwater pollution.
Bottle Recycling Plan Is Left at the Curb (Wall Street Journal, August 19)
For Coke, Supply of Used Plastic From Neighborhood Programs Falls Short as Demand Climbs in China.
Green converting can divert waste from landfills (Packaging Digest, August 19)
As a society we have experienced a perpetual struggle with garbage. The root of our challenges with garbage and waste always comes down to one question: Where are we going to put it? Since the 1980s, population growth and advances in material and packaging technology have put more pressure on companies and communities to answer this question.
Garbage bills to increase (Lakeport Record-Bee, August 19)
City residents will soon notice a 33-cent increase on their monthly garbage bills after the Lakeport City Council Tuesday authorized Lakeport Disposal to adjust customer rates because of higher gate fees at the landfill and transfer station. The agreement between the city and its franchise hauler allows Lakeport Disposal to be reimbursed for tipping fee increases at waste disposal sites. The company hauls about half of city's solid waste to the county-owned landfill and half to the privately-owned transfer station.
Boise launches anti-idling campaign to educate residents about negative effects of idling vehicles (Boise News Tribune, August 18)
We added idle reduction technology to 90 of our 100 front line trucks. The technology kills the engine after three minutes of idling. The technology saves us an average of two to three gallons per truck, per day. We're saving about 250 gallons a day in our entire Idaho fleet and all the emission that go along with it," said Dave Fisher, Allied Waste general manager.
Trash-pickup rates increase in Columbus (Columbus Dispatch, August 18)
Beginning Oct. 1, Columbus residents will pay a dollar more for trash pickup. The City Council Tuesday voted 4 to 1 to increase Columbus Light and Water customers' monthly garbage fees from $14 to $15. The move, which Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem opposed, came after the council voted 5 to 1 to approve a new six-year contract for the city with Golden Triangle Waste Services.
Opponents dominate input on single hauler contract (Buckeye Lake Beacon, August 18)
Last week’s unanimous rejection of a single contract to haul residential waste in Walnut Township seems to have energized opponents of a similar proposal in Licking Township.
Problems seen on oversight of outsourcing (San Diego Union-Tribune, August 17)
San Diego has been disparaged for deals city leaders make with the private sector, a criticism that is likely to echo again as city leaders explore outsourcing public services from landfill operations to street sweeping over the next few years.
Dallas NAACP Will Meet With Local EPA Officials to Discuss City's Flow Control Proposal (Dallas Observer, August 17)
On the other side you'll find a letter that Juanita Wallace, president of the Dallas branch of the NAACP, sent to Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 chief Al Armendariz in which she decries the city's proposal that would force all solid-waste collectors to dump their trash at the McCommas Bluff Landfill.
Toledo cans trash pick-up, private hauler takes over (Toledo WTVG-TV, August 17)
Toledo is now out of the trash business. As of yesterday, a private hauler is picking up city trash. The hope is, you won't notice a difference. When it comes down to it, all you want is to put out the trash and have someone come by and pick it up. For decades, Toledo city workers manned the trucks and tossed your trash. But now, a private hauler runs the routes.
LaGuardia safety trashed (New York Post, August 17)
Port Authority bosses shot down plans to make La Guardia Airport safer in bad weather so the city could build a bird-magnet trash-transfer station that increases the danger of deadly plane crashes, The Post has learned.
FDNY Rescues Driver From Truck Dangling From Sanitation Garage (New York Village Voice, August 17)
This photo just in. Somehow, a garbage truck managed to get in this precarious position, two stories high, dangling out of a sanitation garage at 58-35 52 Road at 59th Street in Queens. The FDNY tweeted the photo, which is, you have to admit, pretty freaking dramatic, especially because there was a guy inside.
Dallas NAACP opposes "flow control," or "resource control," or whatever (Dallas News, August 17)
The Dallas chapter of the NAACP is taking a stand against the city's plan to require all privately hauled trash be dumped at the city-owned McCommas Bluff Landfill in far southern Dallas. In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency last week, the chapter's president, Juanita Wallace, explained the NAACP's opposition to what the city used to call "flow control," but more recently has taken to calling "resource control."
Thorsby raises garbage rates (Clanton Advertiser, August 16)
The Thorsby Town Council voted Monday night to raise the monthly garbage rate from $13 to $15, effective Oct. 1. Mayor Dearl Hilyer said the average monthly expense for providing the service was $14.54 per month per customer. “The cost of fuel has gone up, and the cost to dump at the transfer station has gone up,” Hilyer said.
Refuse Collects Here, but Visitors and Wildlife Can Breathe Free (New York Times, August 16)
Waiting lists for selective colleges, fine restaurants and overbooked flights are familiar enough — but Singapore may have the only landfill with a four-month wait once you sign up to visit. Then again, this landfill is no dump. It’s a manmade island that resembles a nature preserve, despite the 9.8 million tons of incinerated waste lying just a foot under the parklike surface.
