Weekly News Bulletin: Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2020
Landfill Volumes and Pricing Evidence the Recovering Economy
Just as the waste in our roll-out carts evidences our behaviors, it also reveals our economic wellbeing. It is even sometimes said that the waste industry is a leading indicator of the economy, rather it is at least an immediate indicator of the economy. A garbage man will tell you the dumpsters are only half-full months before government statistics are available.
Waste Business Journal statistics show that the industry appears to be recovering in line with the gradual reopening of the economy following the seismic shifts caused by COVID-19. Waste volumes flowing into landfills hit their lowest point in April where they were off as much as 20 percent from a year earlier. This is in almost perfect tandem with US monthly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (see the chart below). As a measure of the value of all goods and services produced, changes in GDP are the most popular indicator of the nation's overall economic health...Read More »
Former Recology Executive Charged with Bribery
Former Recology executive Paul Giusti has been charged with bribing a City of San Francisico official and money landering in a scheme to conceal the series of bribes ultimately worth over $1 million. Giusti, formerly Group Government & Community Relations Manager for Recology, is accused of directing over many years company "holiday donations" to a non-profit called "Lefty O'Doul's Foundation for Kids," that in turn, directed funds to interests controlled by former San Francisco DPW Director Mohammed Nuru. Nuru was a key decision maker regarding the city's willingness to pay higher tipping fees for city waste dumped at a Recology facility...Read More »
New York City Issues RFPs for its Commercial Collection Zones
New York City is beginning its transition to commercial waste collection zones as it issued this week request for proposals (RFP) to private waste haulers who want to do business within the city's five boroughs. While the city has argued the program will create a safer and more efficient system by decreasing the number of trucks on the streets, private industry has argued that companies already operated efficiently per good busniss practice and that the new system will hurt competition and especially smaller haulers. The program was authorized by legislation which New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed in November 2019 but later delayed implementing due to the effects of COVID-19. In February, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) published a final rule designating 20 zones for commercial waste collection. Accordingly, DSNY will select up to three haulers to provide service to customers within each zone, as well as up to five haulers to provide containerized collection service citywide...Read More »
Aquafil Group buys Carpet Recycler Planet Recycling
Aquafil Group, the US division of Italian-based Aquafil Global is buying Planet Recycling Inc. (Phoenix, AZ). Aquafil produces nylon yarns used in carpeting and textiles and recycles used material. The company has two carpet recycling facilities in Phoenix, AZ and Woodland, CA which collectively recycle 18,000 tons of carpet annually. Planet Recycling recovers over 10,000 tons of post-consumer carpet collected from Phoenix and San Diego, CA at its Phoenix facility. Aquafil expects the acquisition to help create a more stable supply of nylon waste for its regeneration plant in Slovenia where carpet waste and other materials such as fishing nets and other types of nylon waste are regenerated into ECONYL yarns and polymers. It also contributes to a closed-loop system that seeks to reduce the two million tons of waste carpet destined for U.S. landfills each year of which only five percent is currently being recycled...Read More »
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