10 Things You Need to Know For the Waste & Recycling Industry Today (March 25, 2014)

Digging Into Republic Services' Valuation “We were reminded recently of how Warren Buffett allocated a total of $100 million in roughly 20-25 Korean companies in 2004 by simply leafing through a reference book that dedicated a single page to each listed company -- a book much like those that Valuentum makes available to financial advisors. Mr. Buffett understands simplicity -- knowing which metrics matter and which metrics don't. He picked those companies in roughly 6 hours. In this article, let's talk about what metrics matter at Republic Services (RSG).” (SeekingAlpha.com)

Fracking company owner pleads guilty to ordering toxic waste dumped into Mahoning River “The owner of a Youngstown, Ohio, oil- and gas-drilling company pleaded guilty today to ordering an employee to dump tens of thousands of gallons of fracking waste into a tributary of the Mahoning River. Benedict Lupo, 63, of Poland, Ohio, could be sentenced up to three years in federal prison and be ordered to pay restitution of more than $3 million, plus fines of up to $1 million for his crimes.” (Cleveland.com)

Florida MRF upgrades its scrap paper “An effort led by RRT Design & Construction (RRT), Melville, N.Y., has resulted in an upgrade to the material recovery facility of the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (SWA) in West Palm Beach, Fla…. Critical fiber processing improvements have been completed at the large municipally owned MRFs, brought about by the shrinkage of the old newspapers (ONP) grade and a heightened focus on quality in the market, according to RRT. The Palm Beach County MRF processes more than 100,000 tons per year of residential recyclables.” (Recycling Today)

Atlanta Toxic Waste Hauler Sentenced to 10 Months “An Atlanta hazardous waste hauler has been sentenced to prison for illegally storing highly flammable solvents and toxic cyanide waste in a Macon self-storage facility, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia says. U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal sentenced Robert Lewis, 42, on Thursday to serve 10 months in federal prison but waived fines that could have reached as high as $50,000 for each day Lewis was in violation of federal laws governing the transport and storage of hazardous waste, according to federal prosecutors and court records.” (Daily Report)

Recycler Maine Plastics shuts down “Maine Plastics Inc. — one of North America’s largest plastics recyclers — has closed its doors. ‘Due to the actions taken by our bank, Maine Plastics can no longer purchase or take delivery of your recyclables,’ CEO David Kaplan said in an automatic reply to his company e-mail address. ‘We realize, with such a short notice, this may put you in difficult position, and for that we sincerely apologize.’” (Plastics News)

California State Lawmakers Consider Leftover Medication Bill “The measure would force the pharmaceutical industry to create and pay for a statewide system to safely dispose of leftover medications. Heidi Sanborn of the California Product Stewardship Council say such a program would address the growing problems of prescription drug abuse and water contamination. ‘We now have I think 303 collection locations throughout the state… operated some with volunteers, some with city staff, some water districts, some sheriff’s departments and there is no consistency.’” (Capital Public Radio) 

Potawatomi, InSinkErator team to convert casino waste food into fuel “Food trimmings from the Potawatomi Bingo Casino kitchens are serving as fodder for an InSinkErator machine that grinds it up to be used in the tribe’s waste-to-energy plant. The collaboration between the Menomonee Valley, Wisc., casino and Racine-based InSinkErator is a test for the manufacturer’s product. The system grinds food waste from the Menomonee Valley casino into a liquid, said David Brien, Potawatomi Bingo Casino director of facilities.” (Milwaukee Business Journal)

TVA applies for landfill permit “The Tennessee Valley Authority has filed for a permit to build a 54-acre landfill near Gallatin to store coal ash. TVA spokesman Scott Brooks told WSMV-TV in Nashville that the landfill would hold leftover ash and gypsum that needs to be stored in a dry facility.” (Associated Press)

Company fined $230K for burying chemical waste at DeLand site “State environmental officials on Monday notified a Utah-based chemical company that it would be required to pay more than $230,000 in penalties for improperly disposing of chemical waste products at a manufacturing facility on Hazen Road in DeLand and another in Palmetto, Fla. In a letter to the Thatcher Company of Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said the company also will be required to take immediate corrective actions and clean up the contamination. Department officials said they are also talking with law enforcement officials to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.” (The Daytona Beach News-Journal)

NYC’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade converts waste into energy “A number of forward thinking cities are investing in technologies to convert trash into energy and, in the process, are taking advantage of an abundant, domestic energy resource. Consider Newark, New Jersey. Last week’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City generated a fair amount of waste. Rather than landfilling it, the party hats, beads, and cardboard shamrocks were sent to a power plant in Newark where they were turned into useable energy.” (American Chemistry Matters)