In the News

This page will serve as a landing point for relevant articles on events happening around the world. Articles are grouped into general categories and will be updated as time and resources allow.

Composting

January 4, 2020: Odor Dispersion Systems: What is Right for Your Site?
​November 21, 2019: Composting in Philadelphia
May 10, 2019: Composting Toilets information
March 11, 2019: Denver Compost Program Grows, Readies to Sell
March 02, 2019: Closing Chicago Composters Will Make The Windy City Less Green
February 28, 2019: University of Southern California Steps Up Recycling and Composting Efforts in Move Toward Zero Waste
February 26, 2019: Composting leaders recognized at USCC's COMPOST2019
February 05, 2019: Pizza Box Composting Incorporated in Residence Halls at Central Michigan University
February 05, 2019: MSA advocates for composting in all University buildings
February 04, 2019: Can SE MN support composting biz?
December 23, 2018: To Beat Recycling Restrictions, Bakersfield Turns Recyclables Into Compost
November 12, 2018: The Pros and Cons of New York's Fledgling Compost Program
October 31, 2018: Using Ozone for Composting Odor Control
October 11, 2018: Evaluating Options For Curbside Yard Trimmings Collection
October 09, 2018: Rhode Island Anaerobic Digester Could be Model for Region

Bans

February 3, 2020: 4 Ways Colorado Lawmakers Want To Reduce The Plastic In Your Life
January 19, 2020: Chicago City Council Considers Limits on Styrofoam, Plastic Forks, Knives, Straws
January 16, 2020: Maryland Considers Plastic Bag Ban, While Virginia Looks At Fees
​January 16, 2020: Colorado Bill Aims to Repeal Decades-Old Law Prohibiting Municipalities from Banning Types of Plastic
December 27, 2019: Denver, CO City Council Passes Bag Fee, Mayor expected to Sign
December 15, 2019: Philadelphia, PA Passes Ban on Single-Use Plastic Bags
December 12, 2019: Ohio House Passes Bill that Would Block Local Bans on Plastic Bags
December 11, 2019: Honolulu, HI Passes Struct Plastic Band in US
December 8, 2019: Logan UT Adopts Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban
November 24, 2019: Minneapolis, MN City Council Approves 5-Cent Plastic & Paper Bag Fee
November 5, 2019: Baltimore City Council Approves Bill to Ban Retailers’ Use of Plastic Bags, Set 5-Cent Fee Per Paper Bag
​October 29, 2019: Michigan Legislation Introduced to Overturn a Previous Ban on Plastic Bag Bans
July 24, 2019: Panama Becomes First Central American Nation to Ban Plastic
                         Bags
July 8, 2019: Paper vs. Plastic? Once the Newest Fad, Single-Use Plastic Bags are Being Phased Out Due to Changing Times
​June 19, 2019: Maine, Vermont Pass Plastic Bag Bans on Same Day
June 05, 2019: A New Study on Plastic Bag Bans
May 21, 2019: Whole Foods ditching plastic straws across all stores
May 18, 2019: Africa is leading the world in plastic bag bags
May 08, 2019: UN Chemical Regulators Approve PFOA Ban, with Exemptions
May 03, 2019: Maine Becomes the First State to Ban Styrofoam
May 03, 2019: Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts Race Against Bans, Taxes on
                        Disposable Cups
April 18, 2019: City of Buffalo, NY is Considering a Ban on Styrofoam Food
                          Service Containers
April 17, 2019: Plastic bag bans are spreading. But are they truly effective?
April 15, 2019: Buffalo, NY's Talk of Styrofoam Ban Pits Environment vs. Cost
April 14, 2019: Mayor Bill De Blasio Bans New York City from Using Single-Use
                          Plastics
March 28, 2019: Europe Bans Single-Use Plastics. And Glitter Could Be Next.
March 11, 2019: Colorado's Ban on Banning Plastics Has Cities' Plans to
                             Outlaw Single-Use Bags and Straws in Limbo
March 08, 2019: Florida Bill Would Ban Plastic Straw Bans Until 2024
March 06, 2019: St. Paul City Council approves limits on restaurants' plastic
                             takeout containers
February 24, 2019: CA Proposes Phaseout of Single-Use Plastics by 
                                 2030
February 21, 2019: Banning Plastic Bags, Town by Town: A Guide
​February 20, 2019 ME Could be First in the US to Ban Plastic Bags Statewide
January 15, 2019: Cuomo to Include Statewide Plastic Bag Ban in 2019 budget

