10 Things You Need to Know For the Waste & Recycling Industry Today (August 11, 2014)

Landfill owners plan to appeal Quinn's waste ban “The owners of Clinton Landfill said Friday that they have stopped accepting manufactured gas plant waste at their facility in DeWitt County, but will seek administrative review of Gov. Pat Quinn’s decision to ban certain kinds of waste from the landfill. After much public pressure, Quinn at the end of July directed the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to change the landfill’s permit to exclude certain kinds of garbage from the list of what Clinton Landfill may bury. Among those newly banned at the landfill are excavated soils containing polychlorinated biphenyls and byproducts left behind from now-defunct manufactured gas plants.” (The News-Gazette)

AkzoNobel toasts world's first fully compostable and recyclable paper cup “The world's first fully compostable and recyclable paper cup will soon be appearing in fast food restaurants, after a breakthrough by Dutch company AkzoNobel. According to the chemicals, paints, and coatings conglomerate, its new ‘industry-changing’ technology can help recycle some of the 200 billion paper cups used in the world each year.” (BusinessGreen.com)

A record for reducing waste: Minnesota attempts to create the world's largest ball of paper “If the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency gets its way, the state soon will hold the record for the world’s largest wad of paper. Armed Wednesday with a cherry picker, measuring tape, giant yardstick and clipboards, a group of surveyors, official witnesses and MPCA officials scooted under and hovered over the massive ball to get exacting measurements for the Guinness World Records judges.” (StarTribune.com)

Fertile Opportunity Awaits For Food Waste Processors “Globally speaking, the statistics on food waste are sobering, but in the United States they are downright shocking: the U.S. Department of Agriculture figures up to one-third of the available supply goes to waste. Set aside, for a moment, the frightening ramifications this has in the face of world population growth. We definitely should be working to reduce waste. But what about the organic scraps or produce that legitimately should be disposed of that are currently emitting all sorts of methane in landfills? There’s a greentech movement afoot to use that material both as the feedstock for renewable energy and for soil nutrients.” (Forbes)

Recycling facility reopens after HazMat situation “The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation’s recycling facility in Johnston was back open Thursday, one day after a hazardous materials incident sent more than a dozen workers to the hospital. According to Executive Director Michael O’Connell, a container holding cleaning products mistakenly went through the shredder, sending fumes into the air. At least 13 people were taken to the hospital with skin irritation and breathing problems.” (WPRI.com)

German recycler opens glass recycling line “Reiling Unternehmensgruppe, a German recycling company, has opened a new glass recycling facility in Osterweddingen, Germany. The new facility will be operated under the name Glas Recycling GmbH & Co.” (Recycling Today)

Meet Waste Choices, the start-up that wants to disrupt business garbage collection “That $2.5 billion figure is for Australia alone, with average growth 8.4 per cent per year, according to IBIS World. Harrison believes Waste Choices is set to disrupt the sector by introducing an online marketplace for waste management providers and customers. Right now, Harrison says the waste industry is very old school. If a business or local council needs waste collected, they call three or four different providers for a quote, and the sales people come out and fill out a paper form.” (BRW.com.au)

Recycling business expands into Dallas County “Selma and Dallas County officials announced Friday that Allstar Recycling would be opening a plant to service International Paper’s Riverdale Mill. Allstar Recycling plans to begin operation on Monday, owner Ashley Freeman said. Freeman said he has a one-year, trial contract with International Paper and plans to expand and service other local industries.” (The Selma Times-Journal)

EPA, Yonkers paint company settle hazardous waste suit “he US Environmental Protection Agency reached a legal settlement with T.C. Dunham Paint Company of Yonkers, resolving alleged violations of federal hazardous waste law. EPA inspections revealed the company had generated hazardous wastes that were improperly labeled and stored in Yonkers. As part of the agreement announced Thursday, the paint company will come into compliance with all federal hazardous waste laws and pay a $90,000 penalty.” (MidHudsonNews.com)

Savage Arms of Westfield fined $6,000 “The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Savage Arms, Inc. $6,000 for violations of air quality, hazardous waste and industrial wastewater regulations at its facility located on Springdale Road in Westfield. During a routine inspection of the facility in September 2013, MassDEP staff discovered violations that included failures to conduct a combustion efficiency test on a boiler, complete a hazardous waste determination, complete Toxic Use Reduction Act (TURA) filing and reporting requirements, incorrect filing of a hazardous waste manifest and the discharge in excess of 50,000 gallons per day of industrial wastewater to the sewer system without a permit.” (WWLP.com)