Roll-ups and investor portfolio acquisitions continue across the country, which could make it easier to coordinate on — or block — issues of industry-wide concern such as battery disposal safety, and performance standardization.
In the news
This Week in Waste
Consolidation Wave Continues Across Waste and Recycling
Strong M&A activity continues across the industry. Ecowaste Solutions acquired Missouri’s Bilyeu Disposal, I Squared Capital agreed to acquire Milestone Environmental from SK Capital Partners in Texas, private equity-backed Mat Tech bought Hook Set Transportation, and Century Waste picked up Priority First Carting’s assets to enter a newly created New York City commercial waste zone.
Key takeaway: Private equity and strategic buyers continue to see hauling, disposal, and environmental services as attractive consolidation targets, a trend that may have an impact on regional pricing and service competition.
Sources: Waste Dive
Industry Associations Coordinate on Battery and Vape Safety, Debate Public Messaging
CDRA, NWRA, SWANA, and ReMA held a joint session on June 30 to align strategies for managing lithium-ion battery and vape fires in the waste stream. NWRA’s CEO argued the industry should use the word “recover” rather than “recycle” for batteries to avoid confusing the public into placing them in recycling bins, while SWANA highlighted vapes as a uniquely difficult collection challenge.
Key takeaway: As the leading associations converge on shared strategy, the importance of consistent basic public-facing terminology, definitions, and processes is coming to the fore.
Sources: Waste Today ·
SWANA
New Certification Standard Aims to Build Trust in Chemical Recycling
SCS Standards and Assurance Systems has launched the Certification Standard for Responsible Chemical Recycling (SCS-004), the first independent standard of its kind for the sector. The voluntary, tiered standard requires chemical recyclers to report on permitting, chain of custody, waste and wastewater management, and social and environmental impacts, and comes on the heels of high-profile project cancellations at Braven Environmental and Freepoint Eco-Systems. Companies including Eastman, Brightmark, and Nexus Circular have already engaged with the process.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
Recycling Today
Oregon Approves New Verification Framework for Recycled Materials
Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality approved an amendment to Circular Action Alliance’s program plan establishing a “responsible end markets” verification framework under the state’s packaging EPR law. The move is meant to confirm that materials collected for recycling are actually being managed responsibly once they leave Oregon’s system, and CAA is now also developing a national Responsible Markets Certification Standard open for public comment.
Key takeaway: As EPR programs mature, states are expanding focus to encompass verification of what happens to material downstream — a development that will increase scrutiny on end markets nationwide and may ultimately drive a reckoning for today’s underperforming recycling infrastructure, particularly in the residential sector.
Sources: Recycling Today
From SWEEP: “What is SWEEP Certification and Why is it Important?” →
SWEEP’s blog post makes the same case for municipal waste programs, explaining why a measurable, third-party standard matters when organizations want to prove they are actually walking the walk.
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From roll-ups reshaping the hauling and disposal landscape to associations aligning on battery safety to new standards for chemical recycling and recycled-material verification, the industry is moving toward more coordination — but only certified, measurable standards can turn that coordination into real accountability. Join SWEEP and help set the standard for what good waste management actually looks like.
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