Food for Thought: The Most Earth-Friendly Way to Dispose of Food Waste (Environmental Protection, August 15)
Life cycle study sponsored by food disposer manufacturer says processing food scraps at wastewater treatment plants results in lower global warming potential than landfills, compost facilities.
Brooklyn Park roiled by garbage (Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 14)
Competition and the ability to grow are vital to the industry, said Mark Stoltman, general manager of Randy's Environmental Services and chairman of the Minnesota chapter of the National Solid Waste Management Association. "Free enterprise allows us to grow, creates innovation and allows customers a variety of choices," he said, adding that his company and others have been willing to work with cities on issues such as truck weight and emissions.
Lowell council offsets cost of trash collection fee hike (Munster NWTimes, August 13)
The town's garbage collection rate has been bumped up, but residents won't see any difference for a bit. The Town Council has agreed to Lowell Clerk-Treasurer Judy Walters' request to temporarily increase its subsidy of the monthly garbage rate. Currently, the town pays 70 cents per month toward residents' garbage bills from recycling funds. The council agreed to raise that subsidy to $1.31 per month until software is updated to reflect the billing rates that changed July 1.
Los Angeles' trash and recycling policies for apartments debated (Los Angeles Times, August 13)
As city leaders contemplate changing the system for collection services that serve large multi-unit buildings, they hear from environmental activists, truck-weary residents and garbage companies.
CalMet raises fees for trash pick-up (Downey Patriot, August 12)
CalMet Services, the city's franchised refuse hauler, received permission from the City Council this week to increase its rates for residential and commercial customers. The new rates went into effect Wednesday.
New power source for Rumpke (Cincinnati Enquirer, August 11)
The power behind 10 new Rumpke garbage trucks is coming from the methane gas extracted from its giant mounds of trash in Colerain Township. A new $3.1 million compressed natural gas facility is letting the region’s largest waste collector use less expensive and more environmentally-friendly fuel to power the trucks that collect residential trash each day.
Private garbage pickup coming sooner than expected (Toronto Star, August 11)
Private haulers will replace city workers picking up trash from 165,000 Toronto homes earlier than expected, the public works committee chair is predicting. Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong said Wednesday that collection between the Humber River and Yonge St. could be privatized as early as July 2012, rather than February 2013. City staff managed to speed up the bid preparation process, he said. Minnan-Wong said the move potentially could save taxpayers $3 million through a quicker move to private workers rather than 300 temporary city workers, whose contracts would not be renewed.
Taking On the Trash: Hidalgo County to implement trash collection in rural areas (McAllen Monitor, August 11)
Garbage overflows from green waste bins parked beside driveways in a rural colonia outside Rio Hondo. The neighborhood’s roadside drainage ditches, meanwhile, remain notably free of debris. It’s a scene Hidalgo County government wants to duplicate as it considers privatizing trash collection in its precincts to save the cost of operating collection stations.
Gary Sanitary District raises trash fee during fiery meeting (Gary Times, August 10)
The Gary Sanitary District upped city garbage collection fees to $16 a month in a fiery session Tuesday. The district board raised the fee from $7 for seniors and $12 for other households. District attorney David Gilyan said the increases are necessary to cover the cost of service. Things took afiery turn during the public comment period after the meeting.
Lee County Commissioners approve garbage collection rate decrease (Ft. Myers News-Press, August 9)
Garbage collection will be less expensive in Lee County come Oct. 1. Tuesday, Lee County Commissioners unanimously approved reduced rates. As Commission Chairman Frank Mann predicted, no one protested the cuts calculated and proposed by Lee County Solid Waste Department Chief Lindsey Sampson.
Marines base turns green from landfill gas (SmartPlanet.com, August 9)
The United States Army is famous for its green fatigues, but the Navy is immersing itself in green technology. A Marines base near San Diego will soon be meeting half its energy needs with landfill gas. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is opportunely located next to a massive 1.1 million ton municipal landfill. A project to reclaim enough methane gas to provide 25 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year began last month.
Man Killed In East Windsor Work Place Incident (Hartford Courant, August 9)
An employee of USA Hauling & Recycling died Friday after being struck by a pay loader in a parking lot of F&G Recycling, police said. Police said that John Fitzpatrick, 51, of Ellington, was struck while working in the F&G Recycling parking lot at 9 Shoham Road. The companies does business with USA Hauling, according to police.
State Officials To Inspect Industrial Truck After Fatal Crash (Moundsville WTOV-TV, August 9)
Investigators are continuing to gather details on a fatal crash Monday involving a truck used in natural gas drilling. The crash happened Monday on U.S. Route 250 in the area of South Highland Avenue in Moundsville around noon.
