There is a common theme hidden beneath this week’s seemingly disparate stories and that is: separation is the key to unlocking value in the waste stream. In multifamily units, representing a growing fraction of US housing stock, segregating recycling from the black bin waste runs into logistical and space challenges—not unlike the challenges of separating materials on a construction site—and remains the ‘final frontier’ in MSW recycling. Mixed materials, including plastics, are very difficult to pyrolyze effectively and cleanly, but many of these problems largely go away with clean and consistent inputs.
In the news
This Week in Waste
Multifamily Recycling Access Gets a Serious Look
About half of Houston’s population — roughly 1 million residents — lives in apartments or other multifamily housing, but recycling access for that population remains severely limited. A pilot program funded by The Recycling Partnership and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste is testing collection and education models across 12 properties, with a goal of serving 3,000 units by the end of 2026; findings are expected to inform a potential citywide multifamily recycling ordinance. The Recycling Partnership estimates only about 20% of multifamily households in Texas currently have recycling access. Houston officials say the data from this pilot will shape strategies for scaling multifamily recycling in cities across the country.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
The Recycling Partnership
EPA Moves to Reclassify Pyrolysis
The EPA is seeking public comments on its intent to clarify that certain pyrolysis technologies used for chemical recycling are not forms of incineration under the Clean Air Act — a move that would remove these facilities from stringent emissions oversight. Stakeholders are sharply split: the plastics industry says the change reduces regulatory confusion while still controlling emissions, while environmental advocates warn it would expose communities to hazardous air pollutants with weakened federal oversight.
Key takeaway: How the EPA ultimately classifies pyrolysis will determine whether chemical recycling scales as a legitimate end-of-life solution or as a deregulated alternative to landfilling.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
US News
Construction and Demolition Plastic: 77% Recyclable, Yet Infrastructure Lags
Canadian researchers at Light House found that 77% of plastic collected at construction sites was recyclable, and recommend parallel investments in end markets and recycling infrastructure to capture that value. The finding highlights a persistent gap in the C&D waste stream: material recovery potential is high, but collection, sorting, and market development have not kept pace.
Key takeaway: The same barriers that make recycling multifamily waste challenging — the difficulty of separating materials and the cost of hauling them to processors — apply equally to C&D recycling.
Sources: Waste Dive
Foundational Knowledge
The More You Know
From SWEEP
Announcing the Release of the SWEEP+ Pilot Standard 2.0
The SWEEP+ Standard includes measurable criteria covering the full waste system, including diversion performance across material categories like C&D. As this week’s stories make clear — from multifamily recycling access to construction site plastics — systemic measurement and accountability frameworks are exactly what’s needed to close the gap between recovery potential and actual performance.
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Focus on SWEEP
Webinar Today: Lessons from Platinum Certification
Join us TODAY, May 19th at 2 pm ET for an exciting webinar featuring Lessons Learned from Platinum Certification. Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery is SWEEP’s first Platinum Certified company. Join MDRR’s CEO Kish Rajan and SWEEP Founder Rob Watson to learn about MDRR and SWEEP’s journey to this incredible achievement — and how your town or waste company can take the first steps toward sustainable materials management with SWEEP.
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