Biodegradation

January 14, 2020: Plastic To-Go Containers Are Bad, but Are the Alternatives Any Better?
December 2, 2019: South African startup producing edible bowls
November 29, 2019: Here's one way to cut down on plastic pollution: Eat your bowl
November 6, 2019: Peruvian innovators launch banana leaf biodegradable dishes to combat plastic consumption
October 17, 2019: Peruvian Introduced Plates Made from Banana Leaves
September 3, 2019: Will Compostable Packaging Ever Be Able to Solve  Our Waste Problem?
July 19, 2019: Are Bioplastics Better for the Environment than Conventional
                         Plastics?
​July 3, 2019: Inspired by Orange Peel, This "Plastic" Packaging is Totally      Composatable
April 25, 2019: Biodegradable Packaging Market Remains Highly Fragmented,
                          with Tier 3 Players Collectively Foreseen to Account for Over 60
                          Percent Revenue Share
​​March 07, 2019: These straws work like plastic but they're "hyper-compostable"
December 31, 2018: Leveraging Biodegradation and Composting to Divert
                                   Waste from Landfills
Carbon Sequestration
October xx, 2018: Compost Council Members Engage in Projects to Advance Carob Sequestration

Legislative

Organics and Food Recovery
February 4, 2020: Lawmakers having another go at food waste recycling bill (updated)
December 21, 2019: Ulster County lawmakers approve Food Waste Prevention and Recovery Act
​December 13, 2019: Rep. Haley Stevens Launches Congressional Plastics Solutions TaskForce
​December 8, 2019: New Jersey Assembly Environment Committee-Plastics Prohibition
December 6, 2019: Gov. Mike DeWine Favors Letting Ohio Cities Ban Plastic Bags
November 21, 2019: NWRA Announces its Support for "The Recycle Act"
November 19, 2019: Massachusetts State Senate Plans Plastic Bag Ban
November 8, 2019: Lawmakers Propose Radical Legislation to Address Global Plastic Waste
October 13, 2019: CA Governor Newsom Signs Package Of Forward-Looking Waste Reduction Bills Into Law
​September 30, 2019: Trends in Waste Legislation: What Recent Regulations Are on Our Radar
September 29, 2019: No More Hotel Freebies if Proposed Ban on Single-Use Bottles Become Law
August 25, 2019: NJ Governor Murphy Strengthens Food Waste Recycling Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse Gasses and Protect Environmental Justice Communities
July 29, 2019: MI Legislation Introduced to Overturn a Previous Ban on Plastic Bags
July 29, 2019: Rep. Ilhan Omar Introduces the Zero Waste Act
July 19, 2019: Santa Cruz County, CA Eyes Sweeping Plastic Prohibition
July 19, 2019: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Proposal for Packaging
                         Hits the National Stage
July 19, 2019: San Francisco, CA's Checkout Bag Fee to Rise to 25 Cents
​July 8, 2019: Vermont Reccyling Law Goes Into Full Effect in One Year
June 24, 2019: Boston, MA Announces Zero Waste Plan
June 23, 2019: House Unanimously Passes Stevens-Led Amendment to
                          Develop a National Recycling Strategy
June 19, 2019: New California Bill Could Revolutionize How the U.S. Tackles
                          Plastic Pollution
June 03, 2019: California Assembly Approves Ambitious Measure to Cut
                          Packaging and Plastic Waste by 75% by 2030
May 12, 2019: UN Decides to Control Global Plastic Waste Dumping
May 03, 2019: Los Angeles, CA Launches Its Own Green New Deal
April 18, 2019: Push for NYC Paper Bag Fee Backed By Sanitation Department
April 14, 2019: Alabama Senate Pushes Legislation to Stop Plastic Bag Bans
April 04, 2019: New Rule Mandates Food Waste in New York Must be Donated
​                         or Recycled
March 26, 2019: Activists, Lawmakers Push for 'Bottle Bill' Expansion in New
                             York State Budget
March 26, 2019: Denver Planning "Pay-As-You-Throw" Trash Fees
March 05, 2019: State Senator Carrie Ruud Pushes to Recycle Minnesota's
                             Solid Waste Tax
March 04, 2019: Senate confirms Wheeler to Lead EPA
February 26, 2019: Maine Could Be Among First in U.S to Ban Plastic Bags
                                  Statewide
February 26, 2019: Senate Advances Bill Package Promoting Awareness of
                                  Food Waste and Hunger
February 24, 2019: Washington Bill Would Make Food And Other Brand
                                  Owners Responsible for Plastic Waste
February 17, 2019: Orlando, FL Apartments and Commercial Buildings Aren't
                                 Required to Recycle. This Could Change Soon.
January 31, 2019: Policy Alert: SB1383 Organic Waste Diversion Poses Big
                                Challenge for California
January 27, 2019: Berkeley Isn't Just Attacking Plastic Waste, It's Rejecting 
                                Our Entire Throwaway Culture
January 17, 2019: Vermont may walk back statewide organics collection
                                requirement
​January 08, 2019: 5 Years After Sonoma County, CA Ban, New Era of Plastic
                               Bags Poses a Growing Waste Threat
January 08, 2019: Plastic Bag, Straw Ban Proposed for Albuquerque, NM
​January 01, 2019: Foam Ban for New York City Businesses Begins in New
​                                Year
October 01, 2018: Strongest Plastics Ban in the Nation Takes 1st Step Forward
                                in New Jersey