Environmental, solid waste groups raise concerns over Joplin cleanup (Lawrence Journal World, August 8)
Two very different groups are concerned that efforts to clean up debris from the Joplin tornado could turn a natural disaster into an environmental one. Both the Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club and the National Solid Wastes Management Association have raised questions about the 350 truckloads of tornado wastes that are being dumped each day into a landfill in southeast Kansas.”
Storm debris fuels plant in Flint (Battle Creek Enquirer, August 6)
The energy from a 100-mile-per-hour wind storm in Calhoun County will be harnessed to power a Michigan plant more than two months after the storm took place. The May 29 wind storm caused an estimated $25 million in damage to public and private property in the county, and more than 800 tons of felled tree debris. Now, some of those arboreal casualties of the wind storm are being put to good use, said Tiffany Eichorst, Calhoun County solid waste director.
Talking With the Trashman About Flowetry: Solid Waste Haulers Make New Pitch to City (Dallas Observer, August 5)
The National Solid Wastes Management Association sends word today that it's still quite opposed to the plan, so much so it's proposing alternatives that involve the city upping its franchise fees while also dedicating some of the tipping fees to "development in the area around the landfill.”
Lollapalooza aims to become more green (Chicago Tribune, August 5)
As Lollapalooza launches its seventh year in Grant Park on Friday, the music festival is expected to see more than 100 bands, a record sellout crowd and, if past years are any indication, what could amount to nearly 200 tons of trash.
Long After Natural Disasters, the Cleanup Grinds On (New York Times, August 4)
long after the natural disasters — whether floods, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes — and even after people find places to stay once their homes have been destroyed, somebody still has to take out the trash. And there is a tremendous amount of the stuff.
State pushes to expand recycling (San Diego Union Tribune, August 4)
Many Californians tend to associate car exhaust and factory emissions with greenhouse gasses blamed for climate change brought on by global warming. But how about paper, cardboard, old lumber and plastic? What role do those waste products play by being thrown away instead of being recycled?
Governor pledges to pick up tab for Joplin debris removal (Jefferson City Missouri News Horizon, August 2)
Gov. Jay Nixon says the state is ready to pick up Joplin’s portion of the clean-up costs from the May 22 tornado. Ordinarily, state and local governments split the costs of disaster recovery not covered by the federal government, but Nixon says the local tax base in Joplin is significantly reduced by the amount of damage to businesses and homes – too much so for municipalities and townships to foot part of the bill.
Work together on waste issues (Albany Times Union, August 3)
The solid waste services industry agrees with the view expressed in your July 28 editorial, "Trash problem isn't going away," that "a comprehensive regional approach" to managing trash and recyclables is a good way togo. Another regional waste authority is not the best "comprehensive regional approach," though. There are better, more cost-effective ways to improve recycling rates, minimize waste production and take waste and recycling management to the nextlevel.
'Well done!' to crew of garbage truck (Springfield News Leader, August 2)
Good news is not hard to find in the Ozarks, as we will illustrate regularly in this space with an editorial feature we call: 'Tis a privilege. 'Tis a privilege to give a public "Well done!" to the unidentified employees of Waste Corp. of America after they spotted a woman in the back of a garbage truck.
D.C.'s trash police getting picky on ticketing (Washington Examiner, August 2)
Residents and business owners in some of the District's wealthiest neighborhoods are outraged over tickets they've received for up to $1,000 by the city's trash police for having a recyclable item as small as a soda can mixed in with their trash.
County trash proposal could put some haulers out of business (Wilmington Star News, August 2)
If New Hanover County's proposed plan to consolidate trash collection into two zones is adopted, Anthony Marshall could be looking for a new job. The county has proposed plans to consolidate trash collection into a north and south zone. Each zone would have an exclusive trash collector responsible for the trash, curbside recycling, yard waste and bulky item pick up.
Oak Park approves garbage contract, rates to increase (Chicago Tribune, August 2)
Garbage pick-up rates will be rising in Oak Park after the village board approved a new contract with Waste Management Monday night. The village board approved the contract without discussion Monday, as they debated the issue last month. Trustees approved Waste Management for the five-year contract without going out to bid because they said they believe the company, which has provided services for 15 years, was offering a “hometown discount” that was likely lower than what competitors would offer.
Colerain gets chance to stop Rumpke expansion (Cincinnati Enquirer, August 1)
The Ohio Supreme Court gave Colerain Township a bit of a boost Friday in its battle to stop Rumpke's landfill expansion. The court agreed by a 4-to-3 vote to hear the township's appeal of the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court's ruling that favored Rumpke. This reversed its ruling in April, when the Ohio Supreme Court decided not to hear the township's appeal and stated that Rumpke Sanitary Landfill was a public utility and could bypass zoning requirements.
