This Week in Waste: Top Stories September 9 – Sept. 12, 2024

#5 - Maryland Residents Oppose Plans for Plastic Recycling Research Lab

W.R. Grace and Co. scientists want to start testing a new plastic recycling solution in Columbia, Md. but residents are pushing back.

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#4 - Research Sheds Light on Improved Landfill Methane Emission Measurements

A recent study funded by the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) tested various methane detection technologies at a closed landfill in Ontario, Canada, comparing their accuracy and effectiveness. The study found that mobile ground-based methods, specifically tracer correlation, provided the most reliable data.

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#3 - Q&A: WM’s Malik on the Company’s RNG Investment Strategies and Near-Future Plans

In this Q&A, Shahid Malik, vice president of Renewable Energy, WM, discusses goals the company aims to reach before the end of 2024 and zeros in on 2026, which is anticipated to be a major milestone.

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#2 - Sept 2024 Fire Report: The Neverending Summertime Spike and Engineering Innovation

In August, the industry faced 44 fires, with 20 occurring in waste, paper, and plastic operations, and eight were deemed catastrophic based on the National Waste & Recycling Association’s $400,000-plus loss definition. Fire incidents, driven by factors like lithium-ion batteries and seasonal heat, have risen consistently since 2016, and 2024 is on track to set a record for the highest number of facility fires in the U.S. and Canada, despite typically seeing fewer fires in the latter half of the year.

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#1 - Casella Waste Systems to Acquire Royal Carting and Welsh Sanitation

Casella Waste Systems has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Royal Carting and Welsh Sanitation and related real estate assets. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of the year.

Read the full article here.