April 05, 2018: State bills would prevent local governments from regulating to-
                          go containers, enforcing ranked-choice voting
April 02, 2018: Bill to nullify polystyrene bans draws opposition
April 01, 2018: Duluth News Tribune: Local View: Legislators looking to
                          preempt locals on packaging, health, environment
March 30, 2018: Kare11: Lawmakers take on takeout containers
March 29, 2018: MPR News: Local control v. statewide standard -- battle over
                            preemption continues
​March 09, 2018: MinnPost: It's locals vs. the Legislature, round 2: The battle
​                            over preemption is back at the Minnesota Capitol
February 3, 2020: Food Waste Bill Released from Committee
January 29, 2019: Vermont Making Progress on Environment
January 23, 2020: Kauaʻi County, HI Composting Serves As Model for Food Waste Diversion
January 23, 2020: CA-First State to Mandate Universal Composting Services for Residents and Businesses
December 8, 2019: Connecticut Mandated Food Waste-to-Energy struggles to grow
November 29, 2019: The Power of Curbside Food Scrap Collection
November 24, 2019: Prairie Village, KS Piloting Curbside Food Waste, Glass Recycling Programs
November 21, 2019: Free Organics Recycling in Jordan, MN Helps Turn Scraps into Savings
November 19, 2019: Study: Restaurants Could Capture More Food Waste & Reduce Climate Impact
November 19, 2019: Maryland Recycling/Composting Programs Experiencing Mixed Results
October 29, 2019: Buffalo, NY Places First Food Waste Receptacle on Elmwood Avenue
October 26, 2019: Allen County, IN Signs Off on Food Recycling
October 20, 2019: Montreal, QC Plans to Divert 85% of Garbage Away from Landfills by 2030
October 20, 2019: Newton, MA to Offer Household Curbside Food Waste Collection
October 20, 2019: The World Loses $400 Bil. of Food Before it Reaches Stores
September 29, 2019: South Portland, ME Food Waste Recycling: 1-Year and Growing
September 6, 2019: Food Waste Pickup to  Begin in Vancouver, WA
September 6, 2019: Curbside Composting Coming to Eugene, OR on Oct. 1
August 27, 2019: Rep. Pingree, Deputy FDA Commissioner Hear Ideas for Reducing Food Waste
​July 24, 2019: Kroger Working with EPA to Get Food Retailers to Eliminate
                         Food Waste
July 22, 2019: Buffalo, NY Offers Food Scrap Recycling Program
July 11, 2019: Austin to Expand Curbside Composting to 53,000 Home
July 04, 2019: Food Waste Update: The Industry's Progress in 2019
June 7, 2019: How MA's Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban is Working
May 27, 2019: Utah's Rotten, Stinky Food Can Now Be Transformed into
                        Natural Gas and Fertilizer
May 21, 2019: General Mills awards teens for clever ideas to reduce
                        hunger, food waste
May 01, 2019: Food Waste Collection & Recycling Provides Haulers with New
                        Destinations for Organics and Financial Benefits
May 01, 2019: U.S. EPA Honors Food Forward for Leading Food Recovery
                        Efforts Nationwide
April 24, 2019: Most people waste more food than they think - here's how to fix
                          it
April 22, 2019: Food Waste to Fuel as Washington Hopes to Curb Excess
April 18, 2019: Experts Offer Solutions to Food Waste Prevention, Reduction,
                          Recovery
April 15, 2019: Teton County, WY Aims to Add Food Waste Composting
April 09, 2019: Connecticut's Food Waste Recycling Law is Taking a Long Time
​                          to Grow
April 09, 2019: U.S. EPA Honors MGM Resorts' Bellagio Hotel and Casino for
                          Leading Food Recovery Efforts Nationwide
April 01, 2019: Tackling Domestic Organics Recycling
February xx, 2019: Pope Douglas Solid Waste Management Collaborates with
                                 Organix Solutions Bringing Organics Recycling to Rural MN
January 24, 2019: Cash for compost? Winona County to study food waste
                                economics
December 23, 2018: Metro (Portland, OR) Scraps Deal for Food Waste
December 11, 2018: Hennepin County, MN Enacts New Organics
                                   Requirements, but UMN is One Step Ahead
December 11, 2018: Already a Climate Change Leader, California Takes on
                                   Food Waste
December 09, 2018: Food Waste Management Market Growth Triggered by
                                    Environmental Conservation Trend
December 01, 2018: Set up for success: Successful Multifamily Organics
                                   Recycling Program
November 27, 2018: Hennepin County requires organics recycling for cities
​                                    and businesses
October 30, 2018: Best Features of Food Waste Collection Containers
October 21, 2018: New Report Finds Food Banking Poised to Play a Key Role
                                in Achieving #ZeroHunger
October 12, 2018: Hennepin County pushing forward with new organic waste
                                ordinance
October 08, 2018: New York City Has So Far Turned Up Nose at Food-Scrap
                                Recycling
October 04, 2018: Austin, TX Now Requires Restaurants To Responsibly
                               Dispose Of Food Waste
October 02, 2018: West Rock scales up food service packaging recovery
July 11, 2018: Pope Douglas Organic Recycling Program Expanded