Clark County garbage haulers will have to pay the price (Jeffersonville News and Tribune, August 1)
A Clark County ordinance is being dusted off to try and bring in some additional revenue for the cash-strapped county. Ordinance 5-2006, requires trucks hauling solid waste to pay a $1,000 permitting fee. For each additional truck a company owns the fee is $10. “It’s a way we can generate a little money,” said Commissioner Ed Meyer.
The promise and perils of privatization (Stamford Advocate, August 1)
Privatization presents potential benefits. Big ones. It presents potential pitfalls as well. Deals between municipalities and private firms typically are long-term, at least 10 years, often more. If something goes wrong the city could be left with a mess on itshands. The notion is worth exploring, but must be approached with greatcare.
Letter to the Editor: Dangerous Debris (Topeka Capitol Journal, August 1)
That is why the Kansas Chapter of the National Solid Wastes Management Association shares the concerns of leading environmental organizations that such a disaster is unfolding just across the Kansas state line from Joplin in Galena.
Landfill Closure Marks 'The End of an Era' (Palo Alto Patch, July 29)
Landfill Manager Ron Arp, surveying the activity from atop a nearby ridge, was excited about the man-made hill being transformed into parkland but was nonetheless subdued. He had, after all, just said goodbye to two heavy-equipment operators. “It is a solemn day,” he said. “We are eventually laying off all of the staff except two people.”
UPDATE: Agreement approved to turn Colonie landfill private (Colonie WTEN-TV, July 29)
The Colonie Town Board has voted to approve a landfill operating agreement. If "Waste Connection" agrees, a private waste management company out of California, they will run the landfill for the next 25 years. The agreement guarantees more than $85 million to town coffers and has the potential to generate more than $100 million over 25 years.
State will not prosecute in crash that fatally injured man (Cape Coral Daily Breeze, July 28)
A case against a Cape Coral man involved in a traffic crash last year that killed a Waste Management employee was not prosecuted by the state. The State Attorney's Office decided to nolle prosequi - not prosecute - a vehicular homicide charge in May that was filed against Brian Gustavus Ross, 53, of 842 S.W. 47th St. The state decided not prosecute due to insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, according to court documents.
Talking Trash with Mary Suhm, Because You Have Not Heard the Last of Flow Control (Dallas Observer, July 28)
Now there's this: The National Solid Wastes Management Association has launched a website devoted to killing the proposal, Fight City of Dallas Flow Control.
Milwaukie City Council approves garbage hike (Portland Clackamas Review, July 27)
Milwaukie's City Council unanimously passed a garbage rate increase this past week to cover a fee hike from Metro's regional government at the Oregon City waste transfer station.
Brewton garbage fees going up (Brewton Standard, July 26)
Brewton households will pay an extra $3 per month for garbage pickup as of Aug. 1. The city council approved the garbage fee increase Tuesday as a way to stem the bleeding in the sanitation department budget.
Seattle Reports Increase in Recycling Rate (Recycling Today, July 27)
According to the City of Seattle’s annual recycling report, the amount of solid waste the city diverted from the landfill and into recycling and composting increased by 2.6 percent in 2010, the largest year-to-year increase since 2006. Seattle’s goal is to divert 60 percent of its municipal solid waste to recycling and composting by 2012 and 70 percent by 2025. According to forecasts by the Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) residents and businesses in Seattle will need to recycle and compost about 45,000 more tons per year in order to reach the 2012 goal.
San Francisco supervisors OK sending trash to Yuba County (San Francisco Appeal-Democrat, July 27)
The battle over sending San Francisco trash to Yuba County has been settled for now in the Bay Area side. San Francisco supervisors voted 9-2 Tuesday in favor of a contract with Recology Inc. to take its trash to the Ostrom Road landfill, beginning in 2015.
Olivette raises residential trash fees (St Louis Today, July 27)
Olivette residents will see an increase in trash fees, starting this month. The Olivette City Council approved a boost in residents' share of monthly residential trash collection and recycling fees. The new rate for single family trash fees for residents will increase from $7.48 a month to $11.45 a month.
St. Lawrence County Considering Selling Solid Waste Department (Watertown Daily Times, July 26)
St. Lawrence County is considering privatizing its Solid Waste Department because of rising costs and aging equipment. The Board of Legislators agreed by a vote of 11-4 at its Finance Committee meeting Monday to consider vendor proposals for the purchase and to provide solid waste and recycling services for residents and businesses.
Gladstone trash pick up won't move to a single hauler system (Kansas City KCYT-TV, July 26)
The city council voted two for and two against the resolution, meaning Gladstone won't move to a single hauler system for garbage pick up. The mayor says he supported the resolution because it would have saved residents hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, because the bid came in below what the average resident currently pays.
