This Week in Waste: Top Stories July 8 – July 11, 2024

#5 - Temporary Workers in Waste and Recycling: Baltimore's Case with Incarcerated Workers

The debate over whether certain workers should be classified as employees under federal law has sparked interest. This issue hinges on determining the true nature of their relationships with employers, impacting rights such as unionization, minimum wage, and employment protections, as seen in recent legal challenges and court decisions.

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#4 - Recology’s Mangin Discovers New Paths by Staying Curious

In this Q&A, Julia Mangin discusses traveling down unplanned paths and her work helping California cities reduce organics disposal and meet the goals of SB 1383. And she enlightens on opportunities for waste pros to tackle climate change and advance a circular economy.

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#3 - Mitigating the Risks of Hazardous Materials During Fall Hurricane Season

While facility managers in these regions are familiar with the preparation required to minimize property damage in severe storms, it’s also important to have a strategy in place for handling hazardous materials. Good hurricane preparedness means having an emergency response plan, taking steps to secure waste to avoid displacement, and deploying post-storm damage control if necessary.

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#2 - Remanufacturing Makes Money for OEMs With a Bonus for Recyclers

Extracting and processing raw materials to make new products is enormously carbon-intensive; meanwhile only about 9 percent of the roughly 93 billion tons of minerals, metals, fossil fuels, and biomass used in manufacturing each year remains in circulation after a products’ first life ends, according to United Nations climate-related data.

Read the full article here.

#1 - Interview with Rebecca Vara, Vice President of Sales at Rehrig Pacific from WasteExpo 2024

Gage Edwards caught up with Rebecca Vara, Vice President of Sales at Rehrig Pacific, at the WasteExpo 2024 Welcome Reception. Check out the video to learn about what Rehrig is currently working on with technology and organics, plus what the company is getting into as we approach 2025.

Watch the full video here.