Other

PFAS
January 21, 2020: China To Ban All Single-Use Plastics
December 31, 2019: Compost that tree, but watch the recycling
December 22, 2019: World's First Human Composting Facility for Funeral Services open 2021
December 8, 2019: Ford is Recycling McDonald's Coffee Grounds into Car Parts
December 1, 2019: Farmers are using Food Waste to Make Electricity
November 24, 2019 USDOE Launches Plastics Innovation Challenge
November 24, 2019: Alliance to End Plastic Waste Welcomes 4 New Companies
November 5, 2019: California’s Plastic Pollution Fight May Be Headed to Voters
July 24, 2019: Kroger Working w EPA to Get Food Retailers to Elminate Food Waste
July 24, 2019: EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Visits Cleveland, Announces
                         Trash-Free Great Lakes Grant Program
July 22, 2019: What I Learned on the World's First Zero-Waste Trip
July 11, 2019: World's Largest Airlines Taking Small Steps to Reduce Cabin
                         Waste
July 08, 2019: New Law Means Drivers Must Slow Down and Steer Clear of
                        Garbage and Recycling Trucks
June 25, 2019: United Airlines Makes History the Most Eco-Friendly
                          Commercial Flight of its Kind
June 25, 2019: How You Can Make Your Appliances More Eco-Friendly
June 24, 2019: How Best Buy Tries to Deal with a Glut of Cardboard Boxes
June 21, 2019: G20 Agrees to Tackle Ocean Plastic Waste
June 10, 2019: How Car Makers Turn Plastic Bottles and Jose Cuervo
                          Leftovers into New Vehicles
June 10, 2019: Solar-Powered Trash Compactors Come to Florida Beaches
                          and Marinas
June 07, 2019: Airlines Take a Step Toward Garbage-Free Flying
May 29, 2019: Seattle, WA Makes History with Electric Garbage Truck
May 28, 2019: Downtown Raleigh to Get First-in-the-Nation Underground Trash
                        System
May 24, 2019: The Future of Sustainable Fuel
May 09, 2019: Qantas Makes History with First Flight to Produce Zero Landfill
                        Waste
May 05, 2019: Coffee Waste 'Could Replace Palm Oil'
May 03, 2019: Waste Not: Company Takes Environmental Approach to
                        Deconstruction in West Hawaii
May 01, 2019: The Importance of a Site-Specific Review for Fabric Structures
April 28, 2019: Seaweed Pouches Replaced Thousands of Plastic Bottles at
                          the London Marathon
April 25, 2019: Fighting the Rising Tide of Plastic
April 25, 2019: Tupperware Brands Reinforces Sustainability Commitment with
                          Introduction of New Circular Material Made from Mixed Plastic
                          Waste
April 18, 2019: Electric Cars Cause Another Great Generational Divide
April 17, 2019: IntegriTies Offer 100% Recycled Alternative to Wooden Railroad
                          Ties
April 15, 2019: The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes Encourages Kids to
                          Save the Planet
April 13, 2019: Since Start of Pay-As-You-Throw Trash Program, New Windsor,
                          MD's Overall Waste Generation Drops 26 Percent
February 20, 2019: MN Department of Agriculture: Plant Pest Insider
February 14, 2019: NatureWorks Announces 100 Percent Third-Party Certified
                                Sustainable Feedstock by 2020
December 11, 2018: U.S. Composting Council Executive Board Elected to
                                   2019 Terms
​May 11, 2018: Composting 101
April 18, 2018: Can Dirt Save the Earth?
​2018: The Worm Farmer's Handbook: Mid- to Large-Scale Vermicomposting for Farms, Municipalities, Schools, and Institutions by Rhonda Sherman, available now
February xx, 2015: Coffee & Biochar White Paper Now Available
February 5, 2020: Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill to Clean Up Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’
January 14, 2020: House Passes Sweeping Bill to Target Spread of Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’
January 9, 2020: Aggressively Addressing PFAS at EPA
December 2019: Receivers of PFAS Contaminated Materials (lifecycle)
December 2019: Judge temporarily halts strict New Hampshire PFAS regulations 
December 20, 2019: Understanding the Impact of PFAS
December 10, 2019: PFAS detected in New Hanover County compost
November 21, 2019: Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone, JR (D-NJ) Applauds Passage of Comprehensive Legislation to Address PFAS Contamination and Exposure
November 10, 2019: EPA Continues Progress Under PFAS Action Plan
September 26, 2019: EPA Takes Two Important Steps Under PFA Action Plan
September 4, 2019: Denmark Just Became the First Country to Ban a Toxic Lining Common in Food Containers
June 03, 2019: 'Forever chemicals' found in seafood, meats, and chocolate
                          cake, FDA says
May 08, 2019: UN Chemical Regulators Approve PFOA Ban, with Exemptions
March 01, 2019: The Environmental Dangers of PFAS and Technologies for
                             Removing Them
October 06, 2018: Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit Targets Dupont,
                               Chemours, 3M, And Other Makers of PFAS Chemicals
July 06, 2018: PFAS And Organic Residuals Management
July xx, 2018: Basic Information on PFAS
March 28, 2018: Washington Bans PFAs in Food Packaging
2017: A Never-Ending Story of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)?