Recycling company, Chesapeake work toward green goal (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, July 25)
TFC Recycling and the city are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint - and save money at the same time - by converting recycling and trash fleets to compressed natural gas. With the first TFC truck powered by natural gas on display Friday during an open house in Chesapeake, owner Michael Benedetto said converting to a domestic renewable energy source "feels like the right direction to go."
Garbage truck driver killed in crash (Lexington WKYT-TV, July 26)
An Eastern Kentucky road was shut down for more than an hour Monday morning while crews cleaned up from a deadly accident. A tractor trailer carrying garbage went off Highway 15 just outside of the Red Fox community in Knott county around 8:30am. The driver was killed. His name has not been released. No other cars were involved in the crash.
Sonoco Sets Waste Reduction Goals Aimed at Moving Plants to Landfill-Free Status (Business Wire, July 25)
Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies and one of the largest packaging recyclers in North America, today announced goals aimed at moving its manufacturing plants to landfill-free status, according to Harris DeLoach Jr., chairman and chief executive officer.
A Global Pinball Game: Tracking E-Waste (New York Times, July 25)
Our electronic gadgets are such an integral part of our daily routines that they have become extensions of ourselves. Some people are so attached to their smartphones that they even talk and text while showering. Yet, for all the love we lavish on them, when a faster computer or a sleeker phone enters the market, our intimate companions are promptly discarded.
Matthews goes to bi-weekly recycling (Charlotte Observer, July 24)
If you're a Matthews resident, you will be receiving a green, 96-gallon, roll-out recycling cart this week if one hasn't arrived at your home. Residents should continue to use their old recycling bins through the week of Aug. 1.
Cumberland County Improvement Authority getting all the county trash (News of Cumberland County, July 24)
The Cumberland County Improvement Authority this week stated it will soon begin enforcing its claim on all trash collected in the county, after the state approved its plan to require all garbage here be taken to the county landfill. The new system, called “flow control,” was a high priority for the CCIA, which in March was on course to lose an estimated $175,000 this coming year due to trash haulers taking waste out of the county rather than directly to the county landfill in Deerfield Township.
Garbage rates to fall for Lee, Bonita, Beach (Ft. Myers News-Press, July 23)
Bonita Springs, Fort Myers Beach and unincorporated Lee County residents will pay less for garbage collection in 2012. The Lee County Solid Waste Division announced a 7.1 percent reduction in its annual garbage assessment and disposal rates Friday.
Trash truck fire burns in Towamencin (video) (Norristown Times Herald, July 22)
Firefighters from Towamencin, Hatfield, Harleysville, Upper Gwynedd, and North Penn battled flames as well as record high temperatures Friday afternoon, after a trash truck caught fire on Towamencin Avenue between Sumneytown Pike and Forty Foot Road.
Local Landfill Workers React to Plastic Bag Ban Issue (Eugene KEZI-TV, July 22)
Single-use plastic shopping bags will no longer be allowed at Portland's bigger grocery stores. Portland's city council voted unanimously Thursday to get rid of them. But locally, how much of the plastic ends up in Lane County's landfill? Out at the county landfill, it's hard to gauge how many plastic bags there are because they're so compressed. But at the Glenwood Transfer Station, they collect at a minimum of two huge plastic bags every day, and inside are thousands of the smaller plastic shopping bags.
Seattle sets record: 388k tons of waste recycled (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 20)
The Emerald City is gettinggreener. Seattle's recycling rate rose to 53.7 percent last year, city officials say. That's an all-time high and the seventh year in a row that the rate has risen (read the report for2010). "Seattle's businesses and residents deserve a standing ovation for their steadfast commitment to recycling and composting," Mayor Mike McGinn said in astatement.
Recycling in Wisconsin communities rolls on through uncertainty (Green Bay Press Gazette, July 20)
Wisconsin communities with recycling programs are grappling with a $10 million state funding cut that surprised many local officials, partly because it came in the midst of a debate about recycling's future in the next state budget. The state Department of Natural Resources slashed its current support of recycling after municipalities already had set their 2011 budgets and had turned their attention to whether those programs would survive future belt-tightening.
Obama Administration Officials and Industry Leaders Unveil Federal Strategy to Promote U.S.-Based Electronics Recycling Market and Jobs (US EPA, July 20)
At an event today, in Austin, Texas, at a certified electronics recycling center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, General Services Administrator Martha N. Johnson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley were joined by the CEOs of Dell Inc. and Sprint, and senior executives from Sony Electronics to release the Obama Administration’s “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship” – a strategy for the responsible electronic design, purchasing, management and recycling that will promote the burgeoning electronics recycling market and jobs of the future here at home.
