Policy and consumer demands are moving forward on multiple fronts, from staggered state EPR and right-to-repair deadlines to renewed consumer interest in textile reuse. But the economics and attendant infrastructure needed to support these trends often lag behind. Glass recovery data from the Northeast shows that deposit systems only pay off where regional processing capacity exists to back them up. Meanwhile, a proactive PFAS investment case study at a landfill shows what it looks like to get ahead of regulation rather than wait for it.
In the news
This Week in Waste
Multi-State EPR and Right-to-Repair Deadlines Land in July
July brought a cluster of regulatory deadlines: California’s textile EPR law and Washington’s packaging EPR program both hit key compliance dates, Connecticut’s right-to-repair law took effect, and New York’s carpet EPR program was delayed again after being pushed from its original 2024 effective date. The clustering shows how uneven state-by-state EPR rollout has become, even as more programs go live.
Key takeaway: With EPR and right-to-repair obligations now staggered across a growing patchwork of states, producers and haulers operating in multiple jurisdictions need to track compliance calendars individually rather than assuming a single national timeline.
Sources: Waste Dive
From SWEEP: “What is Your Right To Repair, And Why It’s a Big Deal” →
SWEEP’s blog post breaks down the policy fight behind these laws and what it means for local governments and industry alike.
Thrifting Resurgence Seen as a Lever for Textile Diversion
Speakers at a Northeast Recycling Council webinar said renewed consumer interest in secondhand shopping, combined with better sorting technology and new EPR laws in California and the EU, could meaningfully shift textile diversion rates. Panelists noted that thrift stores typically resell only a portion of donated inventory, with a large share exported for further sorting and resale abroad, showing how much capacity still depends on international markets.
Key takeaway: Consumer behavior and export market capacity remain as important to textile diversion outcomes as the sorting technology itself.
Sources: Waste Dive ·
Northeast Recycling Council ·
Resource Recycling
NERC’s Flow of Glass Report Ties Deposit Systems to Recovery Rates
NERC’s new Northeast Flow of Glass Report found that Vermont and Connecticut, the two states in the region with deposit return systems, recycled the highest share of glass containers relative to total generation, with Connecticut also leading in per capita collection. Glass presents a tougher economic case than lighter materials since its weight drives up transportation costs when it has to travel long distances to reach a processor, which is part of why NERC points to local and regional processing capacity as the lever that matters most. The report frames strategic investment in that regional collection and processing capacity, rather than collection volume alone, as key to improving both the economics and the recovery rate of glass across the Northeast.
Sources: Northeast Recycling Council
Waste Connections Builds Proactive PFAS Treatment at Anson Landfill
Waste Connections is installing a foam fractionation system at its Anson Landfill to address PFAS in leachate before it becomes a larger issue, describing the move as a proactive step in a region where PFAS contamination from other industries has already drawn scrutiny. It is a notable example of an operator investing in on-site PFAS treatment ahead of stricter regulatory requirements rather than waiting for mandates.
Key takeaway: Voluntary PFAS treatment investment at the facility level may become a competitive and reputational differentiator as regulatory and community pressure on landfill PFAS releases continues to build.
Sources: Waste Dive
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From staggered EPR and right-to-repair deadlines to a textile thrifting resurgence, glass deposit systems, and proactive PFAS investment, this week’s news shows policy and consumer behavior moving faster than the infrastructure built to support them. A measurable, third-party standard is how that gap gets closed. Join SWEEP and help set the standard for what good waste management actually looks like.
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