PFAS Resources
USEPA PFAS Action Plan
North East Biosolids & Residuals Association
North East Biosolids 7 Residuals Association News

Phosphorus

2007 - 2013: A Literature Review on the Availability of Phosphorus from
                      Compost in Relation to the Nitrate Regulations

Recycling

Worm Composting
October 31, 2019: Meridian Waste Enhances Curbside Recycling in the City of Tory, MO
October 29, 2019: Chesapeake, VA Recycles 14,500 Tons of Trash. Now the City is "Seriously Considering" Whether to Stop Recycling
October 28, 2019: Gerber & Terracycle to Partner to Launch National Recycling Program
October 26, 2019: New York Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Changing Recycling Market
October 22, 2019: SWANA's Report on Curbside Recycling Programs Free to Members
October 20, 2019: Washington County Recycling Association (NE) Wind State Recycling Award
October 20, 2019: Pearland, TX Focuses on Local Recycling Education in the MIdst of Industry Changes
October 20, 2019: King County, WA Will No Longer Accept Plastic Bags, Wraps in Recycling Starting Next Year
October 20, 2019: Recycled Plastic to Soon Pave Los Angeles, CA Roads
October 16, 2019: The Recycling Partnership & The PepsiCo Foundation Raise $25 Million for U.S. Recycling - Reaching Funding Goal 1-year into 5-year Challenge
October 2, 2019: Advance Disposal Begins Providing Waste & Recycling Collection Services to Osceola Residents on Tuesday Oct. 1
September 10, 2019: Organics Recycling Pushed by Minneapolis, MN Neighborhood Groups
September 10, 2019: New Report Provides Options for Curbside Recycling Programs
September 8, 2019: Fort Dodge Airport in Iowa to Quit Selling Plastic Bottles
September 6, 2019: Nashville TN's Zero Waste Plan Calls for Mandatory Recycling and Composting
August 29, 2019: Marriott Banning Small Plastic Shampoo Bottles by 2020
July 31, 2019: Europe Faces Challenges in Meeting Plastic Bottle Recovery Target
July 26, 2019: NWRA Urges California Lawmakers to Considef
​r Incentives for Domestic Recycling Infrastructure
July 18, 2019: Cambodia to Send Plastic Waste Back to the U.S. and Canada 
July 15, 2019: It's Time to Get Serious About Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries
July 15, 2019: Petaluma, CA Getting on Board the Zero Waste Train
​July 11, 2019: Markets Shits Prompt Bill to Shore Up Maine Recycling Programs
July 03, 2019: Michigan launches statewide educational campaign on recycling
July 03, 2019: Recyclers request government mandates for recycled plastic
                        content in bags
​June 28, 2019: PepsiCo to trial Aquafina in aluminum cans
December 29, 2019: Worm composting: In the house or garage?


Resources
Cornell - Worm Composting Basics