This Week in Waste: Top Stories from December 20-23

As the holidays approach, here are this week's top stories on Waste360. 

1. Top 9 NothingWasted! Podcast Episodes in 2021

As always, we are grateful for the resilience our industry has shown in 2021. Over the year, we talked with some of the top waste, recycling and sustainability experts on the Waste360 NothingWasted! Podcast. 

In this gallery, catch up on our top 9 of our most popular episodes throughout the year.

Read more here.

2. While Solid Waste Remains Sixth Deadliest Occupation, Hispanic Worker Fatalities Rise

Newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that while solid waste fatalities declined in 2020, disproportions continue to exist overall among marginalized populations. 

Solid waste continues to rank as the sixth deadliest occupation in the United States. The workplace fatality rate for collection workers fell to 33.1 in 2020 from 35.2 in 2019.

Read the story here.

3. AMERIPEN’S Felton’s Advice to Producers About EPR Laws Around Packaging

Extended producer responsibility laws placing onus on packaging producers to manage and pay for their products at the end of life just passed in Maine and Oregon. In 2022 similar legislation will likely be considered by California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Vermont.

Read the story here.

4. NRDC Provides Recommendations to Cities Regarding Food Waste Generation and Recovery

As efforts to reduce food waste intensify throughout the United States, the Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Food Matters project has been working with cities across the nation to enact policies and initiatives aimed at waste reduction.

Read the story here.

5. What Does Waste Management Look Like in Tribal Communities?

Tribal communities face unique circumstances around waste management that challenge their capacity to operate effective programs. Many of these circumstances center around three issues: those tied to the law, to infrastructure, and to environmental exposure risk. 

Read the story here.