Mounting Trash Emergency Encircles Beijing (Time Magazine, July 20)
China's capital has grown so huge that it now has seven peripheral roads. It is also becoming encircled by garbage. This is both a poignant metaphor and serious dilemma. Wang Jiuliang, a photographer, was the first to expose the city's little-known Seventh Ring Zone garbage dumps in his documentary video and photos entitled Besieged by Garbage. Wang illustrates the scope of the problem by marking the 400 sites in yellow on a Google map, forming a dense ring, effectively encircling Beijing. The image is shocking, of a city besieged.
California firm lands contract for trash collection, including first curbside recycling (Memphis Commercial Appeal, July 19)
Dumping ties to BFI to save costs, the DeSoto Board of Supervisors approved a six-year contract Monday with a new garbage hauler, California-based Waste Connections. The new contract includes the county's first curbside residential recycling effort, a voluntary program that kicks in after 5,000 sign up.
Emanuel hires private firms for city recycling (Chicago Tribune, July 19)
Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed deals Monday to let private garbage companies take over half of Chicago's curbside recycling business, the latest step in his efforts to squeeze City Hall employee unions. The new seven-year contracts don't guarantee any broad expansion of the city's long-troubled recycling program — only 241,000 households have city recycling while 359,000 are still on their own. But Emanuel suggested that giving the work to private companies will someday let Chicago provide a citywide program.
Ulster RRA rejects flow control for garbage collection (Kingston MidHudson News, July 19)
The Board of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency voted Monday evening to reject the concept of flow control as a means of handling the county’s waste stream. Under that method, all garbage collected in the county would have had to be disposed of at the Resource Recovery Agency, which county legislators saw as an efficient way of doing things and adding to the county’s bottom line.
We’re Spent (New York Times, July 17)
THERE is no shortage of explanations for the economy’s maddening inability to leave behind the Great Recession and start adding large numbers of jobs: The deficit is too big. The stimulus was flawed. China is overtaking us. Businesses are overregulated. Wall Street is underregulated.
New Flow Control Law Would Increase User Costs at Trash Facility (Shawungunk Journal, July 15)
Ulster County Minority Leader Jeannette Provenzano on Tuesday upbraided the one member of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency board that showed up for the special legislative session on a flow control law that would require that all garbage generated in Ulster County be processed at the Town of Ulster trash agency. "I expected the full board to be here to answer questions," Provenzano said, expressing her disappointment.
Fleet of NJ Recycling Truck Tires Slashed (Philadelphia WCAU-TV, July 15)
Police will be including recently laid off recycling drivers in the investigation into the $30,000 crime.
Japan tackles mountains of trash left in tsunami's wake (Christian Science Monitor, July 15)
When the tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11 was sucked back out to sea, it left more than shattered lives and businesses in its catastrophic wake. In this port city, a hub of the local fishing industry, it also left more trash and debris than the city would normally have to dispose of in 100 years. Despite the daunting task ahead, the country is committed to recycling it all.
Solana Beach Council approves rate increases requested by trash haulers (Delmar Times, July 15)
The Solana Beach City Council approved rate increases requested by the city’s commercial and residential trash haulers at its meeting on Wednesday, July 13. No one spoke at public hearings for the two rate increase measures, although the city received two protests regarding the residential rate increase, according to the city clerk.
E-Waste bill gains broad support (Washington Politico, July 14)
A bipartisan group of senators and House members wants to restrict U.S. manufacturers from dumping electronic waste overseas. And in a rare alignment of environmentalist and business interests, the effort is drawing significant industry support.
Garbage rates will jump 31 percent in San Anselmo next week (Marin Independent Journal, July 14)
San Anselmo residents will see their garbage collection fees increase an average of $1.68 per week beginning Monday. Reluctantly and after much deliberation, the San Anselmo Town Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to authorize a more than 31 percent rate hike by Marin Sanitary Service. Councilman Tom McInerney cast the dissenting vote. The increase will push San Anselmo's monthly fee for a 32-gallon cart to $30.41.
Alabama tornadoes: Army Corps' prices for hauling debris are up in air (Birmingham News, July 13)
Some Alabama cities and counties using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to haul off tornado debris say they have no idea how much the service is costing -- a problem that has become more pressing as local governments pick up more of the tab for the cleanup.
Ulster weighs trash monopoly (Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record, NY July 13)
The establishment of a publicly operated garbage collection monopoly would lower Ulster County's costs, but at what price to county residents and businesses? County legislators dissected this question during an informational meeting Tuesday with trash agency officials and an environmental lawyer.
Trash collector dies after being run over by truck in Methuen (North Andover Eagle Tribune, July 13)
A rubbish collector slipped off the back of a trash truck and was run over by the vehicle on Bruce Street and died late yesterday morning. Keimani Bell, 28, of Dorchester was pronounced dead at the scene of the 11:27 a.m. crash, said Steve O'Connell, spokesman for District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
Hueytown City Council increases garbage fees for residents (Birmingham News, July 13)
The Hueytown City Council tonight approved a $2 a month increase in garbage fees for city residents. The increase is the first for Hueytown residents since 1998, although Allied Waste's cost to the city for garbage collection has increased over the same time period, officials said.
