10 Things You Need to Know for the Waste & Recycling Industry Today (August 15, 2014)

EPA investigating west Alabama landfill “Officials from the federal Environmental Protection Agency are in Uniontown this week investigating claims that Arrowhead landfill, the largest landfill in the state, violates the civil rights of surrounding black property owners. Arrowhead, located in Perry County, accepts more than 15,000 tons of waste per day, accepting garbage from 33 states across the U.S., according to the EPA.” (Associated Press)

Demand Grows For Food Waste Collection Trucks “Some manufacturers of food waste trucks have a long history of servicing the animal rendering industry, thus have experience designing trailers for wetter and heavier feedstocks. Because of the quantity of produce in the food waste stream, however, some customization has been necessary to make bodies liquid tight and design lifting arms that are more efficient, durable and can bear more weight.” (BioCycle.net)

J.M. Smucker strives to save water, curb landfill waste and reduce greenhouse gases companywide “As a 115-year food manufacturer run by fourth- and fifth-generation family members, the J.M. Smucker Co. said it is especially committed to becoming a more environmentally conscious, socially responsible company. As such, it devoted the majority of its annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday to tell investors and analysts about its companywide efforts to make positive, long-term improvements in its business.” (OhioNews.com)

Federal EPA: No Action On Clinton PCBs For Now “The U.S. EPA has ruled that it won't issue a chemical waste permit to accept PCB waste in the Clinton Landfill.  The decision comes just a couple weeks after Governor Pat Quinn ordered the Illinois EPA to block the disposal of the toxic substances in the landfill. The owners of the landfill, Peoria Disposal, had sought the permit.  A number of local officials, state and federal lawmakers have urged the EPA to block the plan to disposit the PCB's in the landfill, which sits above the Mahomet Aquifer, which provides drinking water to 15 counties.” (Illinois Public Media)

Trash disposal study could benefit communities “An upcoming study will look at what’s filling up Rhode Island’s central landfill, and officials say the findings could financially benefit local cities and towns. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) wants to know what Rhode Islanders throw away, so they’re conducting an audit of what’s being tossed into the Johnston landfill. Atop the landfill, workers are busy burying trash brought there from cities and towns across the state. 750,000 tons of trash are brought there annually, and at that rate it’s estimated the landfill has about 24 years of space remaining.” (WPRI.com)

Turning her upcycling-waste impulses into a career “When Tiffany Threadgould moved into her Fairmount apartment in 2012, the first thing she did was trash the place. But for Threadgould, 40, that didn't mean making a mess. On the contrary, it's all about discovering beauty - or at least function - in objects that might otherwise be destined for the landfill. In her hands, CD jewel cases formed pendant lamps, paint cans became planters (and paint stirrers labels for a windowsill herb garden), and old sweaters made a cozy throw for her sofa.” (Philly.com)

6 Tips From A Nearly Zero-Waste Home “When Bea Johnson downsized from a 3,000-square-foot home to a 1,400-square-foot one in Mill Valley, California, she set her goals at zero. In the book Zero Waste Home, she details how her family cut their trash down to just a quart per year, and in the process created a home that was easy to live in and maintain.” (Forbes)

Hotel-to-Farm compost “From the farm to the table, then back to farm – that’s a new programme in the making that will take food waste from Samoa’s hotels and turn it into compost for farmers. The programme, which is still being designed, comes on the back of an audit on how hotels were managing their waste. The audit was performed by Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).” (Samoa Observer)

MRC considers Virginia company Fiberight for post-PERC solid waste plan “On Aug. 13, the Municipal Review Committee (MRC) held an information meeting for the public on its plan for municipal solid waste processing after current power purchase agreements between Emera Maine, formerly Bangor-Hydro Electric Co., and the PERC facility in Orrington expire in 2018. The MRC represents 187 towns across Maine that send waste to PERC. It is a regional organization that deals with municipal waste disposal issues. The organization was formed to help negotiate a restructuring when PERC experienced financial difficulties in the late 1980s and early 1990s. MRC is now a limited 23 percent partner in PERC and holds a note from Emera Maine.” (Penobscot Bay Pilot)

Entrepreneur Starts Curbside Glass Recycling “Curbside recycling might seem like a really convenient way to do your part, but a surprising 50 percent of people in Iowa City who pay for the service don't use it. One small impedement is that the city's curbside does not accept glass, but a clever entrepreneur to starting to pick up glass from people's homes for a small fee.”