St. John the Baptist Parish Council approves five-year garbage contract (New Orleans Times Picayune, July 13)
The St. John the Baptist Parish Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a new garbage collection contract with IESI/SWDI, the parish's current garbage collector, after Parish President Natalie Robottom said it would save parish residents $2 million over five years compared with the existing contract.
With Tiny Cans, a New Trash Equation (New York Times, July 12)
Reaching for a petite dessert dish instead of the mixing bowl may help you curb your ice cream consumption. Grabbing a basket rather than a shopping cart helps control how many “necessities” you pick up at the store. Similarly, trading your office garbage can for a daintier disposal bin may remind you to send less trash to the landfill.
Train crash kills truck driver (Portsmouth Seacoast Online, July 12)
A Farmington, N.H., man was ejected from a truck and killed in a collision with an Amtrak Downeaster at the tracks on Route 4 on Monday morning, resulting in what one eyewitness described as a "ball of flame." Peter Barnum, 35, the driver of a solid waste compactor trailer with Triumverate Environmental of Somerville, Mass., was pronounced dead at the scene, but 112 train passengers and two crew members were relatively unharmed, save for one person with a possible broken wrist and up to five others with minor injuries, officials said. The accident resulted in multiple fires and garbage littering the train tracks.
Lents neighbors oppose composting facility, ask Portland city commissioners to intervene (Portland Oregonian, July 12)
Residents of Lents are raising a stink about a proposed transfer station for food and yard waste in their Southeast Portland neighborhood. Their concern? Possible odors from the business that, if opened, could help Mayor Sam Adams expand the city's delayed food-scraps recycling program. That program started last year as a pilot in a few Portland neighborhoods, but the mayor had pledged to take it citywide this year. Now, 2012 is the goal.
Springfield opts to privatize trash pickup (Panama City News Herald, July 12)
After about seven months of discussion, city commissioners voted Monday to privatize trash pickup in Springfield and negotiate a contract for service with Waste Management. The move is expected to save residents money, but it’s not clear if they will see lower bills for garbage and trash pickup services or just go for a longer period without a rate increase.
How Philadelphia quadrupled recycling rates in four years (Newsworks, July 11)
Until very recently Philadelphians recycled a dismal five-percent of their trash. The city was once a leader in recycling - having passed the first mandatory curbside recycling law in the 1980s. But it wasn't until a few years ago that city officials got aggressive in trying to make that law matter - and their approach has worked. WHYY's Kerry Grens reports on what it took to quadruple Philadelphia's recycling rate in just four years.
Past experience of many cities suggests privatizing sanitation services wasn't a panacea (Memphis Commercial Appeal, July 10)
Last month, as the Memphis City Council debated the possibility of contracting out garbage services, officials in other major cash-strapped cities like Newark and Detroit were doing the same thing. And even though Memphis lawmakers would ultimately back away from the idea, voting instead to offer buyouts to reduce the number of sanitation workers, it was clear that the idea of privatization, after nearly a decade-long hiatus, was back on the agenda across the nation.
In Tsunami-Torn City, Seaside Playgrounds Become Debris Dumps (New York Times, July 9)
There is still a traffic jam these days along Hama Kaido, the two-lane road that parallels this city’s former coastal playground for miles. But the minivans and sedans that once roamed in search of picnic grounds, golf courses and horse stables have been replaced by thousands of dump trucks.
Tornado debris creating windfalls at area landfills (Joplin Globe, July 8)
Truckloads of debris are being hauled out almost daily from Joplin’s tornado damage zone to area landfills, creating windfalls in landfill fees for Missouri and Kansas, and jobs for area workers. Landfills commonly charge by the ton for debris dumped. In addition to that charge, Missouri and Kansas collect what is called a tipping fee. In Missouri, the state collects $2.11 for each ton dumped, and Kansas assesses $1 per ton at its landfills.
Editorial: Whither the recycling center? (Palo Alto Online, July 8)
We can no longer expect to only pay for trash pick-up while receiving "free" pick-up of our recycling. In reality, it's never been that way, since the cost of recycling has been factored into the overall costs of running the entire refuse operation.
Collecting landfill gas good step (Plastics News, July 8)
A paper I co-wrote with Dr. Morton Barlaz titled, “Is Biodegradability a Desirable Attribute for Discarded Solid Waste? Perspectives from a National Landfill Greenhouse Gas Inventory Model,” has made news recently. The headlines ranged from the measured (“Study: Biodegradable plastics can release methane”) to the reckless (“Biodegradable products are often worse for the planet”).
Wading Into a Waste Case (Wall Street Journal, July 7)
…it's with some reluctance that I approach the subject of a proposed Upper East Side marine transfer station, in other words a temporary garbage dump (that is, until the debris can be loaded onto barges and floated away to whomever and wherever we've talked into taking it). You heard that right. If the city has its way, a part of town better known for millionaires and billionaires, lavish public culture and Daniel Boulud restaurants will become the bon voyage point for thousands of tons of materiel daily, its scent unlikely to be mistaken for the Chanel No. 5 wafting off of ladies who lunch, another of our great natural resources.
Shortfall in Ann Arbor's projected recycling collections has some questioning rewards program (AnnArbor.com, July 7)
The shortfall in collections under Ann Arbor's new single-stream recycling program — and a failed request for a contractor to receive an additional $107,042 per year to run it — has some city officials weighing a recycling rewards program that's costing up to $200,000 a year. Others are questioning whether the city has done a good enough job of promoting the RecycleBank rewards program it rolled out in September 2010 after the city's new single-stream recycling program started in July 2010.
The Low Hanging Fruit (Popular Science, July)
Our dependence on big systems--big oil, big coal--steers us away from little ones, such as biofuel made from garbage, that are transforming communities in other countries.
E.P.A. Chief Stands Firm as Tough Rules Loom (New York Times, July 6)
In the next weeks and months, Lisa P. Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, is scheduled to establish regulations on smog, mercury, carbon dioxide, mining waste and vehicle emissions that will affect every corner of the economy.
Private Toledo trash pick-up brings savings, simplicity (Toledo WTVG-TV, July 6)
The mayor says a private hauler will save the city millions. Residents say it will eliminate a lot of confusion. Let's face it, when the trash can gets full, we just want the waste disposal crews to drive by, pick it up and haul away the trash.
From Garbage Dump to Energy Source (New York Gotham Gazette, July 5)
For years, popular urban legend on Staten Island held that there were only two things you could see from space -- the Great Wall of China and Fresh Kills Landfill. For over 50 years the landfill served as New York City's receptacle for trash, receiving approximately 29,000 tons of waste each day and spawning mounds reportedly taller than the Statue of Liberty.
Newville single-hauler trash pickup starts (Shippensburg Sentinel, July 5)
Newville Borough will have its first trash and recycling pickup under a single hauler system either this Thursday or Friday depending on the July 4 holiday. This spring, council adopted an ordinance and agreement to participate in a joint program with the townships of Penn, Southampton, South Newton and Shippensburg.
Forget Marijuana — Garbage a Promising Industry for Oakland (San Francisco Bay Citizen, July 4)
Oakland, with its 15.4 percent unemployment rate, has looked to jumpstart its economy through a colorful variety of endeavors — from taxing medical marijuana to pitching local wine exports to China. But the product that is perhaps most promising for the city is a bit less glamorous: garbage.
Landfill will recycle out of state items (Providence WPRI-TV, July 3)
The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation will now be able to accept out of state recyclable materials at its Johnston facility. The General Assembly approved a bill last week allowing the change, hoping that this will allow the state to make more money. Currently, the state can make money on any recyclable material it processes. “This change applies only to out of state recyclables and does not include out of state trash.
Glass struggle: Spokane’s hard-to-use resource (Spokane Spokesman-Review, July 3)
Spokane’s giant stockpile of beer bottles and other glass is about toshrink. Faced with fewer options and higher costs for recycling glass, in late 2008 the city began taking glass collected through curbside recycling and stockpiling it near its waste transfer station in Colbert.
Officials say it’s too early to tell success of county garbage plan (Gwinnett Daily Post, July 2)
Recycling has nearly tripled. Neighborhoods no longer have trash trucks rumbling through five days a week. Complaints are down. But one year after a controversial trash plan took effect in Gwinnett County, public sentiment and some of the goals are still a toss-up.
City will test hybrid garbagetrucks (Spokane Spokesman-Review, July 1)
When is 3.5 miles per gallon greentechnology? To the folks running Spokane’s trash system, it’s when the alternative gets 2.6 miles pergallon. The Spokane City Council this week approved the purchase of 14 garbage trucks that will be used starting next year to collect recyclables in the city’s new commingled recycling system.
In Fight Against Trash Station, Upper East Side Cites Injustice (New York Times, July 1)
Lorraine Johnson says she remembers the garbage trucks that lined up near her housing project on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, to unload trash at a marine sanitation station on the East River.
Gwinnett trash plan recycles pro, con reactions (Atlanta Journal Constitution, July 1)
Barbara Renz of Norcross welcomes Gwinnett County’s new garbage service. She pays about $7 a month less, can recycle more and her neighborhood is cleaner since her neighbors -- forced to pay for garbage collection -- quit dumping trash behind their house.

EIA is the trade association that represents the private sector solid waste and recycling industry through its two sub-associations, the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and the Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC).